World Mental Health Day: Gambling, Mental Health and the Power of Lived Experience
Article written byKerri Nicholls▼
in the categoryRecovery▼
Gambling-related harm can affect how we feel about ourselves, our relationships and our mental health. This World Mental Health Day, I'm reflecting on the importance of lived experience and how it can help shape more compassionate, effective support.
This year's theme 'Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change' is a reminder that listening is only the beginning. People who have experienced mental health difficulties bring valuable knowledge and understanding. Their experiences should help shape the decisions, services and support that affect their lives.
The connection between gambling and mental health
Gambling can sometimes become a way of coping with difficult feelings, even when it starts to create more difficulties of its own.
For some people, it might offer a temporary escape from anxiety, loneliness, stress or low mood. It can provide excitement, distraction or a way to switch off from what's happening in life.
Over time, though, gambling can bring its own worries. Financial pressures, relationship difficulties, secrecy and shame can begin to affect mental health, leaving someone feeling caught in a cycle that's difficult to break.
Talking about what's happening isn't always easy. You might feel embarrassed, blame yourself or worry about how other people will react. You might even feel that you 'should' be able to stop on your own.
If any of this feels familiar, it's important to remember that gambling-related harm can affect people from all walks of life. Struggling doesn't mean you've failed, and you don't have to wait until things reach crisis point before seeking support.
Why lived experience matters
When someone has experienced gambling-related harm, they may recognise feelings that can be difficult to explain to someone who hasn't been through it. This might include the shame, the secrecy, the promises to stop, or the feeling of being caught between wanting things to change and finding it difficult to take that next step.
For me, lived experience isn't about having all the answers or assuming I know how someone feels. It's about approaching each person's experience with compassion, openness and respect.
But lived experience needs to mean more than simply sharing a story. It is about helping it make a difference to the support people receive.
For gambling-related harm, that means taking the experiences of those affected seriously when developing services, resources and approaches to recovery. It means recognising what isn't working, understanding the barriers people face and making changes that better reflect what they need.
In counselling, it also means recognising that each person is the expert in their own experience. Rather than assuming I know what someone needs, I want to explore what matters to them, what they have been through and what meaningful change might look like in their life.
Everyone's experience is different. The aim isn't to speak for everyone, but to make sure people have opportunities to influence the support available to them.
When people are taken seriously and involved in decisions about their support, lived experience can become a source of meaningful change.
Moving beyond shame and blame
One of the things that can make gambling-related harm so difficult to talk about is the shame that often surrounds it.
You might be worried about the money you've lost, the impact on people you care about, or the things you've done while gambling. Looking back, you might struggle to understand why you carried on, even when you knew it was hurting you.
These feelings can make reaching out feel overwhelming, particularly if you're worried about being blamed.
But shame doesn't have to define your story.
Recovery isn't always straightforward. It can involve difficult emotions, setbacks and learning new ways to manage life's challenges. It can also mean rediscovering who you are beyond gambling and finding ways to move forward that feel right for you.
You don't need to have everything figured out before asking for help. Support can be part of understanding what's happening and deciding what you would like to change.
Finding support that feels right for you
Talking about gambling can feel daunting, particularly if you've spent a long time keeping it to yourself. You might not know where to start or what to say. Perhaps you've tried to stop before and worry about what it means if you're struggling again.
Counselling can offer a calm, confidential space to explore your experiences, understand what gambling has come to mean in your life and begin working towards the changes you want to make.
At Sunrise Recovery, I offer specialist online gambling counselling grounded in an integrative, person-centred approach and informed by my own lived experience of gambling harm and recovery.
My aim is to offer a space where you can speak openly and explore your experiences at your own pace. There's no expectation that you'll have all the answers or explain everything perfectly. Your experiences, needs and hopes for the future matter, and they help shape the work we do together.
You are more than your gambling, and you deserve to be heard.
A gentle reminder this World Mental Health Day
This year's theme reminds us that lived experience should do more than inform conversations; it should help shape the support people receive. For those affected by gambling-related harm, that means taking their experiences seriously and using them to create meaningful change.
If gambling is affecting your mental health, you deserve support that respects your experiences and helps you work towards the changes that matter to you.
Your experience matters. Your voice matters. And meaningful change begins when both are recognised.
If you're looking for support with gambling-related harm, you can find out more about gambling counselling at Sunrise Recovery.
If you're experiencing a mental health crisis or feel unable to keep yourself safe, please seek urgent support.
In the UK, you can contact NHS 111 and select the mental health option where available.
If you're in immediate danger, call 999 or go to A&E.