Sharing our insight for Mental Health Awareness Month
May presents a key opportunity for EPIC’s staff to share their insight into how poor mental health and problem gambling intertwined when they were at the lowest points of their journey, but also paint a more uplifting picture of the positive steps they took to improve their wellbeing.
A month-long content series will be released across our website and social channels in support of Mental Health Awareness Month, which is being observed in the US for the whole of May – a concept that is now 75 years old, having been established in 1949.
Additionally, the focus will go trans-Atlantic from May 13-19, as the UK delivers its own Mental Health Awareness Week, showing how different cultures can share lived experience of the issue for mutual benefit.
As in previous campaigns on this topic, we’ll be drawing attention to problem gambling as a mental health issue, as well as providing insight into our team’s thoughts on some useful learning opportunities for others currently affected by the negative mental impact of addiction, including:
- The gambling-related triggers that had the most considerable negative effect on their mental health
- The steps they’ve taken throughout recovery to aid positive mental health
- How discussion around mental health issues fits into the education and training they now provide to others in their roles with EPIC
“I get so much out of sharing my story as a facilitator for EPIC,” said Greg Weber, one of our programme facilitators, in relation to why he is happy to open up around mental health issues.
“Selfishly, part of the reason I do this is for me. As a compulsive gambler, I somehow am able to easily forget all the harm and pain that gambling caused me and the people I love.
“By telling my story, I am able to go back to that time and remember the past. This allows me to stay motivated in recovery and not allow my brain to convince me that gambling is something that I can go back to.”
Weber will be among the EPIC employees contributing to regular news features, videos, and social media snippets with advice and insight throughout the month. He’ll also be joined by the newest member of our US-based team, Bryan Ricci, who explained how poor mental health created a perpetual spiral:
“It’s crazy how I believed I needed to use my gambling addiction to get out of the trouble my gambling addiction caused to begin with.
“The inability to accept the losses and continuing to chase getting even drove me insane and created new lows.
“Another trigger was almost winning. Getting so close fuelled me to keep trying, whereas if I was never close, I would not have that same feeling of hope.”
Our final word goes to fellow programme facilitator Patrick Chester, who has a clear message for anyone currently suffering from poor mental health or gambling-related issues, as he explains:
“I always stress that, if we’re struggling, please reach out for help.
“Talk to a friend, a colleague, a stranger… There is help – let’s just have the courage to reach out. “
Follow EPIC on leading social platforms in order to stay in touch with all of our Mental Health Awareness Month content throughout May…
