I developed a severe gambling problem in 2006. Before then, it was just the odd lottery ticket or a small bet on a horse at a corporate awayday. As a child, I can remember begging my mum for one more tombola ticket at the church fete or another handful of pennies at the amusement arcade on family holidays, so perhaps the signs were there.

My gambling went from nought to a hundred almost overnight. Within a couple of weeks, I was staying up all night playing slot machines online. I was losing thousands of pounds. I was neglecting my work and my wellbeing and lying to friends and family. Desperate, I remember telling myself that if I could just win back what I’d lost I would stop. I did win back what I’d lost. But I didn’t stop, and it just kept getting worse.

The next five to 10 years were a blur. I lived a kind of double life. Even now I can’t explain it. I was in my early thirties and lucky in so many ways. …