Much like any drug or alcohol addiction, compulsive gambling is also listed as an illness by the medical and psychiatric professions. The problem compulsive gamblers face is it’s very difficult to locate a viable gambling addiction rehab. With only a small handful of such facilities available in America, the cost of treatment tends to be very high. As an alternative, a compulsive gambler might be able to find a drug and alcohol rehab facility that’s willing to take on compulsive gamblers. It’s not common within the addiction treatment community, but there are facilities and circumstance that make said access available. If you have a gambling addiction, you’ll want to take note that an addiction is an addiction.
The treatment process for gambling and drug/alcohol addictions are quite similar with one very obvious difference. Gamblers don’t need access to detox programs. They need to restrict themselves from the internet and brick and mortar gambling facilities in order to be safe. If withdrawal symptoms do occur, they will likely be psychological symptoms like:
- Anxiety and agitation
- Depression
- Inability to concentrate on normal tasks
- Nervousness
- Anger and frustration
Can Pennsylvania Rehabs Help with Gambling Addiction?
The answer to the titled question is, yes they can help with a gambling addiction. The more relevant question is will they accept clients who are compulsive gamblers. In some cases, that answer is also yes. We would like to point out that under some circumstances, we might be willing to take on compulsive gamblers as clients. If you have a gambling addiction, you would be better-served to find an addiction therapist who has experience working with compulsive gamblers.
It’s not absolutely necessary, but there are benefits you would derive with an experienced gambling addiction counselor. The list of benefits would include the opportunity to work with someone who is educated about nuances of gambling and how it works on the gambler’s psyche. Another benefit would involve the access an experienced gambling counselor would likely have to the gambling version of AA, known as GA or Gambler Anonymous. Knowing help is available from a Pennsylvania rehab should set your mind at ease. At this point, we would like to give you some insight as to what you can expect during treatment.
Individual Therapy Sessions
Here is where the treatment process is very similar for all addiction sufferers. No matter what the addiction might be, there’s one piece of information that’s very important to counselors. They need a clear understanding about the driving force behind their client’s addiction. That puts you in a position where you need to be open and honest about your thoughts and feelings. You have to be willing to delve into your personal history in order to figure out what role gambling plays in helping you cope with the issues in your life. Without this information, your therapist is going to have difficulty helping you find solutions to your gambling problem.
They can set you on a path of not gambling for a period of time, but eventually, your triggers will lead you back to the race track or casino. If you can get at the root causes of your addiction, your therapist will have an opportunity to provide you with the tools you will need to deal with your issues and avoid relapses.
Group Therapy
Here is where things might seem a little awkward. If you can’t find a group session with other compulsive gamblers, you’ll find yourself in a room filled with drug and alcohol addiction sufferers. It might seem a little strange at first, but soon you would realize just how much in common you have with the other clients. The discussion will center on how life circumstances can create addictive behavior, something your would certainly understand as a compulsive gambling. When the discussion shifts to support groups and abstinence, again, you will soon realize there’s a lot of common ground. The point is this.
Addiction is addiction. It derives from the same place and the solutions are common across most addictions. With that said, you should be happy to find a Pennsylvania rehab that can help you with your gambling addiction. We hope the information above gives you clarity and comfort. What we want is for you to get help wherever you can. For more information about how we can help you with your gambling addiction, you can contact one of our representatives at 302-842-2390.