Aaron Traynor Who Struggled with Addiction Since 13

 

Nobody is safe from the “hungry beast” gambling addicts aptly use to describe gambling addiction. The addiction story of Aaron Traynor is not one of the worst you will probably hear, but it’s also an important example of how even people who “have it all” can be easily seduced by the promise of gambling.

Often, it’s not about money, but some visceral ill-comprehended thrill. Traynor’s gambling addiction developed in his early teens, when he was 14 or even 13. He would bet on horses, greyhounds, and football competitions, and things eventually escalated when he started university and began getting college loans.

Apart from getting loans, he also took up jobs to be able to fuel his gambling addiction further. Aware of his problem, he tried to wean himself off, but nothing proved a reliable enough solution. He signed himself up for Gamblers Anonymous and started going to counsel, but his urge to gamble was unquenchable.

“I just wanted to gamble money every single day,” Traynor said, attesting that he must have been losing at least £15,000 a year for at least 10 years. Yet, Traynor eventually succeeded in pulling himself away from gambling, shifting his priorities, and breaking up with a bad habit that cost him a lot of financial and emotional distress.

True, his story may not be the worst recount of gambling addiction you may have heard, but it’s a good way to see that even in the worst of times, we can still find a way out of the darkness.