Last night Portarlington GAA held our first live streamed discussion organised by our Health & Wellbeing committee in their work to tackle the issues around mental health in our club and our community.

The topic of last night's meeting was gambling addiction.

Our Heath & Wellbeing officer Darren Geoghegan was joined by two local men and former Port players, Paul Maher & Eoghan Gleeson.

During this brutally honest discussion, Paul & Eoghan shared the experiences of their gambling addiction, how it began, how it affected them and those close to them, and ultimately how they sought help to break their addiction and move on to the gamble free lives they now lead today.

They also discussed how gambling is present in our everyday lives through sports advertising and online ads, and how it is targeting kids as young as 13 in online video games and mobile phone apps.

Of the many topics that the lads conveyed during the meeting last night, the overwhelming message was that there is always help to break addiction.

If you or any of your family or friends are struggling with a gambling addiction, we encourage you to sit down and watch this discussion and learn how it can be tackled and ultimately beaten.

Our doors are always open for help in the strictest of confidence.

Watch the full meeting here - https://fb.watch/dJfX1jAfPl/

Organisations that offer help with addiction and mental health issues:

https://www.gamblersanonymous.ie/

https://www.extern.org/

https://sosadireland.ie/