The UK-based charity is introducing a self-help portal called MyGamCare to empower gamers and help them. The platform is designed to offer personalized content, goal-setting tools, mood-tracking features, and other resources to support individuals that are experiencing gambling-related stress. Through this initiative, GamCare aims to educate affected individuals about the negative impact that gambling can have on their relationships, finances, and mental and physical well-being.
According to Anna Hemmings, CEO of GamCare, four out of five people who sought assistance from the organization in 2022 expressed difficulty controlling their gambling habits. Particularly in most cases, it was online gambling. Hemmings is sure that it is crucial for people to know that they are not alone in their journey toward recovery and that they can rely on the support of GamCare and its partners.
The launch of MyGamCare comes at a time when the demand for support services has reached unprecedented levels. In 2021 and 2022, GamCare received a total of 42,000 calls, with January 2023 alone accounting for 3,700 calls, marking one of the busiest months in the charity’s history. The Helpline has been made more accessible by integrating with WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, enabling people to reach out for help more conveniently.
GamCare has also been working on raising awareness of the impact of gambling-related debt on recovery and has partnered with YGAM to reach 2 million young people with its messaging. A recent survey commissioned by GamCare and YGAM revealed that 71% of university students gambled in 2022, highlighting the urgent need to address gambling-related harm.
In the fight against gambling harm, GamCare believes that educating individuals, professionals, and the wider public is essential. Through its latest initiative, MyGamCare is taking a proactive approach to empowering individuals and offering them the support they need to overcome gambling-related challenges.
It is worth mentioning that one of the most extensively researched treatments for gambling disorder is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This therapy method is working towards modifying the thoughts and actions that underlie problematic behaviours, such as compulsive gambling. The main aim of CBT in treating gambling addiction is to pinpoint and alter cognitive distortions and errors that are linked to excessive gambling and its negative consequences. In treating gambling disorders, CBT may involve a range of strategies, such as correcting cognitive distortions about gambling, building problem-solving skills, enhancing social skills, and teaching relapse prevention techniques. Several trials of CBT have shown that it can be a highly effective treatment modality for gambling addiction.
And if you have any gambling problems, you should remember that there are lots of different treatment options for gambling disorders such as motivational enhancement and interviewing, guided self-help interventions, personalized feedback interventions, relapse prevention and recovery training, brief advice treatment, cognitive and behavioural therapies and pharmacotherapy.