Peer group meetings have played an integral role in helping problem gamblers for decades. For example, Gamblers Anonymous (GA) has roots dating back to the 1950s.
What is new is how. In a post-COVID world, in-person groups are seeing a resurgence in participation among young people, as noted in a recent piece from The Guardian.
At Maryhaven, our new group, which meets on Monday evenings, is open to anyone who has completed our brief initial gambling assessment. That’s it.
And, in just a short amount of time, I’ve found these weekly discussions to be both uplifting and healing. Among many other things, groups can offer:
- Needed support and feedback from peers
- Self-reflection and deeper understanding of one’s actions
- Socialization at a time when some feel very isolated and alone
- Opportunity to strengthen social and coping skills
- Increasing confidence and resilience
- Connection to a team of individuals to increase accountability
- A sense of hope
We’ve written recently about how quickly a new wave of younger gamblers are getting into trouble, reporting problem gambling sometimes after just months of starting to gamble. Thankfully, they also appear to look for help more quickly than ever before, an angle covered just this week by 10TV. Group sessions can play an important role here in allowing them to understand they aren’t alone in the recovery journey.
In addition to our groups, the aforementioned GA is one of several resources that we encourage gamblers to explore. In Central Ohio, there’s a different GA meeting available every day of the week. I’ve attended local meetings and (along with our own groups) can confirm some of the same benefits noted in The Guardian story.
Not sure what you (or a loved one) need at this point? Keep in mind that our website has a quick five-question screening tool and we are just a call (614-324-5425) or click (https://maryhaven.com/
