Why does a gambler need rehab?
It is almost impossible for someone to break the gambling addictive cycle at home. The problem is that to get immediate help and be admitted to a residential gambling addictions rehab unit, there is a financial cost. At The Haynes Clinic we have found that, whilst the gambler has usually gone through any funds available to them, this is the time that family and friends will come together and financially support the gambling addict in order for them to gain access to gambling treatment.
Will it be obvious if someone needs gambling rehab?
Unlike other addictions whereby the person’s behaviour changes to such a degree that they are obviously using something, usually chemical by nature, that explains their behaviour, it is very difficult to identify anyone with a gambling addiction until those close to a gambling addict will start to notice
- Borrowing money more frequently and from more people
- Unable to pay bills or cover expenses
- Distancing or isolating from family or friends
- Continuing depressive episodes
- Lying about where money is going and what it is being spent on
Gambling addiction or gambling disorder is a chronic mental health condition that will negatively affect every area of our life. It is a behavioural addiction that happens when we lose control of our gambling behaviour as in, for example, gambling for longer periods than intended and continuing to gamble whilst getting further into financial crisis.
Total abstinence from gambling is required
As with all addictions, in order to get well, there can be no half measures and there needs to be an acceptance that we need to stop gambling completely. It is not just about admitting we have a problem but also accepting that we are going to do something about it. In the home environment there is access to gaming from the internet and constant encouragement to bet and gamble from an increasing number of TV adverts. This can trigger a response within us that makes it extremely difficult to stop the addictive behaviour. We give in to placing ‘just one more bet’ or having a few spins of an online casino game. That is why we need to get away into a secluded space in order to stop gambling and get clarity of thinking as to why we must stop.
How long do I need to be in gambling treatment and what does it involve?
Being admitted into a residential gambling addictions rehab will enable us to break that addictive cycle. The recommended treatment period for this is 28 days. A shorter treatment period of 14 days is possible but the chances of this being successful are relatively slim. It is not just about being away from home for 28 days – this in itself is not sufficient for us to not gamble again.
We need to gain an understanding of what we need to do, on a daily basis, to not relapse back into our old behaviour. 95% of all residential addictions units in the UK base their modality on the very successful 12 Step model of Alcoholics Anonymous, AA. For a gambling addiction the equivalent support group is Gamblers Anonymous, GA, which also uses the same 12 Step approach that is used in AA. In fact the exact same wording of the 12 Steps is used except for the change of just one word in Step 1: with AA the word alcohol is used and with GA the word alcohol is changed to gambling in order to make it specific and relevant.
The 12 Step Programme is a tried, tested and proven form of help for people. It provides a structured and gradual process of Recovery, helping to overcome addiction, to avoid relapsing behaviour and to establish a healthy lifestyle.
Important elements of a gambling rehab treatment programme
It is important that the residential gambling rehab has a full and daily structured therapy programme to help and guide us with the understanding of the 12 Steps. This should include personal written assignments to help us to understand what we must do to change our thinking and behaviour. This will lead us to achieve our goal of not gambling “one day at a time.”
All groups should be facilitated by professional therapists, who will usually be in Recovery and working a 12 Step programme themselves. Basically, this is an indication and also evidence that it is completely possible to get well, as shown by the people who are trying to show us the way forward. They give us hope and direction that if they can get well, so can we.
Apart from group therapy, the gambling rehab should also offer some 1/1 therapy to discuss the specific personal feelings being raised by our written work. There might also be other forms of therapy such as mindfulness and yoga. There might also be visits to a local health club as an encouragement to start to consider a more healthy lifestyle (at The Haynes Clinic, these are on offer up to twice a week).
Aftercare provided by gambling rehab and family support for gambling addicts
For those that complete a 28 day residential gambling treatment period, many gambling rehab clinics offer 12 months of Aftercare – which is one day a week of ongoing support at the clinic. If living further away, there may be a chance to participate via online Zoom meetings. This is critical as help can be sought and questions answered by therapists that we have come to trust whilst being in treatment. The ongoing connection with the clinic is vital in the early months after we have returned home to help us avoid relapsing back into old behaviour. Also, there is often a family support programme that runs alongside the residential programme that gives support, help and understanding to and for family and loved ones.
What to do after attending gambling rehab
Generally speaking, the first 6 months from leaving gambling addiction treatment is probably the most vulnerable time when we are susceptible to a relapse as we find triggers in the “real world” that are risks for relapsing back into our old behaviours. Everyone leaves treatment with the full knowledge of what they need to do, on a daily basis, in order to stay well. If it was about using will power we would have been able to stop in the first place. This is more about finding the humility to talk and share with others.
Apart from Aftercare provided by the clinic, is also important that we attend Gamblers Anonymous support groups, in early recovery possibly up to 3 a week. During residential gambling treatment we will be attending meetings with others and therefore we will understand how they work. These meetings can be found by putting our postcode into the GA website. If there is not a GA meeting close to our home address, then it would be all right to attend one online or even to attend another support group such as AA. We need to be aware anyway that drinking alcohol might not be wise as it will lower our inhibitions which could then lead us to having ‘just one more’ bet.