Last week I attended an event at the Aston Villa ground on men’s mental health and gambling addiction. The stats are brutal: • 37% of young men who attempted suicide in the past year had problem gambling behaviours. • Problem gamblers are 9 times more likely to attempt suicide. What struck me most is that gambling addiction is invisible. It’s in your pocket. It’s in every ad break. It’s woven into sports culture and gaming so deeply that most men don’t recognise it as an issue until they’ve hit rock bottom. This connects to what I posted last week about unplugging from constant content - addiction of any kind (gambling, scrolling, gaming, porn, even over-working) is about escaping uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. We fill every gap with stimulation to avoid what’s actually going on inside. As Dr Gabor Maté, world renowned expert on trauma, addiction and stress, says: “addiction isn’t about the substance or behaviour - it’s about the pain we’re trying to escape.” The stories of the men I heard from at the conference were heartbreaking. The shame. The lying. The financial devastation. The suicide attempts. All because they couldn’t face the pain underneath. And as Terry Real, world renowned therapist and author says: “feeling your feelings won’t kill you, but running from them can.” If you’re in property/residential development, associated industries, or a business-owner, you’re either a high-achieving man yourself or working with them, who present as “fine” on the outside - even smashing it - while inside feeling like they can barely keep their head above water. This stuff is everywhere. If you or someone you know is struggling, Aquarius Charity and Epic Restart Foundation offers support. Recovery starts when we stop hiding and start talking about the real pain underneath.

Posted by Dr Su Lee at 2026-02-02 14:15:56 UTC