Gambling can be a fun and exciting activity, but it can also have negative impacts on people’s physical and mental health, relationships, work or study performance, get them into debt and even leave them vulnerable to homelessness.
Over half of the population in the UK takes part in gambling, yet few people recognise that they have a problem with it. Many people minimise or deny that they’re gambling and hide evidence of their gambling from family and friends.
There are lots of different ways that people try to deal with their gambling problems and some are more successful than others. Talking to a professional or a friend can help you work out what is causing your problem and how to stop it.
The best way to overcome a problem with gambling is by owning up to it and taking the steps to change it. It can be difficult, but it can also be life-changing if you’re willing to give it a try.
Getting support to help you break the habit is essential, but don’t give up too easily. There are plenty of self-help resources to use, including this website, that can help you get started.
You can also talk to your doctor if you think you may have a gambling problem. They can refer you to a specialist service for treatment.
Harm minimisation is a term often used in the gambling sector to describe the approach used by many organisations to treat and prevent problem gambling. However, it is ambiguous and has some limitations due to the lack of a defined concept of harm.