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've heard from every guest is - don't deal with it on your own.  Open up and connect with people who know about gambling issues. In this episode, we tell you how easy ..read more

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 guidance on how to get a good start with making whatever changes you want to tackle.  We'll offer tips for staying on track and handling setbacks.  You hear Shane tell his ..read more

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 for over thirty years, he placed his last bet in January 2017 and went on to write a book called Gambling Addiction Explained: How to Stop Gambling and Regain Control of Your Life ..read more

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 both issues.  Heidi Furrer, a counsellor with Gambling Support BC who facilitates a workshop on grief and gambling, offers ideas for getting on solid footing again. Listen to episode ..read more

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 financial trust.  Regina has also been an active member of Gam-Anon for 48 years and shares what she and others have learned and guidance that is offered in meetings and through their l ..read more

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.   Listen in and hear about: Why is it that some people become compulsive gamblers and others don't? What's happening in the brain when gambling gets out of control? Are there medic ..read more

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 focus on what brain science tells us about urges and how to handle them.  I'm joined again by the team from Brain Connections - Dr. Iris Balodis from the Department of Psychiatry and Beh ..read more

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 his last bet.  He shares about how attending a residential treatment program was an important turning point for him and how the friendships made there have been crucial to his recovery ..read more

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 of your life and (most importantly) to keep growing the best version of yourself. Our Recovery Plan has four parts, which were introduced in the previous three episodes.  In the b ..read more

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 is happening or downplay it in your own mind. This is our third of four episodes that focus on how to stop gambling and have it stick long-term.  Hear how Abe got really honest with a friend about what triggers him to gamble and they teamed up to protect him from this.  You also get guidance from Allison ..read more