Ep. 16 & 17 - Gambling Addiction Recovery: It’s So Worth It!
When you’re dealing with gambling addiction, it’s hard to believe you’ll ever get your life back. In these two episodes of our podcast, Fold em: Help for Gambling Problems, our guests share their stories of recovery.
Hear how they got their lives back sooner and in better ways than ever thought possible. An inspiring discussion for everyone, but especially those wanting to take back control from gambling.
Listen now by clicking on the green play button above.
If you prefer to tune in directly from Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, click on the red “Listen and Subscribe” button below.
“Don’t Give Up and You’ll Get Your Life Back”
Have you Avoided Dealing With a Gambling Problem?
Allison Rice, a counsellor who specializes in helping people break free of gambling addiction, says that people often come to counselling with the idea that recovery is “too hard” or “they can’t do it.” She acknowleges that there can be significant challenges to face, especially in the beginning, but the benefits of getting your life back are so much greater.
In this episode of Fold em, Allison invited Tony and Jade to share their stories of recovery to offer hope and inspiration to those who are at the beginning or feeling stuck.
Tony, who hasn’t gambled for five and a half years, says he is happier now than ever. He feels more in control of his life and was able to not only stop gambling, but also get rid of other “bad habits” that went with it such as lying. He was able to refocus his energy to get back on track with career and family goals and reconnected with sports, which was his love as a teen.
Jade was surprised by how quickly online gambling got out of control for her. She was shocked that money she had borrowed to pay off gambling debts, also got spent on gambling. She reached out for counselling and stopped gambling just eight months ago. When Jade made that call, she described being overwhelmed with anxiety and stress and couldn’t even imagine working through the problems she faced.
However, by taking it step-by-step, Jade reports that she is now in a place where her finances are in order, trust is being rebuilt in her relationships and self-confidence is growing again. Through counselling and trying groups (yes, she was scared at first to try a group!), Jade says that she is working through issues that have been holding her back much of her life.
How Do I Get My Life Back?
During his 20-years of gambling Tony tried to tackle the problem by on his own, primarily through self-excluding. But he realized that for him, that wasn’t enough. He would end up gambling again and with each relapse the problems got worse.
After online gambling quickly got out of control, Jade knew that she had to reach out to someone beyond her family and friends - someone who wasn’t personally involved and could guide her through.
For both Tony and Jade, getting their life back, started with recognizing that gambling was a significant problem and being open to getting help. For them, it also involved:
Saying “yes” to counselling and groups - even though they both didn’t want to at first. In the beginning, they mainly focused on showing up and listening.
Approaching recovery as a process of discovery - about gambling addiction, the role it played in their life, and about underlying issues for them and their relationships.
Once life stabilized, starting to slowly bring back enjoyable activities and focus on making positive choices for themselves.
Reminding themselves that gambling problems can come back. Tony stays connected to groups as a way to check-in with himself and watching out for signs of complacency.
Tony reports that he still faces challenges, but is able to catch negative thoughts and behaviours more quickly and get himself back on track.
He ended his conversation with Allison with these words of encouragement, “If you do the work you will get your life back, have happiness, joy and abundance and be free of all the lies.”
Hear Allison’s interviews with Tony and Jade in episodes 16 and 17 of Fold em. Both share their experience and wisdom with recovery and how it can bring you to a better version of yourself.
Listen now to this episode by clicking on the green play button at the top of this blog. Or, tune in directly from Apple or Google podcasts by clicking on the red button below.
Check out the other episodes and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out when new ones are released.
Fold em is a podcast hosted by Adrienne Cossom and her colleagues at Gambling Support BC. Whether you are looking at stopping or scaling back your own gambling or supporting a family member with a problem, this podcast will help you take back control. Hear from gamblers who have been through it and get tips from counsellors.
If you would like to connect with Allison Rice or any of our team with Gambling Support BC, click on the red button below. Free, confidential services are available to residents of British Columbia who are concerned about their own or a loved one’s gambling.