Patrick Foster
PATRICK FOSTER
Cricket
Patrick is a former professional cricketer, insurance broker and independent school teacher whose life was torn to shreds by his pathological gambling addiction. Despite his idyllic upbringing and incredible success as a youngster, Patrick's life become monopolised by gambling from his University days onwards as he found making the transition from playing sport and into the real world a huge challenge. His gambling addiction brought him to the verge of taking his own life in March 2018.
The mist has lifted, and he has gained some insight into the nature of the condition that was keeping him so unsettled for such a long time and the impact it has had on his life and that of his family.
A need has developed within him to share his journey with young people and their parents as well as those may be experiencing similar difficulties or who are unaware of the potential pitfalls and dangers of gambling and indeed now online gaming.
He is grateful for the opportunity to fracture some of the isolation that comes all too often with gambling addiction and many other manifestations of addictions.
The first step in change is acknowledging that there is a problem, what the problem is and then realising that you simply cannot deal with all your problems yourself. It is imperative that young people realise that admitting you have a problem and that you are not able to deal with it yourself is not a sign of weakness but of courage.
Issues around gambling and low-self-esteem are often so ingrained that we are not even consciously aware how they shape who we are and how we see ourselves.
This is why he believes it is important to share his story and experience as this can provide the identification needed in order to change and inspiring people to have the courage and confidence to reach out for help.
Patrick now works for an organisation called EPIC Risk Management. EPIC is established as the leading independent gambling harm-minimisation consultancy in the UK and Ireland, specialising in the identification and prevention of problematic gambling in high risk sectors.
In his talks Patrick will not only talk about gambling and the recent why the modern generation need to be so aware and are more vulnerable than ever but also the world of online gaming. He explores the increasingly blurred lines between gambling and gaming, helps young people recognise signs in themselves and others and explores the impact that these things can have on mental health and areas of life.
Click here to read Patrick’s recent BBC article here.