We all gamble occasionally – filling in a Lotto ticket, innocently betting with friends, or wagering on a sports event.
However, gambling can get out of hand. Some go for the excitement of get-rich-quick fantasies accompanied by expectations of “happily ever after” and a life of indulgence. For others, gambling is a mind-numbing experience of filling out forms or pushing coins into a slot as a way of detaching from one’s surroundings. Gambling eventually runs our lives completely until we lose control and end up destroying our work, our family, and our intimate relations, always under the illusion that this time is the last.
Many gamblers borrow from their families, from the bank, and occasionally from the black (or “grey”) market. Pressure to repay the debts and unpleasant encounters with criminal elements become an incentive to continue gambling, with the hope of winning enough to wipe out the debt resulting from previous gambling (“chasing one’s losses”). Family and friends feel often that they have no choice but to provide financial assistance to the gambler in order to keep him safe.
Treating Gambling Addiction
Treatment involves assisting the addict to abandon his fantasies and to reconnect to reality. The key to success is building up the addict’s self-esteem and steering his natural creativity and resolve into healthier channels, all under professional guidance and in a supportive atmosphere.
Can One Cope with a Gambling Addiction Alone?
Attempting to overcome a gambling addiction on one’s own can be a depressing and frustrating experience.
At Connections, we have a supportive and professional staff with a proven track record of treating gamblers and enabling them to make significant change in their lives.
Our experts will guide you from the start, will create a discrete program adapted to your needs, and will support you throughout the transformative process.
We have assisted and continue to assist many others who suffer from an addiction to gambling, and we can offer you the same personal and professional care. With our staff at your side, you are no longer alone.