GAMBLING HARM PREVENTION

Gambling-related harm is any initial or exacerbated adverse consequence due to an engagement with gambling that leads to the detriment to the health or wellbeing of an individual, family unit, community or population.  In layman's terms it means your desired goals, lifestyle and wellbeing choices, are being crushed by your interest in gambling.

Open discussion is the key to understanding.  If you can be the conduit to them “letting it all out” then you are a great friend.  

Encourage the person to be honest about their gambling urges, accept what you hear and reward honesty. 

Talk together once a week, with openness about past hurts or future worries. take time to have fun together, without talking about gambling problems.

Consider going to a counsellor together. 

At the same time you need to consider yourself and how it could play out, particularly if your friend has a severe gambling habit.  

You have the right to feel safe, and emotionally and financially secure. 

Seek professional advice about how to protect your family’s assets and income. 

Talk to trusted people who will not judge you or the person that gambles. 

Consider talking frankly to other affected members of the family so you can support each other.

We get accustomed to the environment that we feel comfortable in, it is associated with pleasure and not feeling pressure. 

We build up relationships within that environment and feel it would be too much of a detriment to alter it.  

The alcoholic loves being at the pub, chatting to everyone, or being with their mates, the release of endorphins that our brain gives off is so strong that it hurts to be away. 

The same applies to gambling, ‘betting with mates’ the rush of the casino, the highs and lows of playing the pokies combine this with alcohol or drugs and your brain produces excessive dopamine and endorphins which you take to be a good thing, and it is, when in moderation. 

By changing your environment you gamble in your body/brain starts to adjust to a normal level of operating.  

If the environment you change to can also provide a simpler stimulus then your body/brain quickly says I am good with this situation and adjusts the levels of chemicals to a normal level or says keep doing this activity it feels good.  

Dancing or anything to do with music is a fantastic substitute as these environments produce the similar response to gambling but don't have the side effects of money loss and feeling of stigma that gambling addiction produces.  

There are many other ways and HelpStop’s socialising pathways assist you in changing your environment simply and quickly.

Life coaches can help people through major life crises and transitions, helping them thrive again.  They may also assist those with emotional or social disorders that impact their lives. For example, an individual pursuing a career change could employ a life coach to guide them throughout the transition.

Firstly undertake either the Problem Gambling Severity Index questionnaire (PGSI) or the NORC questionnaire so that you know where your level of gambling habit sits.

You may not be down the ‘rabbit hole’ as you think. If you are experiencing severe, high or moderate gambling addiction there are many proven solutions. 

 You just need to take the first step and decide to do something about it. If you choose HelpStop to assist you we will support your choices and back you to achieve your goals.

Reaching out for assistance and support is an important first step in dealing with the issues gambling and its comorbidities, drugs and alcohol might be causing in your life. 

 This may only occur after you have spoken with a counsellor to prepare you for the possible outcomes and HelpStop has counsellors ready to assist you today. 

Being prepared to have the conversation e.g. you accept you have an issue and are prepared to have a real conversation about it will assist you to be open and frank which is something your friends or family will want to experience e.g. you being genuine.   

Then setting the scene e.g. asking to take a moment of their time, asking for their assistance (whatever that may mean or what they can give) is something that family and friends (humans can’t resist) particularly if you are genuine and have a plan to assist yourself.