Hello All,
Well, it has finally hit me, gambling is destroying my life. I suffer from Bipolar disorder and when I am manic or in a major depressive episode I gamble. Obviously, because I am manic, I do not release what I am doing, I often lack capacity when I am manic and have been sectioned in the past. Recently I have had a major relapse and I have racked up about 16K worth of debts not only on my credit cards but as a named holder of someone else's. I knew it was a long shot and I did contact the companies involved but all I get back is that no mental health issue was reported, erm well you don't ask on sign up about any mental health issues lol and my counter agreement was I lacked the capacity to sign up and enter into a contract with them, however I know honestly that I am just clutching at straws, I know this is going to make my mental health even worse and that I have nowhere to turn, more needs to be done, more regulation is needed. Anyway, that's off my chest I can get back to moping.
Hello whydoigamble,
Welcome, and well done for sharing your story with the forum.
You mentioned that you believe that your gambling is worse when you are more ill with bipolar. Some of our forum members have posted about how they feel their gambling behaviour is symptomatic of their mental health problem, or related to their mental health problem in some way, but also that the stress of their gambling problem can also aggravate their mental health problem. So please do discuss it with your GP or your psychiatrist if you have one, as getting effective support in managing your bipolar may also benefit your recovery from your gambling problem. The NHS use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at the National Problem Gambling Clinic: https://www.cnwl.nhs.uk/cnwl-national-problem-gambling-clinic/
You could consider practical ways to protect yourself from spending on gambling sites, like self-exclusion agreements, blocking software and other measures detailed here: http://www.gamcare.org.uk/get-advice/what-can-you-do That section also includes information on free debt advice services.
Please feel welcome to call us on 0808 8020 133 if you'd like information on additional support that might be available in your area.
Take care,
Forum admin.
We are available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. You can also contact us for free on 0808 80 20 133. If you would like to find out more about the service before you start, including information on confidentiality, please click below. Call recordings and chat transcripts are saved for 28 days for quality assurance.
