Gambling Addiction

Compulsive Gambling is a progressive behavior disorder in which an individual has an uncontrollable preoccupation and urge to gamble despite negative consequences.

Gamblers gamble because they love to gamble. They love it more than spouse, child, mother, or material gain. They are addicted to the excitement and risk created by the gambling situation. So strong is the attachment to gambling that the urge to gamble becomes stronger than the desire for food, sex, or social esteem.

Compulsive gambling is driven by an uncontrollable impulse to take risks that eventually undermines everything else in the gambler’s life. Playing for ever-increasing stakes, the compulsive gambler often will resort to illegal activities to obtain money, and is more likely than any other addict to become suicidal.

The very nature of the high tension associated with constant risk-taking leads to physical illness. Our program is tailored to meet the special needs of compulsive gamblers and their families. We provide a warm, caring, non-judgmental approach to treatment in a safe environment.

The Program

Gambling Addiction Treatment for pathological gambling is offered on both an intensive outpatient and inpatient basis, depending upon the severity of the problem and other criteria.

The inpatient program consists of numerous treatment modalities, individually tailored to meet the special needs of each patient.

Gambling Addiction Treatment Components

• Medical Assessment, Stabilization, Nursing Care
• Psychological Evaluation and Psychosocial Assessment
• Psychiatric Evaluation, as appropriate
• Nutritional Evaluation and Stabilization
• Multi-disciplinary Individualized Treatment Planning
• Individual Therapy
• Group Therapy
• Family Therapy
• Educational Lectures
• Recreation Therapy and Leisure Education
• Twelve Step Program
• Aftercare and Followup

The Family Program

When a loved one becomes addicted to gambling, their behavior changes. To accommodate these changes in the addict, each family member changes his or her own behavior. Unfortunately, however, the accommodations and changes do not help, and family members feel confused, fearful, inadequate, unworthy and ashamed.

The Foundation helped pioneer the concept of family treatment because of our belief that addiction requires special care and attention. Our intensive family week program is designed to help each family member discover new, healthy ways to cope with life and recovery.

Diagnostic Evaluation

If you are not sure what the problem is, you may request a confidential outpatient assessment by calling (406) 248-3175 or toll free 1-800-227-3953. Based on the assessment results, we will refer you to the appropriate services.

Warning Signs of Compulsive Gambling

Be alert to the need for help if gambling:

• leaves you or your family feeling depressed, despairing, or hopeless.
• jeopardizes the family’s welfare.
• causes loss of time from work, or results in work-related problems.
• results in a need to borrow money or has led the gambler to consider committing an illegal act to finance more gambling.

Fact Sheets & Infofax

Learn more about the newest technologies for prevention and treatment approaches in reducing the devastating health and societal effects of drug use and addiction by reading one of our many Fact Sheets.

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Read the latest scientific research on addiction in our Infofax section.

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