Ishbel Straker www.ishbelstraker.co.uk Ishbel Straker is a Consultant Prescribing Nurse who runs a private clinic on Rodney St, Liverpool. As an expert in the field of Addiction and mental wellbeing, Ishbel is focused on offering a bespoke service to her patients, combining clinically evidenced therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Therapy as well as a prescribing service if appropriate. Ishbel works with people who are both physically and/or psychologically impacted by mental health issues or addiction. Working together with the patient to set goals through one-to-one therapies working within national guidance frameworks. Ishbel additionally has a range of onward referral pathways to ensure continuation of care. Ishbel has a keen interest in working with women with the following issues: • Perimenopausal
• Recreational drugs
• Relationships
• Stress
• Struggling with work • Gambling • Alcohol
• Anxiety
Ishbel studied Psychiatric Nursing at University of Central Lancashire and gained her Masters in Prescribing at the University of West London. Over the past ten years she has held senior positions in several national organisations including Director of Nursing. Her priority has always been quality care for her patients and this is what she strives for on an individual patient basis and nationally through her strategic policy work. Ishbel is a recognised expert in the field of Addiction and co-existing mental health problems. She writes a bi-monthly column for the national magazine; Drink and Drug News and writes a monthly mental health column for the Liverpool Echo. She is an experienced Expert Witness and is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer for Middlesex University, supporting research and the training of clinicians. Ishbel also supervises senior nurses in various organisations which includes clinically advising on complex patients.
www.bluestreamacademy.com
Gambling: The Lottery of Addiction
A
s we drove into the car park with the large TK-Maxx, B&Q, Next Home and Mothercare all in clear view, I noticed that positioned very comfortably next to the Harvester was a BETFRED. “That’s odd,” I remarked to my husband, who incredulously stated that in reality it wasn’t actually that odd and some people’s everyday lives and routines are structured around placing a bet.
Of course, I know the extremes of this from working in the field of addiction for fifteen years and have seen an increased smattering of such addicts, but the statistics show that the UK is a nation of gamblers. I initially found the idea of the Great British public avidly working out a multitude of complicated odds and combinations before finding the nearest betting shop to risk their pay check, baffling and frankly absurd. But with the gambling industry generating fourteen billion pounds in 2017 and 76% of the UK population playing the national lottery and using scratch cards on a weekly basis, I soon came to realise that there was a wider issue at large. It is important to note that it is no more confusing to me that someone would jeopardise the weekly shopping
budget on a horse race, than a person’s need to drink or use a mindaltering substance to feel normal, shopping continually to feel fulfilled, exercising obsessively to the point of injury or to spend every waking moment holding a gaming controller and staring at moving pixels on a screen. I am aware people do all of the above and they are all recognised addictions I see on a regular basis, but gambling seems to have its grip on the nation without most people even being aware. Data shows that the National Lottery in retail outlets are used by 58% of the population, Scratch-cards are used by 32%, private betting/slot machines 24%, other lotteries 22% and betting on horse/dog races are last at 21%. Looking from a societal perspective, I feel gambling and alcohol fall into similar categories. Both are legal, both are socially acceptable to most people and both have friendship and social elements to them. They are also incredibly accessible and are promoted by celebrities, making them almost ideals to strive for. But most importantly, they are both a rapidly escalating issue, creeping up on users until it is too late and they
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