After almost 24 years in the Army, Rachel described her career as the “most amazing part” of her life, but admitted it affected her mental health.
“I think it took its toll on me… just all the things that maybe I’ve endured my whole life, you know, within the Army.
“You kind of like pretend that there’s nothing wrong with you when you just crack on. But inside, there is so much going on.”
Rachel described her mental health as being a “sliding scale” throughout her life, as she received support through the Army via therapy and medication.
The Ministry of Defence said it took problem gambling seriously and recognised the “significant impact” it could have on the health and wellbeing of service personnel.
It said it had a “comprehensive gambling clinical pathway”, including assessment, support and referral to specialist NHS services, as well as welfare and pastoral support.
Despite this, Rachel said she found herself increasingly turning to gambling sites and hobbies during Covid because she “wasn’t happy at all”.
She said a lot of her addiction was easy to hide through online betting apps on her mobile.
“We’re always on our phones”, she said, adding that if she was ever asked, she would say she was texting when she was “putting money into the bingo sites”.
“I made sure I hid it from everybody… that’s how I knew it was wrong because I was hiding it.