A 19-year-old man has told Bulgarian National Television (BNT) how he became addicted to gambling in eight months. He has been in treatment for two months at the "Samo Dnes" therapy centre.

He is banned from gambling at his own request, because gambling has harmed his mental health and his relationships with people. He wants to beat the addiction, finish secondary school and go to university.

He first gambled eight months ago, one evening with two friends. One of them had played before and suggested they go and "put in a ten". The young man staked €5.11 (10 leva), won €40.90 (80 leva) and left.

After that win, he and his friends played every Friday with the money they had saved during the week.

When he started work in a bar, he went to the casino every night after his shift ended at midnight. He realised he had a problem once playing became regular.

"There were even a few times when I couldn't wait to finish work so I could go and play," the young man said.

He mostly took money for gambling from friends and lied to them about what it was for. He says the lies "unlocked the liar" in him. He never stole from his parents.

Pavel Pavlov of the "Samo Dnes" centre told BNT that the treatment has several parts. Specialists first bring the crises under control. Then they work with patients to find ways to rejoin society and start work. Cognitive behavioural therapy is a key part.

To keep to their bans, patients need social and state support, Pavlov said. He believes it is important for them to return to society and for society to back them.

"They are very capable people, usually with very good logical and complex thinking, and creative thinking too," Pavlov said of the patients.