Make a start: Goulburn Valley primary health care provider Primary Care Connect is encouraging people to use Gambling Harm Awareness Week to begin conversations about problem gambling.
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Rodney Braithwaite
It may not be the obvious conversation starter, but people are being urged to use Gambling Harm Awareness Week to educate themselves on how to broach the issue of problem gambling with someone whose gambling behaviour is becoming a concern.
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The theme for this year’s week (October 16 to 22) is ‘Talk. Share. Support.’
Primary Care Connect is a primary health services provider in the Goulburn Valley and said it could be daunting for anyone whose gambling was having a negative impact on their health and wellbeing to disclose it.
“It’s human nature to avoid awkward conversations, but enduring some discomfort now could be the difference between a loved one getting back on track early and them experiencing more severe consequences later,” Primary Care Connect chief executive Trish Quibell said.
Act early: Primary Care Connect chief executive Trish Quibell says having awkward conversations now can help prevent more severe consequences later.
Assistance: Primary Care Connect’s Gamblers Help community engagement worker Freddy Thuruthikattu.
Primary Care Connect’s Gambler’s Help Community Engagement Worker Freddy Thuruthikattu said 94 per cent of Gambler’s Help clients in 2022-23 said counselling helped them with issues relating to giving up gambling and financial, emotional and psychological outcomes.
“Gambling can change how a person feels and behaves, so encouraging them to share what’s on their mind can be an effective first step,” he said.
“It is important to choose the right time and place to broach this kind of conversation — it should be somewhere that offers privacy and at a time when interruptions are unlikely.
“Let the person know that you want to support them but also respect their boundaries.”
Primary Care Connect will conduct two information sessions during the week, one with Year 10 students from Greater Shepparton Secondary College and the other a Gambler’s Help Drumbeats session at the Yitjawudik Recovery Centre.
It will also be involved with the ‘100 cuppas’ community event on Tuesday, October 17 at the Shepparton Senior Citizens Centre from 9am to 11am, and at Taste of Capri in Mooroopna from 11.30am to 1.30pm.
