Episode 120: From Fantasy to Reality: Journey Through Modern Gambling and Recovery (featuring Saul Malek)

In this episode, Saul Malek shares his compelling story of transitioning from a casual love of fantasy sports to the dangerous world of sports betting. Saul opens up about how he shares his personal story of the rapid decline he experienced during his college years that ultimately led to life-changing consequences and his path to recovery. He discusses his mission to educate youth, adolescents, and college audiences about the risks of modern gambling. Saul reflects on respecting autonomy, spreading his message across various platforms, and the challenges of speaking truth in spaces that may not want to hear it. Join us for an insightful conversation about the realities of gambling and the hope of recovery.About the Guest: Saul MalekBiography: I grew up in Houston, Texas, to a loving family. I was blessed to attend the prestigious St John's School from sixth grade through high school, learning many things and discovering a variety of interests.  Hobbies like choir and French competitions kept me busy, but I found I was most passionate about fantasy sports. The St John's fantasy baseball league was a way to enjoy baseball and connect with friends, remaining a staple of my life through my freshman year of college at Trinity University. Everything changed my sophomore year when an acquaintance introduced me to sports betting through his local bookmaker. Suddenly the slow paced season long fantasy league was too tame for me... I needed action. In just under 2 years, from September 2017 to July 2019, I lost sleep, money, time, relationships, and almost my life. I knew I needed help. Now more than 5 years abstinent of gambling, I have made it my mission to educate others so that they can avoid the same mistakes I made. I have been invited to speak to schools, podcasts, news outlets, and other organizations as the trusted source on modern gambling.Contact: Website: https://www.saulmalek.com/ E-mail: [email protected] Social Media:Instagram: Saul Malek (@saulmalekspeaking) • Instagram photos and videosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saulmalek/ Support the showThank you for listening to this episode of Talking Addiction & Recovery Podcast.To learn more about the podcast visit www.andrewjschreier.com To inquire being a guest on the podcast or sponsorship opportunities you can e-mail [email protected] podcast is also a platform for FREE continuing education.  Licensed and certified professionals are able to listen to select episodes at no cost.  Listen to an episode.  Take a quiz.  Complete an eval.  Earn a certificate.  Learn more at www.andrewjschreier.com/continuing-educationTalking Addiction & Recovery Podcast is the follow-up to the book "Addiction & Recovery" by author and clinician Andrew J. Schreier.  This podcast explores discussions regarding important issues related to addiction and recovery.  Information you learn here is not typical of what you will find in academic textbooks and resources; and comes from the experiences of a clinical supervisor, clinical substance abuse counselor, and licensed professional counselor and the work with individuals and others involved in this field.  Listen as guests join the show and cover a wide range of topics looking to educate individuals, families, communities, organizations, institutions, mental health professionals, educators, and anyone else impacted by addiction and recovery.  Content is not intended to be treatment and is not affiliated with any specific group.