Proudly supported by the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia!
GAMING CRISIS: TRUE STUDENT STORIES
The Gamblers & Gaming Support Society Pictou County Chapter is excited and proud to announce that we have just published Gaming Crisis: True Student Stories on October 15, 2024. This 24-page, full colored graphic comic book features the stories of 3 Nova Scotian students who have struggled with gaming. The book also includes a resource listing for students and parents. The texts are in English and French.
Download your free digital copy below.
PROJECT FUNDING
We are grateful for the generous 71% grant of the total cost of $24,082.90 by the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia. (@mentalhealthns) The remaining 29% of the funding was provided by the Gamblers & Gaming Support Society. The Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia provides financial support for community initiatives throughout Nova Scotia while providing hope and eradicating the stigma around mental illness and addiction. Their purpose is to improve the mental wellness of Nova Scotians by granting funds to community-based mental health and addictions organizations. Without their support this publication would not have been possible.
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Thanks to @mentalhealthns donors, we’re making a difference in the lives of Nova Scotian students and those who care for them, while providing hope and eradicating the harms created by this addiction. We are so proud to be #ChangingTheWayPeopleThink!
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We encourage you to please visit our Donations page to contribute to the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia.
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Our Support Society assures and respects privacy and anonymity in all our affairs. None of our events are recorded or streamed.
OUR FOCUS
At Gamblers & Gaming Support Society, Pictou County Chapter, we are dedicated to providing support and resources to anyone struggling with a gambling or a gaming addiction.
Our mission is to create a safe and healthy environment for people to overcome their addiction and regain control of their lives.
We offer a listening ear, support, information, and resources to help folks on their journey towards recovery. Join us in our mission to make a positive impact on the lives of Nova Scotians.
Together, we can create a brighter future for our community.
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If you are a gamer (any age) and would like to participate in in-person, closed meetings of Gaming Addicts Anonymous (GAA), you are encouraged to contact us so that we may organize weekly meetings at multiple locations throughout the province. Those locations will rely solely on demand.
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It's available now!
Presently, Gaming Crisis: True Student Stories comic book is available free of charge, in printed format, at Mental Health and Addictions offices and public libraries throughout Cape Breton Island, Antigonish area and Pictou County area. Availability in all other areas in Nova Scotia will be confirmed shortly.
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It is also available at the school board's head offices throughout the province. The guidance counsellor's and mental heath support teams, within the school system, are actively reviewing the comic book to distribute it to students at risk.
The free digital version of the comic book is available here.
We encourage all Nova Scotians to read it. Any feedback (positive or negative) is welcomed.
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LET'S TALK ABOUT GAMING, NOVA SCOTIA!
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We challenge Nova Scotian's to engage in conversations about the student gaming crisis. There is a very good reason why Bell Canada spends thousands of dollars to promote their "Let's Talk" campaign...because it works!
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The event that was scheduled for Friday, November 1, 2024 has been cancelled.
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When we approached the organizer's of Hal-Con to give us a tiny spot to promote and distribute our 24-page comic book to the attendees, we received this response. This is an excerpt from an email from a Hal-Con organizer...it reads " Also, this is the email for gaming like board games, RPGs, video games, etc. So it might not be a good fit for us as we don't deal with any type of gambling."
It is unclear as to how they developed this philosophy. It goes against the findings of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Psychiatric Association's most recent version of their DSM5 publication that added Internet Gaming Disorder (IDG). The DSM5 document is used as a reference guide by every mental health care professional in North America. (and others). It is remarkable, because one of Hal-Con's major corporate sponsor's boasts about having the only legal gambling site in Atlantic Canada.
Despite the fact that we are not welcomed to attend Hal-Con 2024, our tiny volunteer based organization is seeking creative ways to distribute 1000's of these printed comic books to Hal-Con attendees.
Perhaps, you can help. We welcome any support, from the community or corporations, to achieve this goal.
We know that every child matters!
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Download your free copy of
Gaming Crisis: True Student Stories Comic Book