Welcome And Brendan’s Backstory

Announcement 0:00

The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, or OASAS, provides this podcast as a public service. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the agency or state.

Jerry Gretzinger 0:18

Welcome to Addiction the Next Step. I'm your host, Jerry Gretzinger. We often hear stories from folks in recovery after years of struggling with alcohol or cannabis or opioids or gambling. Today's guest survived years of struggling with all of them. Brendan King says his life was a series of quick fixes, looking for easy solutions to his problems, and then needing an escape from them when those quick fixes only made things worse. His years of struggles and eventual recovery led him to the hospital. Not to receive care, but to provide it. A major turnaround that he says began with a text message.

Opioids As A “Warm Blanket”

Brendan King 1:38

And I'm gonna be honest, I found oxycontin to be a warm blanket. That was the answer to all my problems. But um I, in reality, I was slipping away from like my old self and I was turning into somebody else.

Jerry Gretzinger 1:53

Brendan was caught in a downward spiral, years of addiction, incarceration, and guilt. He believed he let everyone down, so much so that he felt life in a cell was all he deserved.

Brendan King 2:04

I had been incarcerated so much that I just was accepting that that now was my journey. I was just gonna, because I thought I let everybody down.

Pandemic Trading As A New Addiction

Jerry Gretzinger 2:12

Brendan eventually vowed to change his life around, but in the quiet of the 2020 pandemic, gambling on the stock market replaced his dependence on substances.

Brendan King 2:22

I made a thousand bucks in about 30 seconds on an option call, and I thought, this was it. I'm a day trader now, I'm not a drug addict anymore, or have a substance use disorder, and um, same feelings and behaviors attached to it.

Jerry Gretzinger 2:34

In nine months, he'd lost $9,000. The quick fix of day trading brought back the same guilt, shame, and anger he thought he'd left behind.

Brendan King 2:43

My girlfriend, she told me that I was finding ways to get around corners, to place my bets, the same shady business I was doing with the substances.

One Text Message Turning Point

Jerry Gretzinger 2:55

Brendan's turning point didn't come from a grand gesture. It came from a simple text message from a woman he'd met at the Healing Springs Recovery Center in Saratoga Springs.

Brendan King 3:05

And she just sent me a text message saying, 'I'm always here for you.' And I'm I'm telling you, that text message changed the trajectory of my journey. Just those words of encouragement and kindness move mountains sometimes.

Peer Support Inside Saratoga Hospital

Jerry Gretzinger 3:20

Brendan realized that to truly recover, he had to zoom the lens out and take a look at his relationship with his family and those who would be important in his recovery journey. He did that, and the transformation was so complete, he now spends his weekdays at Saratoga Hospital providing peer support as the man who walked the walk.

Brendan King 3:41

Them seeing me, uh no matter what condition the individual comes in, if they come in five days in a week, I treat them with the same respect, the same love that I would want to because I remember what it's like to be in those beds. Um the only way for someone to change is if they want to. So maybe the best way is if they see somebody that is coming in a lot and then they choose to change their own life, that it does work, or if they choose to accept the fact that I have changed myself. You know, but it's constant education with the nurses, the doctors. Uh, and in my experience, in the two and a half years that I've been at Saratoga Hospital, we've come a long way. It was not like that when I first got there. Saratoga is a very stigmatized town. It just is what it is. Um, but since I've been in there in Healing Springs, um I've seen some nurses change their tune a little bit, um, kind of go on the offensive in advocacy advocacy as well.

Jerry Gretzinger 4:39

Brendan says nurses and doctors see recovery as a reality, not a myth. And he stresses to everyone he meets we all deserve a second chance.

Brendan King 4:49

It's not as scary as you think. We've been there, and we just we're gonna open with agree with open arms.

Jerry Gretzinger 4:56

Whether you're looking for a second chance, or a third or fourth or fifth, they are readily available for anyone realizing their gambling has become a problem. And if you need help straightening out your finances, and we got news for you. You can get financial help free of charge. Learn how in just a moment.

Betting Pause And Gambling Self-Check

Announcement 5:16

You can bet on all the sports, all the players, all the action, all the time. Now you've just gotta ask yourself, should I? Take a pause from the action so you can stay in control. A pause can help you think about how much time you spend betting. Take a pause if you're watching your wagers more than the game. Pausing can get you back to enjoying time with those around you. Visit Oasas.ny.gov and take our survey to see if your wagering is something to worry about. Take a pause and get back into the game.A

Free Financial Counseling Through GamFin

Jerry Gretzinger 5:58

As mobile sports betting and online gaming continue to explode in popularity across New York, some significant financial difficulties are hitting more people than ever before. But there is a program offering a lifeline.

Ambus Hunter 6:11

We provide financial counseling for those experiencing gambling-related financial issues. We're in the business of helping people to figure out what's that next step to take with their finances.

Jerry Gretzinger 6:22

Through a partnership with OASAS, GamFin is offering that help to New York residents free of charge, and getting started is just a click away.

Ambus Hunter 6:30

Right. Go to the website, um, no judgment zone, uh, set up the intake, the intake uh session and connect with a counselor that feels right for you and that resonates with you.

Jerry Gretzinger 6:41

The process begins online at oasas.ny.gov/ gambling. Click on book a financial counseling session where users are matched with specialists who handle everything from identity theft to complex tax issues. But for many clients, the most important part of that process is finding someone who can help them, who understands them and passes no judgment.

A Counselor’s Five-Digit Loss And Recovery Plan

Jerry Gretzinger 7:02

Ambus Hunter is a financial counselor at GamFin, and he knows exactly what it's like to be on the other end of a counseling session.

Ambus Hunter 7:09

Me and my buddy, we went to Vegas and um um I I got involved in the happenings of gambling, but I didn't let it stay in Vegas. I brought it home with me. What in the interpretation I took from it was, oh, playing roulette, this can be like a part-time job. Right? Like, I mean, I that's where my brain went at the time. Like, it this isn't entertainment, this isn't something for fun, this isn't something I just do in Vegas. I didn't recognize I was becoming more and more obsessed with it. I was talking about it all the time. Even though I'm winning money, um, I'm not seeing how it's slowly taking a hold of me and kind of you know hijacking actually everything I was even thinking about.

Jerry Gretzinger 7:49

The luck eventually ran out. A significant five-digit loss in a matter of weeks started a spiral of insomnia and isolation.

Ambus Hunter 7:56

I eventually got to a point where I recognized I I this isn't gonna work. This isn't sustainable. So I committed to stopping gambling. And and of course, it was was a bumpy ride at first, you know, because I had a grounding in financial education, a grounding in financial literacy, I was able to uh essentially set myself up on a financial recovery plan.

Jerry Gretzinger 8:21

It took a year of working three jobs and sticking to a strict budget, but Ambus didn't just recover, he found a new calling. In 2021, he became an accredited financial counselor.

Ambus Hunter 8:32

Set yourself up on a plan that you trust and a plan that you believe in. You don't have to rely on quick hits, quick wins, spinning the ball and see if you're if you're if your life can change financially.

Jerry Gretzinger 8:43

Now that lived experience is helping New Yorkers realize that financial recovery isn't just about balancing a checkbook. It's the result of a proven plan and the courage to take a first step.

How To Get Help Right Now

Jerry Gretzinger 8:55

If you or someone you love is struggling with a gambling-related financial issue, you can visit our website. Go to oasas.ny.gov/ gambling. You'll be able to connect with GamFin and counselors just like Ambus. You can also call our hopeline at 877-8 -HOPENY.