TWO recovering addicts have raised hundreds for charity by hosting an event with the aim to break the stigma.
As previously reported, Matt Cowell and James McCallion, from Basingstoke, have struggled with the consequences of addiction, experiencing the mental, physical and social repercussions that can come from it. Matt is a recovering gambling addict, while James is in recovery for drug addiction.
Matt, a 41-year-old personal trainer, hopes that by sharing his story, he can help to inspire others to make the difficult but necessary changes to improve their lives.
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The pair of them hosted an event for the men's mental health charity, Movember, on November 26, and raised £600.
Matt said that the event went "monumentally", adding, "It was a great turnout. Our goal was to tell our stories and raise awareness about addiction - in my case, gambling, in James' case, drugs."
The talk, held at the Apollo Hotel, saw the men share what life was like at our lowest and what helped them to turn things around, and how health and fitness became a lifeline for them.
Matt explained that he became addicted to gambling from a young age, saying: "I started playing on fruit machines when I was a very young age, at 16 or 17, when I was legally not allowed.
"As I got older, it became easier to gamble. It was a combination of my love of sport and my gambling addiction that created a perfect storm, and I fell into the trap of gambling online.
"In 2021, I was diagnosed with ADHD and it all made sense, it explained why I was addicted to those little dopamine hits you get but I'm happy to say that now it has been well over one year since I placed a bet or participated in any form of gambling."
Both Matt and James want to use their stories to help others who may be falling into the trap of addiction to overcome this.
At the event, James said: "What started as a fun release turned into dependency. I lost myself in drink and drugs, I chased losses until I hit rock bottom. The turning point turned into chaos."
The men explained that they worked on their discipline, routine, support, honesty and purpose to help overcome their addictions, developing support networks with those they can trust.
Matt added: "Fitness gave me structure, purpose and self-respect - almost a new addiction."
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