Gambling and mental health

Hi Clio, Good to hear you've been diagnosed but sorry to hear the slots are still a problem. I've suffered from depression mostly mild for about 10 years. I've tried many solutions including counselling but no real progress

I've been gambling free now for almost 3 weeks. It's been a challenge particularly on Sat afternoons but I've started feeling a lot more better about myself. I have more energy, feel brighter and have a spark in my step.I'm not feeling any depressive thoughts at all. It's almost as if something has happened to my brain. Perhaps it was the gambling that was depressing me?

Best wishes Rich

Hi Rich,

Glad your feeling better and I am going to take your advice maybe abstinence will further improve my mental health! Only one winner in this and one loser, the loser in the gambling game is ALWAYS us!

Hi Clio my cg is bipolar 2, gambled for past 20yrs. He liked slot machine in pub, then had breakdown. Put in meds thought he was invincible and started online. Shares, ftse and football, then any sport at all. Any cash he got he gambled. He was only diagnosed bipolar 2, 2 yrs ago, before just regular depression. So now still in meds, back to GA. No money whatsoever, unless necessary and then receipts as proof. Slots are designed for you to lose. There is a good YouTube video I think thread is 'watch this if you're addicted to slots', brain training to keep you playing. Hand over finances to someone if you can. Be open and honest and get help. Good luck!

Hello Clio 182,

Welcome to the forum and well done for your introductory post here.

If you believe that your gambling behaviour may be a symptom of your bipolar condition or any other mental health diagnosis, then it could be helpful for you to talk about that with your psychiatrist if you have one, or your GP. If you are based in Britain you might be aware that you can also self-refer to the NHS National Problem Gambling Clinic where they use Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to treat problem gambling. There is more information about the clinic here:

http://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/cnwl-national-problem-gambling-clinic/

http://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/cnwl-national-problem-gambling-clinic/refer/

How do you feel about self-excluding at the venue where you play slots? Many of our forum members combine self-exclusion with additional arrangements, such as allowing a loved one to oversee their finances or hold their money for a period of time. Another approach is to schedule your time with activities that absorb your attention, capture your imagination, or are somehow purposeful, meaningful, or rewarding, so that you have other projects to focus on, to displace the preoccupation with gambling. Some people find that their attempts to create balance in their mood, energy levels and interests by scheduling their time thoughtfully, is made more effective if they include other people in their plans, so there is support to help you sustain progress towards your goals. Maybe you could consider using therapy as a resource.

You're welcome to talk with us on our freephone 0808 8020 133 or our Netline, we can talk with you about various self-help measures for overcoming problem gambling, and different sources of support and therapy.

Take care,

Forum admin.

Hi Clio182,

Understand how you feel. I was originally diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression 10 years ago when I had a breakdown. I've come to realise now that I have bipolar. Though I've never had a formal diagnoses, I believe that I'm on the right medcation and dealing with it with help from my doctor and from counselling and online support chat.

I still get ups and downs, and the bipolar feeds gambling and drinking and staying up late. For a long time I've "blamed" mental illness for my drinking and gambling but I'm learning to take responsibility and realise that it's possible to move on and choose not to gamble. The usual blocks in place such as having a loved one to manage finances, putting online blocks on, and finding a personal way for you to not go on the slots. But I find a regular sleeping pattern and regular mealtimes help stabalise things a bit, though sometimes it's hard.

It's difficult to know whether bipolar causes the gambling or gambling causes the bipolar, but important to realise that you have the overall choice - you don't need to be controlled by gambling or by mental health issues.

Good luck with moving on from gambling and with dealing with the mental side too.

Andy.

Hi Clio182.

I have had depression since childhood. The way depression worked on me in later years was I thought I was semi ok but I wasnt. I thought I was functioning but I had become numb with loneliness and depression. What is sometimes referred to as mild depression can be very dangerous when related to the causes of gambling

There is no shame in admitting that.

Then stress and anxiety started really affecting me. So depression was triggering a boredom and emptiness that led me to arcades. Stress was creating an overwhelming anxiety that led me to arcades. Any bad news would leave me feeling overwhelmed in the middle of town and I would need the comfort blanket of waking into an arcade or bookies.

It wasnt really about the money. I was looking to numb the pain and escape for a while. Compulsive Gambling is now in the same chapter as substance abuse

The money plays a part in that I wanted the machine to be good to me but I also wanted it to be bad to punish me for my low self esteem issues.The machines give a near miss, low or cheated feeling which is also part of the experience we seek. Its very complex actually.. I was searching for any emotion beyond numb and I couldnt stop playing until extinct. I needed that feeling of playing and the money became secondary. It was a cry for help and I even discussed with my therapist that I may have wanted to self destruct.

I still dont fully understand it now. I needed that money to live on yet Im feeding it into a machine in some sort of escape mode

The gambling and the depression feed off each other until we dont know what is causing what

With recovery I now have serene days. I have a simple routine of enjoying the small pleasures in life. I have just been feeding the ducks at the local pond. I often go there to gather my thoughts.

Best wishes from everyone on the forum

Thanks for all your kind and encouraging comments.

I have not gambled for 3 days and have my first counselling session next week which was arranged by Gamcare!

I want to enjoy the smaller and finer things in life in three days I estimate I have saved around £400 - scary scary stuff!!!

... and I should add I sometimes use gambling as a way of "punishing" myself too - I will be mentioning this at counselling. Thanks all I wish everyone a success in avoiding this evil downward spiral where the house ALWAYS wins...

Hi everyone, I've just joined the forum and like yourselves suffer with depression which roots back to family tragedies in my early teens. I've been a problem gambler for several years and have recently gone through a mini bankruptcy because of it. I know all the things I need to do to stop gambling but doing them is another thing. I have a 4 week wait for my counselling to start so thought I'd start here and try and gain some support from others in the same predicament as me. My issue is online and I don't atm have the funds to buy gamblock or netnanny.

Any tips would be useful 🙂

Hello HayleyJane2015,

I'd encourage you to start your own thread, many more people will notice your post and potentially respond to it that way. To start a thread, scroll down to the bottom of the section you want to use for your post, and click on 'New topic'.

Kind regards,

Forum admin.

HayleyJane2015 wrote: Hi everyone, I've just joined the forum and like yourselves suffer with depression which roots back to family tragedies in my early teens. I've been a problem gambler for several years and have recently gone through a mini bankruptcy because of it. I know all the things I need to do to stop gambling but doing them is another thing. I have a 4 week wait for my counselling to start so thought I'd start here and try and gain some support from others in the same predicament as me. My issue is online and I don't atm have the funds to buy gamblock or netnanny. Any tips would be useful 🙂

Hi, I use K9 blocking software on my laptop which is free and have found it to work well you definataly need as many blocks/barriers in place as possible..... all the best in your recovery

itsHayley Jane. I strongly recommend you ring Gamcare and ask about counselling from them.

It's a free service they offer on a face to face 1:1 basis I have my first session on Monday. I have had a slip this week and lost £69 it was the first slip in 5 days but nevertheless a slip. I wish you good luck please try to view gambling and an evil poison, if you manage a day without gambling treat yourself to something small whether it's a physical thing such as some nice toiletries or go for a walk and clear your head...

... handing over financial control to someone you can trusting might help in the interim...

Thanks for the message Andy please take note counselling can be offered by Gamcare give them a call...