“K2” joined GamCare recently and shared the story of how he started gambling over 40 years ago, saying that he started out at arcade games and moved on to horse racing, which was his weakness. Today, being £35k in debt and having lost several jobs due to gambling, K2 is seeking help. He’s been clean for 32 days and going strong but the compulsive itch to play remains. He needs all the help he can get.

Gambling addiction is a serious problem that can cause many undesirable situations. Some of the side effects are that you gamble away more money than you earn, sometimes selling precious personal items to have more cash to either play more or to settle debts. Settling debts with bookies can be a dangerous field and it’s best to steer clear of getting yourself involved in this situation.

So how do you know if you have a gambling problem? The National Health Service (NHS) of the UK lists the following symptoms:

• betting more than you can afford to lose
• needing to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling
• trying to win back money you have lost (chasing losses)
• borrowing money or selling something to get money to gamble
• wondering whether you have a problem with gambling
• whether gambling has caused you any health problems such as feelings of stress and anxiety
• having other people criticize your betting or being told that you have a gambling problem
• whether your gambling has caused any financial problems for you and/or your household, and
• feelings of guilt about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble.

If your identified with some of these common symptoms, you might have a gambling problem and seeking help is one of the first steps you should consider making on the path to recovery. The NHS claims that there is evidence that gambling can be successfully treated in the same way as other addictions.

One of the ways to do this is through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which is said to yield some of the best results. CBT is a “talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.” Its most common uses are for mental disorders such as anxiety and depression, although it is possible to apply it to other disorders such as gambling addiction, among other mental and physical health problems. According to the NHS, CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle. CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts. You’re shown how to change these negative patterns to improve the way you feel. Unlike some other talking treatments, CBT deals with your current problems, rather than focusing on issues from your past. It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.

Apart from CBT, there are treatment and support groups available for people who want to stop gambling. Here we provide you with several options for you to choose from when selecting your method of assistance in ending a gambling addiction. These treatment groups are:

• GamCare: this organisation offers free information, support, and counselling for problem gamblers in the UK. It runs a National Gambling Helpline and offers face-to-face counselling.
  National Problem Gambling Clinic: this is a facility for problem gamblers in England and Wales and is targeted at individuals aged 16 or older.
• Gordon Moody Association: this organization offers residential courses for people who have problems with gambling. It also offers online support for problem gamblers, as well as for their friends and family.
• Gamblers Anonymous UK: this organisation runs local support groups that use the same 12-step approach to recovery from addiction as Alcoholics Anonymous. There are also GamAnon support groups for friends and family.

We hope that if you find yourself in a situation where you feel stuck and are wondering what to do to about your gambling problem, that you find these associations and organisations useful. Remember that it is never too late to get help and that you’re making the right decision, even though it may not feel that way at the moment. We wish you strength in your recovery process.