Ep. 81 - Feeling Better: Managing Chronic Pain and Gambling
“With perseverance and doing all that you can for your recovery and getting relief from chronic pain is the best you can do ... My pain has decreased and I’m feeling so much better. ”
Patty knew alot about how to stay away from addiction. She’d been clean and sober for more than fifteen years. However, as the pain from Psoriatic Arthritis and Osteoporosis got worse and she rode the emotional rollercoast of trying to find treatment that worked, Patty discovered that gambling took her mind off of it all. She says that the euphoria of gambling pushed back the pain for awhile.
As with others who live with chronic pain and health issues, Patty found herself gambling more and unable to stop. And unfortunately, as she got deeper into gambling, the pain and her health got worse and worse. The stress and anxiety of hiding gambling created chaos in her life. She wasn’t getting to the doctor regularly and avoided addressing the signs of a new and serious issue, COPD.
Fortunately, Patty’s solid foundation in AA and NA served her well when she decided enough was enough. She knew where to go for help and connected with Gamblers Anonymous and also counselling through Gambling Support BC. That was about eight years ago. In this episode of Fold em, she shares her story to help others understand the connections between chronic pain and gambling problems and to offer hope that there is a way forward when dealing with both.
You also hear from Kuldip Gill, a Registered Clinical Counsellor in the Vancouver area who is a clinician with Gambling Support BC. She explains why chronic pain creates risk for gambling getting out of control and offers guidance on how to address both pain and gambling issues successfully.
Listen to episode 81 and hear about:
Why it’s important to be cautious if you gamble and experience chronic pain or health issues
A personal story of stopping gambling and getting help for pain and health issues
How to help yourself feel better as you pull back from gambling
LISTEN to EPISODE 81
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Why Does Chronic Pain Create Risk for Gambling Problems?
Kuldip Gill, a counsellor who specializes in gambling problems, tells us that the brain is wired to get away from discomfort. This includes both physical and emotional pain. For many, gambling provides a way to get away from that discomfort.
Kuldip explains that gambling does this by providing intermittent rewards. What this means is that gambling provides the excitement of a win (sometimes big, sometimes small) but you never know when. The anticipation of that win being around the corner triggers chemical changes in our brain and body that help us to feel good. It also leads people to be incredibly focused on the play, rather than on physical discomfort in their bodies as well as worry and stress.
Research tells us that gambling disorders and pain often go together. Many people who struggle with gambling experince pain and health issues, but they may not realize the connection between the two. Or, they do but don’t know how to get out of it. As with Patty, as gambling increases, health conditions often get worse and the thought of stopping gambling and facing pain (and all the other problems gambling brought into their life) is unbearable. Gambling keeps convincing you that the way forward is to keep playing. Often it’s not about getting a win, but rather just being able to escape.
Feeling Better: Managing Chronic Pain and Gambling
Although it seems impossible to believe this when you’re gambling or have recently stopped, the path towards feeling better typically starts with pulling back from gambling. Why?
Gambling problems cause a lot of stress and anxiety. Taking a break from gambling gives you an opportunity to get back in balance and decrease stress.
You likely will start to think more clearly. As you pull back from gambling, you’ll be in a better place to face and solve problems you’ve been avoiding.
You’ll start connecting with help. The best way to deal with gambling issues is to get help and support. From there, it will be easier to reach out again - this time for help with pain and health issues.
Once you have some space from gambling and are feeling more like yourself, the next step towards feeling better is to get help for pain issues. However, keep connecting to gambling recovery supports! Kuldip tells us that addressing both gambling and pain issues helps to prevent a relapse AND keeps you on the path towards feeling better.
Here’s Kuldip and Patty’s tips for addressing chronic pain and gambling issues:
Build your own team of health experts to help with pain and health issues. This might involve a family doctor, specialists, pharmacists and alternative practitions.
Bring patience, tolerance, and persistence to the process. Find people who validate your pain. Keep at it until you find treatments that work best for you.
Talk it out. Find people and places where you can share your fears, frustrations and success as you deal with pain and navigating the health care system. Recovery meetings are a great place to do this.
Want to Learn More?
When this blog was released in May 2024, there is a listing for an online Gamblers Anonymous meeting in the United Kingdom on Tuesdays for people who suffer from a life affecting illness or care for another who does. You can find the link to join the meeting on the website for Gamblers, Family and Friends in Recovery.
To hear more from Patty and Kuldip about managing chronic pain and gambling, listen to episode 81 of Fold em. Listen now by clicking on the green play button at the top of this blog or the red Listen Now to Fold em button at the bottom.
Related Fold em Episodes
Kuldip Gill joined me on an earlier episode of Fold em - How Do we Move Forward Together? Rebuilding Trust and Preventing Relapse. She shares tips for doing recovery together with your spouse. Listen now to Episode 30 of Fold em by clicking on the play button below.
What Support is Available to Help With Gambling Concerns?
To learn more about gambling concerns and how to access resources and support, go to the home page of this website or listen to other episodes of Fold em.
Fold em is funded by Gambling Support BC.
We welcome your feedback and ideas for topics for upcoming episodes. Reach out through the Contact Us page on this website or through email at Foldempodcast@gmail.com.
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