'Men don't ask for help because it is bred into us from a young age to be strong, don't show emotion. Writing my songs really helps me to express myself even when times are bad'

CRAIG HAS USED POETRY TO HELP HIM OVERCOME HIS ADDICTION TO GAMBLING

- By TELEGRAPH REPORTER

(Craig Clements)

RECOVERING gambling addict Craig Clements is living proof that music and the arts can be powerful tools on the road to improving your mental health.

Craig, 49, is pouring all his energies into writing music and poetry to help him overcome his life-long issues with gambling.

Craig, from Chesterfield, has had a decades-long struggle with gambling on horses and football, spending hundreds of pounds playing roulette games in the bookies and using every penny he earned to chase the dopamine hit of a big win.

At one point, he was £80,000 in debt - but even that didn't make him stop.

After he reached out to the East Midlands Gambling Harms Service for free NHS support, Craig managed to get his gambling under control and despite a few setbacks, he is positive about the future thanks to his love of music and poetry.

“I have had a lot of troubles with my mental health over the last year or so, and writing poetry and music has really helped me,” he said. “I'm also writing my memoir and trying to get that published.”