Seek Help For Gambling Issues

More People In Manchester Seek Help For Gambling Issues As City Expands Support Services

Manchester is facing a worrying new trend of gambling problems with call centres and helpline services reporting a record increase in people seeking help. It has evoked a huge interest among the city authorities and health care agencies providing increased support services and new approaches needed to address the escalating problem.

The most recent data on the call centre dealing with gambling problems in Manchester show that it has received 30% more calls in the past half a year; people complaining about their financial problems and ruined relationships because of their gambling problems are among such calls. A demographic of the individuals that seek help includes all ages and classes, which supports the fact that the prevalence of gambling addiction is high.

As a result of this increasing scenario, Manchester City Council has recently declared it is to provide extra funding right from the present month for the development of the existing services. This encompasses expansion of capacities of the counseling centres, extension of the operation of the helpline services beyond reasonable hours, and establishment of new outreach programs for provision of services for populations that may be hard to reach. The council has also entered into collaboration with local mental health services to ensure that people with gambling disorders seek treatment that will also treat the disorder as well as the accompanying psychological problems.

One of the greatest strides made in the city’s response is the creation of the Gambling Harm Reduction Unit under the health department. On this basis, there will be created a special team that would be focused on the integration of initiatives aimed at the elimination of problems related to gambling, that could involve representatives of such sectors as healthcare, education and others dealing with law enforcement. It will also establish closer cooperate relationships with local gambling operators on advancing more responsible measures on gambling and better early risk assessment of its clients.

The lack of education has also been established to be one of the causes of gambling disorder and therefore education forms part of the solution. Therefore, new curriculum initiated by Manchester schools aims to bring awareness of the gambling risks and teach children how to manage their money. It is a youth focused programme which aims at ensuring that youths gain knowledge and attitude towards gambling and managing finances. Furthermore, adult education centres all across the city will be conducting free courses on how to manage budgets and debts in view of cases of gambling financial losses.

And the increasing levels of gambling related problems have fuelled controversy over the expansion of betting shops and adverts promoting gambling Manchestriends. Leaders in communities and counselors help individuals with addictions problems are lobbying for more regulation of gambling adverts especially in areas which majority of the people who patronize them are youths and other vulnerable groups. Master policies fro some local councilors has described the need to enact the zoning laws that restrict the number of betting shops in given areas as socially undesirable.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, Manchester has recently trialed a veritable city-wide scheme, where one can self-exclude himself or herself from all gambling facilities and Internet sites based in the Manchester city. This program which incorporates facial and verification system aims to ensure that those who find it very hard to manage themselves on the game will be safeguarded in the best way possible.

This paper aims to examine several aspects of the phenomena showing that it is not only the individual addict who suffers, but families and the community as a whole. As an acknowledgement of this Manchester has established support groups for families who have members with gambling related issues. These groups include the opportunity to come together, discuss critical experiences, learn how to develop operational coping mechanisms, as well as receive information on how to deal with this severe issue.

With Manchester now beginning to rally to meet this emerging problem, there is greater emphasis on research and data gathering in order to find the antecedent causes and the optimal methods for the treatment of pathological gambling. The University of Manchester said it will be starting a new research study where they will monitor treatment outcomes with the aim of creating better strategies to support patients.

Its positive attitude concerning the gambling crisis has attracted interests from other cities all over the United Kingdom as most of them would wish to emulate the city’s comprehensive method. Manchester is gradually developing new and improved forms of support services; therefore, it is in the process of becoming a model to use in preventing and treating gambling related harms on a large scale.

Despite the difficulties the future looks brighter because Manchester’s Government, health services, and community teams together provide hope for people who suffer from gambling disorders. But as awareness begins to grow and support services multiply, the city is not willing to just sit back and watch young men continue to die at an alarming rate, thereby helping to drive the city towards a healthier and more robust future for everyone.

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