Ep. 15 - Gambling and Gaming
The average age of a gamer in Canada is 39. Not what we expect. Our stereotype is of the teenage gamer.
Many of us are spending increasing time with games on our devices. And, for those who have pulled back from gambling, gaming sometimes fills the void. But what is the impact – on you? On recovery?
Listen to this episode of our podcast, Fold em: Help for Gambling Problems, to hear our guest, Kelly, speak candidly about his experiences with gambling and gaming and why he ultimately decided to stop both. Learn from Ben Wong, an advocate, educator and clinician specializing in our digital world about how to recognize if gaming is getting in the way of your best life. Click on the green play button above to listen now.
If you prefer to tune in directly from Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, click on the red “Listen and Subscribe” button below.
Especially if you are in recovery, it is important to monitor gaming
Gaming could be getting in the way of the needed work of recovery AND being the best version of yourself
Have you pulled back from gambling and now find yourself spending more time with games on your devices? Perhaps you’re playing on the free gambling websites?
In this episode of Fold em, our guest, Kelly, says he continued to play games after stopping gambling in December 2018. He initially didn’t see it as a problem. Gaming had started when he was a teen and carried as something to do in his free time. However, after awhile he noticed some warning signs.
Warning Signs that Gaming May be Problem - Especially if You Are in Recovery
Going beyond your limits, e.g. playing longer than you intend, putting in more money than planned
Spending less time and/or being less focused on other important activities, e.g. tired or late for work, not seeing friends, or distracted with family
Health and wellness is negatively impacted, e.g. not enough sleep, not eating well or taking care of hygiene
thinking more about gaming when not playing, e.g, strategizing, anticipating when you can get back to it
Why it is Important to Monitor Gaming in Recovery
Kelly tells us that he started to notice similarities between how he felt when gambling and when gaming. He describes both as providing the same high. A victory or success when gaming felt just like a gambling win, and he started wanting more and would put money into increasing the chance of an advantage or win.
Kelly also noticed that he was attending meetings for his recovery, but wasn’t doing the work of recovery as he wanted to. For him, this meant working the steps in Gamblers Anonymous, building his own wellness, and helping others. It was a shock as he looked at gaming in his life and realized it was more of a problem than he had realized.
How to Keeping Gaming in Check and be the Best Version of Yourself in Recovery
In this episode of Fold em, we also hear from Benjamin Wong, who is a well known educator, counsellor and advocate who specializes in staying healthy in a digital world. He acknowledges that it can be hard to notice the negative impacts of our devices and gaming when it is so normalized in society. Everyone else is doing it so what’s the problem?
Ben encourages us all to pause and ask ourselves some important questions about our use of games:
Am I emotionally reliant on this game, e.g. is it my primary way to handle stress, anxiety, depression or boredom?
What am I giving up to game? e.g. in the past, what got more of my time and energy?
What are the priorities for my time and energy? e.g. what is important to me, sparks my curiousity or would be fun and rewarding?
After reflecting on those questions, if you decide that you would like to rebalance the amount of time and energy that gaming is getting in your recovery and life, then tune in to episode 15 of Fold em: Help for Gambling Problems. Hear how Kelly first decreased and then stopped gambling and gaming. He shares online resources that helped him do this, particularly a problem gambling group that you could connect with through Twitter (@_PGSupport).
Listen now to this episode by clicking on the green play button at the top of this blog. Or, tune in directly from Apple or Google podcasts by clicking on the red button below.
Check out the other episodes and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss out when new ones are released.
Fold em is a podcast hosted by Adrienne Cossom and her colleagues at Gambling Support BC. Whether you are looking at stopping or scaling back your own gambling or supporting a family member with a problem, this podcast will help you take back control. Hear from gamblers who have been through it and get tips from counsellors.
If you would like to connect with Ben Wong or any of our team with Gambling Support BC, click on the red button below. Free, confidential services are available to residents of British Columbia who are concerned about their own or a loved one’s gambling.