Batman Begins

Some of these topics that I would love to hear the thoughts from the community on, are getting hard to come up with film titles for. Hope I'm not upsetting anyone by posting them but it gets me thinking and I enjoy reading the replies

So where did it begin. Even that in itself can be construed in different ways. Some of the great podcasters I listen to ask, when did you first realise you had a problem ? What's the most powerful memory you have ? What was your first experience of gambling ? 

I realise that as much as it doesn't matter where it started, it's the end thats the most important thing as recovery is all about getting it right once, and that once is the last time. 

Ive been asked this question a lot. When I was around 8 or 9 years old, at Xmas and Easter we would play Newmarket which was a card game. No skill and playing for pennies. I feel I wanted to play more but I don't see that as my addiction, more of a warning sign for parents. Again at a young age my Dad would act as the bookmaker and give my brother and I a small amount of money to bet with him on the grand national. My brother would ask to keep it or when forced just put his finger on a horse in the paper with no effort. I, however, would want to divide the money into ten different horse bets as I had to win. Another warning sign but I didn't get up the next day and want to bet on another horse race.

So where did it begin for me. I keep saying I was 12 but I was actually 11. Addiction was still 44 years but I realise I got the starting age slightly wrong as it was a few months before my birthday.

I won a scholarship to an amazing school in a different area. I had to leave all my friends at primary school behind and venture to a new place. My father gave me £30 for the achievement as I had beaten 10,000 children to one of four places. According to Google that £30 would be £150 in today's money. I had grand dreams of what I would spend the money on as it was a lot to an 11 year old. That weekend I had been invited down to my Aunt and Uncles who lived by the seaside. On the Saturday I went to the town to go shopping and I walked along the seafront noticing a lot of arcades with flashing lights and music playing from them. In those days there were no age limits and not sure what the rules are now. So I went in and was intoxicated. I started playing the fruit machines and spent every penny in under an hour. I didn't regret it or felt sick, I tried to think how I could play again the next day. I returned home and pretended to search my Aunt's house saying I had dropped the money somewhere and had not been able to buy anything. 

Not only is that where and when my addiction began but also the lies used to fuel it. 

How do you feel about your start in gambling ? If asked that question would you pinpoint a first exposure or would you state the event when it started to take hold.

Would love to hear back from people