Have you hit a wall with your gambling and are now realizing the consequences of your actions? Has gambling had a negative impact on your family? You can begin the recovery and healing process through gambling addiction therapy, and get the help you need.
A Safe Place to Talk
Gambling addiction therapy can help you and your family, first of all, by providing a safe place emotionally for you to talk about your situation. Addicts often carry many emotional burdens, including guilt, shame, and embarrassment. But therapy offers you an opportunity to express these feelings in a healthy and productive way. You don’t have to carry this burden any longer!
Making a Plan
The next reason why gambling addiction therapy can help is that you and your therapist are able to sit down and make a plan. For instance:
Setting long-term objectives for how to get your life back from gambling addiction
Taking action steps for your daily life to stay on track
Controlling and limiting opportunities where you would feel the urge to gamble
This plan can be modified, however, and adjusted as you progress in your therapy.
Understanding What Causes You to Gamble
Gambling addiction, like other addictions such as alcoholism or drug use, is caused by many different things. Some of these are based in biology. You may have had an ancestor or relative who had an addiction issue as well. Addictions can also start because of specific events in your life, such as trauma, and can be used as a means of escape. Also, with gambling, there is the thrill of playing and the potential to win. You can learn more about what causes you to gamble in gambling addiction therapy.
Learning New Coping Skills
Once you understand why you gamble you can learn and begin to implement different coping skills in order to avoid succumbing to your gambling urges. These might be:
Exercising
Breathing techniques to relieve stress
Meditating
Redirecting your energy into a fun and productive hobby
Knowing how to identify your temptations to gamble and having the ability to make a different choice
That all sounds easy, but it actually takes a lot of work in real-life! That’s why being part of gambling addiction therapy can help. You will have someone in your corner to advise you throughout your journey.
Making Amends to Your Family
Your addiction doesn’t just affect you, it also impacts your family. Your spouse and family members may have experienced hurt feelings because of:
Lying about your gambling
Stealing money from others or withdrawing funds from accounts to fuel your habit
Arguing and fighting over gambling issues
Slipping into debt and an inability to pay bills
These actions, however, can build up many negative feelings for your family, including resentment, anger, and betrayal. That’s why gambling addiction therapy not only helps you to cover this sensitive ground with them, it also allows them an opportunity to heal too.
Regaining Financial Stability
Gambling addiction therapy will also give you the chance to get back on solid financial ground. You and your therapist can create a plan for you to get your finances straight again and to provide stability to your family.
Being Aware of Other Problems
For some, gambling may be their “drug of choice,” but oftentimes gambling also includes other addictions as well. It’s important to be able to separate everything and get to the root issues. This will help you understand how gambling and other addictions are connected and how they affect each other.
Gambling is an addiction that has serious consequences. However, by participating in gambling addiction therapy you get the help you need to recover. Your family has a chance to participate in this process and find healing too. Together, you can move forward toward the life you want.
Click to learn more about Gambling Addiction Treatment and Counseling with Naomi Casement, LMSW.
