Patrick is a former professional cricketer, insurance broker and independent schoolteacher whose life was torn to shreds by his pathological gambling addiction. Despite his idyllic upbringing and incredible success as a youngster, Patrick's life became 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 people who may be experiencing similar difficulties related to addiction or mental health.

He is grateful for the opportunity to fracture some of the isolation that comes all too often with addiction and many other manifestations of mental health disorders.

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 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 addiction 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 to inspire people to have the courage and confidence to reach out for help.