Noah is in his early 20’s and has been in Gamblers Anonymous for just over a year. Noah was brought up by his grandmother and he rebelled in his mid-teens and left home and eventually left school early. He discusses how his gambling progressed from playing Poker with friends in high school, to becoming a serious gambler after visiting a casino when he turned 18.He found that gambling offered him an escape from reality – the family, personal issues and his mum’s drug addiction.  The turning point was when he noticed the impact of his gambling on his family and considered suicide as a way out of his gambling problems. He contacted Gambler’s Help but found more support in Gamblers Anonymous - where he identified with the stories of other gamblers and their non-judgemental approach.Initially Noah spent 3 months in GA, before gambling again for a few months, and has now been in GA for over 14 months without gambling.  He feels a strong bond with GA and the other members and to keeping the meetings open for those seeking help with their gambling addiction.If you’re having trouble with gambling, or have a friend or family member that does, then maybe Gamblers Anonymous could help – phone (03) 9696 6108 or visit their website gaaustralia.org.au for information and to see a list of local meetings.Show your support to the Living Free show by:subscribing to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/subscribeand donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donateUnfortunately, we are unable to include the music we played in our Podcast, due to Copyright issues, but we are happy to support Australian music via the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP) https://amrap.org.au/ Here are the links to the artists and song played on today’s show:Emily Jane Pritchard - Never Ending Holiday: https://amrap.org.au/track/emily-jane-pritchard-never-ending-holidayKim O'Leary - Your Feet Don't Touch the Ground: https://amrap.org.au/track/kim-oleary-your-feet-dont-touch-the-ground-your-feet-dont-touch-the-groundThe Redeemed - The Ride and Summer Surprise: https://amrap.org.au/track/the-redeemed-the-ride-the-ridehttps://amrap.org.au/track/the-redeemed-summer-surprise-summer-surprise