Yahoo Finance Gambling Aussie dad blew 'over $1m at casino' before rock bottom
Daniel was fired from four high-flying jobs before he turned his life around, and now he's turned his recovery into a $150,000 career.
At his lowest point, former gambling addict Daniel Byrne said he’d just dropped his kids off at their mum's when he drove around the corner to “bawl” his eyes out in the front seat of his $150,000 Jaguar.
On top of his gambling habit, the father of two told Yahoo Finance he was addicted to drugs, and juggling his demons resulted in the tourism, events and hospitality manager being fired from four "well-respected roles" at two different hotels, a law firm and an energy company.
“It started out with just the horses and TAB, and then that heavily turned to the casino,” he said. “I blew well over $1 million at Crown Casino in Melbourne.”
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He'd moved to the Victorian capital from Tasmania in his early 20s, which was when he discovered drugs and “fell” into a life of addiction.
“I got sucked into this lifestyle of reaching for any substance to make myself feel OK, to make me feel like I loved myself, and it just spiralled out of control,” he said.
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“I had all of these materialistic possessions, all the drugs and all the lifestyle, and I was still so lonely and depressed.
“I thought I had it all and that it would make me happy, but that wasn’t the case at all."
Catapulting from rock bottom to recovery
Byrne decided it was time to turn his life around when he was pulled over by the police in 2018 and “done” for drugs. By this time, his marriage had fallen apart.
“Everything just all compiled and I started thinking about my kids and that this wasn’t me," the 36-year-old said.
“So, I reached out for help and checked myself into rehab two weeks later. Sometimes there’s a catalyst moment that changes people. Mine was just a big build-up of loneliness.”
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After two months in residential rehab in 2018, Byrne, then 31, emerged as a new man.
Having progressed through a 12-step program, he discovered yoga, meditation, breath work and spirituality. Since then, he hasn’t stopped living and breathing wellness, turning his passion into a career.
“I am now a breath work, sound healing and fire walking facilitator, and I run retreats and tour Australia twice a year,” Byrne said.
He now travels the world to share the "medicine" that assisted him in his recovery.
“I've been fortunate enough to travel overseas and perform in China, while next March, I am going to work for Four Seasons in Costa Rica to host events every day," he said.
But it’s been more than just a career bounce-back for the 36-year-old. His company, Cymatic Harmony which he launched in 2020, has become a success.
This financial year, Byrne — who lives on the Mornington Peninsula — will make close to $150,000.
“It’s been exponential,” he said. “It’s just been crazy.”
How to bounce back from addiction: 'Breaking stigma'
As part of his second chance at life, Byrne is also committed to giving back to the community.
“I’m trying to balance the scales from my past and also empower other people that are in addiction because there's such a massive stigma around it,” he said.
“If you're an addict, you feel like you're scum of the earth and you're a piece of shit. When you're in that state of shame, you don't want to reach out for help. But you can't heal from a place of shame."
That's why he has decided to share his story, to further shatter the stigma isolating addicts from a potential lifeline.
And as for his advice for others?
“I'd like for people not to be too hard on themselves and know that change is possible,” he said.
“But the first step is reaching out for the right support, and being open and willing to change, no matter what that looks like and no matter what you have to let go."
If you have a gambling problem, you can get immediate assistance by calling the National Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 for free, professional and confidential support.
People struggling with addiction can contact the Alcohol Drug Information Service for confidential support on 1800 250 015.
