Psychotherapy

Compulsive gambling is a psychological disorder and should be treated as an illness. It is estimated that 3-5% of gamblers degenerate into compulsive gamblers. Figures are higher in areas where a casino is located within a 50-mile radius. Men are more afflicted with the pathological gambling disorder than women. Addiction to gambling can have disastrous consequences for the gambler and his immediate family. This invisible addiction is silently on the rise in the U.S. and claiming a higher number of victims.

Financial ruin

A pathological gambler progresses from sporadic to compulsive gambling. The usual graph shows a marked proclivity to risk everything financially. The predictable consequence is accumulation of large debts and financial bankruptcy. Furthermore, the compulsive gambler is ashamed of his addiction and will try to hide it. However, pathological gambling is a treatable disorder. If the gambler seeks psychological help, he can break the cycle of compulsive gambling. It is notable that more women than men opt for psychological counseling.

Curable condition

Remember a gambling addiction is a chronic disorder and should be treated as a curable condition. The first proviso is admission of the problem by the gambler. Once this hurdle is overcome, it becomes easier to seek psychotherapeutic intervention. This psychotherapy may be individual or it may be group therapy. It may also take the form of self-help support groups as Gamblers Anonymous. All these avenues emphasize the abstinence notion for breaking the gambling habit. For instance Gamblers Anonymous works on the same principle as Alcoholics Anonymous and has a 12-point program to rid the gambler of his addiction. Additionally, Gamblers Anonymous provides free financial, legal and employment services to help the gambler tide over his monetary difficulties.

Psychotherapy may combine extensive counseling with a course of antidepressants because it has been demonstrated that most compulsive gamblers suffer from depression. Gambling is defined as an impulse-control disease in psychotherapy and incorporates ongoing therapy to prevent lapses.

Help at hand

Undergoing psychotherapy is the best course of action for a pathological gambler. Psychological counseling has helped many individuals to rein in their gambling impulses and regain full control of their lives. Psychotherapy emphasizing drug use and counseling promises an assured turnaround for compulsive gamblers.

Recommended Reading

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