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 decreased.  However, over time as gambling got out of control, it made life much more difficult for...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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?...

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...

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...

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 reasons for doing so, the challenges this created, and why they ultimately decided to stop. ...

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...

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 it stick long-term.  Hear how Abe got really honest with a friend about what triggers him to...

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.  This led to him struggling with gambling for the next twelve years.  He is now eight months...

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 try something different.  In particular, be willing to reach out for help and get guidance from...

Most of us encounter gambling daily in our communities.  There's scratch and lottery tickets at the gas station, sports pools at work, and bingo down the road.  In addition, there's all the gambling we encounter in fundraising - the 50/50 draws at local sporting events as well as raffles and community bingo.  Do you think of all of these as gambling?  Do you ever have conversations with family, friends or the groups you're involved with about the risks of gambling or how to support people in...

After finding out that your spouse has a gambling problem or has had a relapse, it's understandable that you feel like your life has been turned upside down.  You likely are feeling shock, anger and hurt because of the secrecy that typically comes with gambling problems.  Stress and anxiety are also high because your financial security and trust with your spouse is on shaky ground. In this episode, I'm joined by Neena Keram, a counsellor with Gambling Support BC who specializes in helping...

When you have concerns about someone's gambling, it's not easy to talk about.  It's often challenging to prevent these conversations from going off the rails. In this episode, we offer guidance for these tricky conversations.  Spouses, family members and friends will hear strategies to use when first talking about gambling or if you suspect there has been a relapse.  If you are someone who gambles, there is lots in this episode you'll find helpful too. I'm joined by Saul Malek who is...

When dealing with gambling problems, many people worry about switching to another bad habit or addiction.  It's important to pay attention to this because switching or substituting addictions (also called cross addiction) can be frustrating, de-moralizing and really dammaging to a person's life. In this episode of Fold em, we tell you what you need to know about switching addictions so you are more informed and better able to prevent it from happening to you. We're joined again by our...

Saul grew up betting on fantasy baseball.   He says it was "a part of my life" and "what tied my group of friends together."  In college, when a friend suggested they bet on sports with a bookie he didn't think much about it before saying "I'm in."  Saul's experience is pretty typical.  According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, about 67% of college students bet on sports.  They also tell us that youth rates of being at-risk for problem gambling are 2 to 3 times higher than adult...

Lots of people are playing fantasy sports.  For some, particularly when you play daily or with multiple lineups, it can take up increasing amounts of time, focus and money.  Steve Delaney joins us to share his experiences with this and how, for him, Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) turned into something that was stressful, costly and all-consuming.   Listen now to this episode and hear about: The tricky ways that DFS can get out of hand How to recognize signs of this in yourself and others How...

When spouses and family members learn about a loved one's gambling problem, money issues come into the open.  Usually this involves debt and it feels overwhelming and emotional.  Typically, people don't know what to do.  There is often a reflex to step in and pay things off quickly. In this episode of Fold em: Help for Gambling Problems, we offer guidance for spouses, family members and the person who has gambled.  I'm joined by Margaret Johnson, who has thirty years experience helping...

It's not easy to talk openly about gambling issues.  Nor is it easy to talk about living with mental health issues.  In this episode, hear an open, thoughtful and inspiring conversation about one man's experiences with Bipolar Disorder and how this contributed to drinking, gambling and gaming getting out of hand for him.  Hear how he is now free of gambling and living well.  He teaches us about how to watch out for switching addictions.  Listen and learn about: The connections between...

It can be frustrating if you've promised yourself to pull back from gambling and then find you're back at it again.  Sometimes this happens the next day.  Sometimes after a month, year or more.   It's not easy or simple to stay away from gambling when you're really hooked in to it.  But as difficult as setbacks are, it's an opportunity to see more clearly what you need to do differently going forward. In this episode of Fold em, two people share their experiences of gambling relapses and...

John Woods knows a lot about gambling addiction.  He gambled for 30 years and tried it all - slots, horse races, online poker and sports betting.  John knows about hitting rock bottom because of gambling, the promises you make to yourself to stop, and the tricky ways it pulls you back in.  But most importantly, he has first hand experience with overcoming a gambling addiction and is six years from his last bet.  During these six years, he set about learning about this isssue and has written a...