Fold em: Help for Gambling Problems

Youth gambling is a growing but often overlooked issue with potentially serious consequences. With easy online access, gambling-like features in video games, and an explosion of advertisements for sports betting, young people are exposed to and getting involved with gambling - often without realizing the risks. Listen to this episode of Fold em to hear: How youth are gambling - even when they aren...

Gambling addiction is often seen as an individual problem, but its effects ripple far beyond the person placing the bets.  For families, it can lead to financial instability, emotional distress, and fractured relationships.  In this episode, Katie shares her personal journey of discovering her husband's gambling problem and how she and her children moved forward. Speaking as a parent and a teacher...

Most of the Fold em episodes have been for those of you who decided to stop gambling.  We've been helping you stop and stay stopped. This episode is different.  It's for those of you are currently gambling or know someone who is. We explore the fine line between recreational gambling and losing control. Our hope is that you better understand the risks when gambling and that some of us are more vul...

There are an increasing number of people speaking up about gambling related harm and the need to better address this.  One of these people is Anna Martin from Australia.   In this episode of Fold em, hear Anna's inspiring journey from gambling addiction to recovery.  She tells us how she has been speaking up in the media and to politicians about the negative impacts of gambling, the need to better...

When gambling gets out of control it is a challenging and deeply isolating struggle.  However, it is absolutely possible to get through this with shifting your mindset and accessing support and tools.  One of the most crucial steps in overcoming this challenge is acceptance - acknowledging the realities of your situation and taking responsibility for change.  In this episode of Fold em, we provide...

With easy access to sports betting, many people are finding it has become a daily habit.  Over time, it can take up more time, focus and money and stall your life.   In this episode of Fold em, hear from James, a passionate traveller and podcaster, who was swept into this world but has since reclaimed his life.   We delve into the impact of sports betting on him, his decision to step back from it,...

In this insightful episode, Regina, a seasoned member of Gam-Anon with nearly 50 years of experience, discusses three vital themes for those impacted by a loved one's gambling problem.  Regina talks about the difference between support and enabling, and how to detach with love.  She also helps listeners recognize common emotional games that show up with gambling problems. Listen to episode 86 and...

Has gambling got you down?  You're not the only one.  Tune in to this episode and learn what you can do about it.   Hear from Chris about how gambling was the norm with his group of friends during their twenties.  When he started online gambling, it became more and more consuming.  He started gambling by himself, the bets came faster, and he gambled for longer periods of time.   Chris talks about...

With cigarettes and alcohol, we take steps to protect those who use these products AND society in general from related harms.  For example, there are age requirements to buy alcohol.  We also see images and warnings of disease caused by smoking on a pack of cigarettes. Many say that more needs to be done to limit gambling-related harms, particularly for people who are most vulnerable to this. In t...

Hear a personal story of working through the Twelve Steps of Recovery and how it helped Georgete break free of a recurring and destructive gambling problem.  Learn what's involved with each step and how you can access this recovery program.   Georgete shares how working through the Twelve Steps with a sponsor and attending online meetings through Recovery Road Online helped her to reach one year g...

It can be done.  You can admit to yourself and others that gambling is causing problems for you.  You can stop gambling, deal with the financial impact, and rebuild trust with important people.  You can also put things in place to prevent a relapse.  Laura joins us in this episode and shares how she did all of this. Listen to episode 82 and hear about: Why it can be hard to admit to yourself that...

If you live with chronic pain and gamble, you're more at risk for developing a gambling problem.  If you've had a gambling problem and live with chronic pain and/or health conditions, it's important to get help for both issues to prevent a relapse. In this episode of Fold em, hear Patty's personal story.  She tells us that when she was gambling, both physical pain as well as stress and worry decre...

Many people deal with gambling problems on their own.  They think, "I'm not as bad as others.  I can fix this."  For some, they just want to move on and avoid or delay getting help.  Others can't stop thinking about the harms gambling has brought into their life, but feel too embarrassed to open up about it.  This is our 80th episode of Fold em: Help for Gambling Problems.  The one suggestion we'v...

Making changes isn't easy.  When gambling gets out of control, change is often more challenging.  It can be hard to get to that place where you're ready to pull back from gambling.  When you do stop, there are so many other issues to address (finances, relationships, your health) that it can feel overwhelming.  It's not unusual to find that gambling hooks you in again. In this episode, we offer gu...

As you get pulled into gambling, your thinking changes.  Your mind finds ways of convincing you to keep gambling, even when there are signs to stop.  To an outsider, ideas such as "a win is just around the corner" or "I have a system that's guaranteed to win" seem irrational.  But when you're in it, it feels real and true. In this episode, I'm joined by John Woods.  After struggling with gambling...

Experiencing grief and loss is hard enough.  But, when grief leads to gambling problems, it gets harder. Grief (like other big stressors) can create risk for gambling getting out of control.  It can also set the stage for a relapse if you previously stopped gambling.  In this episode of Fold em, we hear from Sam about her experiences with grief and problem gambling and what has helped her with bot...

One of the most distressing effects of problem gambling is the way is breaks down trust in relationships.  In this episode, we offer guidance on how to rebuild that trust- emotionally and financially. You hear from Regina, who brings much experience on this topic.  Seven years into her marriage, Regina's husband revealed he had a gambling addiction.  She shares how they rebuilt emotional and finan...

In this episode, you hear from someone whose career has focused on better understanding gambling problems.  Dr. Marc Potenza is a psychiatrist and professor at Yale University and Director of the Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research.   Since he's very familiar with the research on gambling addiction, I asked him questions that I commonly hear in the counselling room and from listeners.   List...

When you gamble, it affects your brain and body. It's common to experience an urge to gamble.  This involves thinking a lot about gambling or winning, having a strong desire to gamble, and feeling restless, anxious, excited and/or irritable.  Urges can also continue after you stop gambling and create risk for relapse. In this episode of Fold em, we return to the topic of urges. This time, with a f...

You may have heard this before ... gambling problems lead to isolation and the way forward is through connection.  Maybe you're thinking, "That sounds nice, but connection is not on my agenda because I'm working all the time to pay off debt and the people in my life don't trust me."  Well hang in with us, keep an open mind, and listen to this episode. Bryce reflects upon the past three years since...

There are lots of options for free slots, poker and sports betting online.  Seems innocent enough at first glance.  However, there can be unexpected risks and costs of "free" online play, particularly if you've previously struggled with keeping gambling in check. In this episode, hear from two people who continued to play free online gambling games after stopping gambling.  They talk about their r...

When you've already taken those hard steps to pull back from gambling and face the fall out, you want to keep the momentum going, right?  This is the final episode of four that provides guidance on how to stop gambling and stay on track long-term.  In this one, we walk you through how to make a Recovery Plan for yourself.  This plan outlines what is needed to keep gambling and other addictions out...

There's an important step that often gets missed when stopping gambling.  This involves asking someone who knows about gambling issues or addiction to help watch out for signs that you're at risk to gamble again.  Why is this important?  Because you may not be aware it's happening or will downplay it in your own mind. This is our third of four episodes that focus on how to stop gambling and have i...

Want to make sure that you or a loved one doesn't get pulled back into a gambling problem?  Then know what to watch out for.  In this episode, learn about common and predictable ways that people get pulled into a relapse.  And, how to identify signs that you are at risk to gamble again.  Be prepared in order to protect yourself.  We hear from Shane who started gambling again after one year away. ...

What does it take to stop gambling and stay stopped?  We're answering this question for you over the next four episodes.  In this first one, we focus on the importance of being honest with yourself about the impact of gambling - on you and your life, as well as on those around you.  If what you have been doing to address a gambling problem hasn't been working, we encourage you to take a risk and t...