You might be concerned about your gambling behavior but not sure that you have a problem. A good place to begin is the free and confidential BBGS e-Screener. This screen can help you decide whether to seek help for your gambling behavior.
If you are still not sure that you want to seek help, check out another free and confidential online source, Your First Step to Change, a self-help toolkit designed to help if you are thinking of changing your gambling behavior. The toolkit provides information about disordered gambling, helps you evaluate your own gambling behavior, and recommends strategies for changing your behavior should you decide that is the best course.
The questions in this toolkit will take approximately 20 minutes to complete, and your identity will remain anonymous at all times.
If you think that gambling is having a negative impact on your life or the life of a friend or family member and you would like to talk with someone, contact your school’s student health services. Your campus mental health staff is trained to address problems with alcohol, drugs and other risky behaviors. Excessive gambling has much in common with binge drinking and drug use.
Confidential gambling helplines are available if you need to speak to someone about a gambling problem, whether your own or that of someone you know. In addition to providing support, the helpline can refer you to other resources such as treatment providers or Gamblers Anonymous meetings.
The following organizations are helpful resources if you are dealing with gambling problems or if you just want to learn more. This is not a complete list of organizations, but a selection of helplines and websites that may be useful for you or someone you know.
If your campus does not provide help for gambling problems, below are some off-campus providers that can help identify treatment options.