“Taking the first step was terrifying, but the anonymous chat felt like opening up without feeling judged.”
Steve, 35, Francistown
Small business owner, limit-setting advocate
I run a small business, and for years my answer to everything was that I could handle it. Admitting that something had got away from me felt like admitting I was not up to the job.
The anonymous chat was what made the difference. I did not have to give my name or sit across from anybody. I could type it out in my own time, in my own words, and nobody on the other end reacted the way I had been dreading.
The first practical thing I did was set deposit and loss limits. It sounds almost too simple, but having a hard ceiling that I could not talk myself past on a bad evening took the decision out of my hands entirely.
I talk about limits with other business owners now, because most of them have never been told the tools exist. Taking the first step was terrifying. Everything after it was much easier than I expected.
Shared with permission. Names and identifying details are changed or withheld to protect privacy.