Case study: Gamblers Help
Hayley* called the Gamblers Help service to arrange a self-exclusion.
In her first appointment with a counsellor, she spoke about the current stressors in her life:
- a stressful work environment
- a history of family violence
- mental health concerns
- feelings of loneliness
- financial concerns in relation to her gambling behaviour.
Hayley indicated she was unsure whether she wanted to complete an exclusion. After a discussion with her counsellor, a goal was set to control her gambling behaviour.
After discussing harm minimisation strategies, Hayley decided to continue with counselling. For a short while, Hayley was successful at decreasing her gambling behaviour.
After a stressful event occurred in her life, Hayley began spending a significant amount of money gambling again. Hayley contacted the Gamblers Helpline and decided to put a self-exclusion in place.
Hayley felt a sense of loss and grief after the exclusion but continued with counselling.
Recently, Hayley experienced another stressful event in her life. She was able to identify the stress, recognise past patterns and with support from her family, avoid gambling.
Hayley has not gambled in four months.
*not client’s real name
Contacting a Gamblers Help counsellor
If you would like to speak with a Gamblers Help counsellor, call us on 1800 243 232 or call the afterhours Gamblers Helpline on 1800 858 858.
To find out more about the gambling support services we offer, click here.
