After years of battling a gambling addiction, in February she received a push to get the help she needed.
“I was gambling pretty regularly, and one night, I came out of the club to go home, and the pastor of our church was sitting near my car,” she explained.
“He had noticed that my car was parked there pretty often, so he asked what was going on.
“I was upset because I’d been found out; I had been holding on to this big secret.
“So, I came home that night and I looked up the gambling helpline.”
That’s when Margaret was connected with GambleAware Hunter New England counsellor Elizabeth “Libby” Ferfoglia. A moment that helped her move forward and transform her life.
Margaret says she started gambling about 15 years ago due to loneliness – going to the club and running some money through the pokies was a way for her to switch off her mind and forget about her problems.
“I started when my marriage broke up,” Margaret said.
“I went through a lot of pain in the process, and a friend took me out one night and we put some money through the machines and it very soon became a habit.”
At the time, Margaret was living in Singleton and moved for a fresh start. She tried her best to give it up, but couldn’t find the strength until she received some professional help.
She believes that Libby helped change her life.
“Libby has been amazing,” Margaret said.
“I look forward to her ringing me up for our sessions and feel like I can safely unload any problems that I'm facing in my life.”
Libby helped Margaret understand why she was gambling and put some strategies in place for her to fight the urges.
Margaret is also grateful for the help she received from her pastor.
“My pastor has been a great support to me when I needed someone else to talk too,” Margaret said.
“I have great faith and my activity in the church has helped me move on.”
Margaret now turns to doing things she loves, like knitting, reading and volunteering in the community, to help combat the loneliness.
“The journey I'm on now is just totally different to where I was going and I'm so much happier in my life,” Margaret said.
“I can’t thank Libby enough.”
Margaret is sharing her story during GambleAware Week to encourage others to seek help.
“For me, once I acknowledged the problem and it wasn’t this big secret anymore, it helped so much,” she said.
“I’ve gone eight months without gambling and feel so much better.
“It’s worth every bit of effort.”
GambleAware Hunter New England is a free, confidential program run by CatholicCare Social Services Hunter-Manning and Centacare New England North West. If you or someone you know needs help, call 1800 497 065.
Follow mnnews.today on Facebook.