MindCare Recovery
Support before, during and after recovery.
For gambling, alcohol, substance use, relapse concerns and families affected by them. Start with a free immediate tool, a structured programme, a therapist or a rehabilitation assessment.
Safety stays free.
Pause tools, safety information, first step guidance and urgent support are never put behind a paywall. Structured programmes and advanced support can be funded through MindCare benefits, employers, insurers, sponsors or self pay care.
If you are thinking about ending your life, or feel you cannot go on because of money, gambling or drinking, please open urgent help now. You do not have to carry this alone.
Open urgent helpPause the Bet
A quick pause for the moment when the urge is strong. Nothing you enter here is sent anywhere — only an anonymous tally of completed pauses stays on this device, and you can clear it.
Make the next bet harder (2 minutes of setup)
Ticks are saved only on this device, never to an account.
Bet-free days
Mark each day you get through without a bet. Counted on this device only.
Alcohol and substance support
You do not need to call yourself an addict to ask whether drinking or substance use is starting to cost you more than you want.
Prefer a standard check? Three questions (AUDIT-C)
About the last 12 months. One “drink” means one standard measure — a small beer, a glass of wine or a single tot. Nothing is saved or sent.
1. How often do you have a drink containing alcohol?
2. How many drinks do you have on a typical day when you are drinking?
3. How often do you have six or more drinks on one occasion?
If you drink heavily every day, have had withdrawal symptoms, seizures, severe shaking or confusion, do not suddenly stop without medical advice. Withdrawal can require medical care.
Check your gambling in two minutes
Nine questions about the last 12 months, used by gambling support services worldwide. Your answers stay on this screen — nothing is saved or sent.
1. Have you bet more than you could really afford to lose?
2. Have you needed to gamble with larger amounts of money to get the same feeling of excitement?
3. When you gambled, did you go back another day to try to win back the money you lost?
4. Have you borrowed money or sold anything to get money to gamble?
5. Have you felt that you might have a problem with gambling?
6. Has gambling caused you any health problems, including stress or anxiety?
7. Have people criticised your betting or told you that you had a gambling problem, whether or not you agreed?
8. Has your gambling caused any financial problems for you or your household?
9. Have you felt guilty about the way you gamble or what happens when you gamble?
Put real barriers between you and the bet
Willpower is strongest when it is needed least. These tools do the resisting for you. Zambia does not yet have a national self-exclusion scheme, so device-level blockers are the strongest barrier available here.
BetBlocker
Free app from a UK charity. Blocks thousands of gambling sites and apps on phones and computers, for a period you choose — and it cannot be undone early.
Gamban
Paid blocking app used by gambling support services, covering sites and apps across all your devices.
Gambling Therapy
Free online emotional support and practical advice for gambling problems, worldwide, from the Gordon Moody charity — including support for family members.
On your phone, today:
Delete betting apps, then use your phone’s app restrictions and ask someone you trust to set the password. Unsubscribe from SMS odds. If betting money moves through mobile money, keep essentials in an account you do not bet from.
External services are independent of MindCare. BetBlocker and Gambling Therapy are free; Gamban is paid.
I am worried about someone else
A partner, parent, sibling or friend can be affected by gambling or substance use even when they are not the person using. You can get support for boundaries, difficult conversations, financial protection and your own wellbeing.
Do not carry it alone
Tell someone trustworthy what is happening. Secrecy often increases pressure on the whole family.
Protect essentials
Keep rent, food, school fees and other essential money separate where possible.
Set clear boundaries
Support does not mean funding gambling, covering every debt or accepting unsafe behaviour.
Structured support
Go deeper when you are ready.
MindCare programmes turn support into a journey rather than a one off appointment. Track triggers, work through practical exercises and combine the programme with therapy or group support.
When self guided support is not enough
MindCare can route people into professional assessment and rehabilitation where appropriate. A referral does not diagnose addiction or automatically mean residential admission.
Clinical assessment
Residential or outpatient
Family support
Aftercare and relapse prevention
Rehabilitation referrals are not open yet.
No rehabilitation partner is taking referrals through MindCare at the moment. You do not have to wait: a MindCare therapist who works with addiction can assess what level of support you need and help you reach a service in person.
Need help immediately?
Recovery tools are not emergency services. If you are in immediate danger, thinking about ending your life, severely unwell, confused, having seizures or experiencing another urgent medical problem, use emergency services or go to the nearest emergency facility.
Open urgent help