Are you struggling with gambling?
Gambling can have significant impact on your mental health, relationships, finances and general wellbeing. Compulsive gambling may also be associated with bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
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With experience supporting and treating gambling behaviours, ​Harbour Health Psychology & Clinical Services may be able to assist in our Wollongong or Shellharbour offices.
Gambling & Treatment
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), legal gambling losses are an estimated $22 billion every year, making Australia the country with the highest rate of gambling losses per person in the world.2 The 2015 HILDA Survey found that of the 6.8 million regular gamblers (39% of Australian adults) who lost an estimated $8.6 billion, people experiencing gambling harm accounted for almost half (42% or $3.63 billion) of the total expenditure that year
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Gambling warrants a public health approach where responsibility is shared by individuals, community groups, gambling companies, banks and governments at all levels. The industry needs more consumer-focused gambling regulations, especially to curb emerging online forms of gambling.
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In 2022 the Australian Gambling Research Centre conducted an online general community panel survey to explore gambling participation and related harm among Australian adults (AGRC 2023).
Three in 4 (73%) Australians aged 18 and over reported spending money on one or more gambling products in the past 12 months (Figure 1). Lotteries/scratchies were the product with the highest participation (64%), followed by race betting (horse, greyhound and/or harness racing, 39%), sports betting (34%) and poker machines/‘pokies’ (33%).
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Among those who reported gambling in the past 12 months, the average number of products gambled on was 2, but around one-quarter (23%) of respondents reported gambling on 6 or more different products.
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With experience developed working for Sydney Universities Gambling Treatment clinic, Rhyle is here to support you in treating, and better managing your gambling behaviours.
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Following a structured treatment plan to identify and change problematic behaviours, challenge unworkable thinking around gambling, and develop new strategies to regulate and manage impulse behaviours - you can be supported to improve your behaviour towards your goals. We are here to support, make contact today and we can organise an appointment for psychological help in Wollongong or Shellharbour NSW.