Ep. 80 - Check it Out: Gamblers, Family & Friends in Recovery and Recovery Road Online
“Now you can pop into a meeting any day and any time. With compulsive gambling, you can do a lot of damage if you have to wait.
Frank, GFFR”
Many people deal with gambling problems on their own. They think, “I’m not as bad as others. I can fix this.” For some, they just want to move on and avoid or delay getting help. Others can’t stop thinking about what gambling has brought into their life, but feel too embarrassed to open up about it.
The one theme I’ve heard from every guest on our Fold em podcast is - don’t deal with it on your own. Open up and connect with people who know about gambling issues.
In this episode of Fold em, we tell you about how easy it is get help as well as support and guidance from people who’ve been through it. You hear from Frank, with Gamblers, Family and Friends in Recovery (GFFR) - an international notice board for people seeking recovery from a gambling problem. You also hear from Bruce with Recovery Road Online (RRO) - an online fellowship with a vision of quickly connecting compulsive gamblers with others in recovery.
You’ll learn how to find hundreds of meetings each week from around the world as well as a library of recorded speakers. There’s help for the gamblers as well as for spouses, family and friends. Check out RRO and GFFR!
Gamblers, Family and Friends in Recovery and Recovery Road Online are not the only online place to find meetings and support. There are others, which we have featured in earlier episodes, including Gamblers Anonymous, Gam-Anon, Gam-Talk and The Broke Girl Society. We’re focusing on GFFR and RRO because they are newer on the scene and provide a quick way to access hundreds of meetings each week.
Listen to episode 80 and hear about:
What you will find at Recovery Road Online and Gamblers, Family and Friends in Recovery
The variety of meetings available and how to access them
How online meetings can help you
LISTEN to EPISODE 80
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Why Attend Online Meetings? How Can RRO and GFFR Help Me?
In this episode of Fold em, Frank and Bruce talk about how attending meetings has been a priority and key part of what has kept them bet free. During COVID they switched to online meetings and continue to supplement in person meetings with online ones.
Bruce tells us that when he’s answering the phone for the GA Hotline, his hope is that he can help the person on the line quickly get connected to an online group or meeting. Frank says that doing so can stop the destruction of gambling and sometimes save lives.
What Are the Benefits of Online Meetings:
Convenience: through RRO and GFFR you can pop into a meeting 24/7 and participate from a place of your choosing.
Privacy: you can decide whether to join audio only or with your camera on.
Find a Meeting that Fits For You: through RRO and GFFR there 300-400 meetings a week, many of which are specialized including meetings in various languages, women’s only, LGBTQIA+, young people only as well as meetings for family and friends.
Success: On RRO they have a meeting at the end of the month to celebrate time away from gambling. By connecting regularly with meetings and getting guidance, many, many people are bet free.
Support and Connection: As you try out meetings, you’ll find ones you like and will get to know the people there. You may find a mentor or sponsor through a meeting or at RRO’s Sponsorship Group on Facebook. Connection is what helps you to keep going and get through tough times.
What is Recovery Road Online and Gamblers, Family and Friends in Recovery? What Will I Find at Meetings Listed There?
You can find Recovery Road Online through your browser and on Facebook. Bruce tells us that it started as a way to offer compulsive gamblers immediate support and provide connections with other recovering compulsive gamblers. On the website you will find a list of meetings, including links to join. You will also find information about gambling issues and the steps of recovery, along with some inspiration. Their meetings are based on the Twelve Steps and use this literature, but do not offer sanctioned GA meetings.
Similarily, Gamblers, Family and Friends in Recovery lists meetings that follow the general guidelines of a Twelve Step Program. You will find them at GamblersinRecovery.com where there is a listing of more than 300 meetings from around the world each week, as well as a library of recorded meetings and information on upcoming events and workshops.
The meeting listings will tell you if there is a specific focus for each meeting, including for spouses, family and friends. It will show a start time for your time zone and a link to join. Bruce and Frank tell us that they hope that newcomers find it easy and comfortable to join. There is an option to join with your camera off and have audio only. The host might ask a couple of questions before letting you in (to protect the group from Zoom bombers) but once in you’re welcome to just listen.
For those who are new or have tried meetings elsewhere, Frank encourages you to check it out. He says, “You wil find out whether you have a problem and you’ll also find others. You’ll find that anything you have been through, someone else has also been through it. The key aspect of success of these groups is relatability. You get to find others with similar stories and find people to be mentors or sponsors. Or maybe someone to talk to. And, if the chemistry isn’t right, the beauty of online is that there are 100s of other meetings you can go to. You might find the right connection. Give it a chance.”
To hear more from Bruce and Frank about RRO and GFFR, listen to episode 80 of Fold em. Listen now by clicking on the green play button at the top of this blog. To find out about other online recovery group supports, click on the red “Help Online” 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 Fold em podcast episodes.
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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