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ARISE® Gambling Intervention

guy in a green shirt throwing diceGambling is easily accessible.

Each day, the average adult has many opportunities to gamble such as office pools, scratch tickets at the grocery store, the big hockey game on TV that weekend and more. For most people, gambling is just a game. It’s a fun pastime. For those with gambling addictions, it feels impossible to stop playing, even when the allure of the game has long passed. Many find it impossible to stop betting even when the money is no longer available.

Gambling is a Process Addiction

Similar to addictions to shopping, sex, binge eating, the Internet, and hoarding, gambling affects all aspects of life. As high as two percent of adults who gamble will eventually develop a gambling-related addiction. Similar to other process addictions, gambling addictions may not initially present themselves as such.

Process addictions tend to increase over time. At first, the addiction appears to be just for fun. There seem to be no negative consequences to the Person of Concern or other members of the family. However, despite the growing concerns the addictive individual experiences, it may feel impossible to quit.

Gambling addiction is often expensive and can endanger many aspects of a person’s life such as:

  • financial stability
  • job security,
  • relationships

People suffering from a gambling addiction learn how to hide the truth. Traits such as blame-shifting and behavior justification allow a person to continue destructive behavior. Many individuals who suffer from a gambling addiction resort to gambling when they are worried, stressed, or angry.

Many people with a gambling addiction will:

  • conceal financial troubles
  • lie about the amount of time they spend gambling
  • steal to continue their habit

Gambling addiction can lead to, and be impacted by, other addictions and harmful behaviors.

Friends and loved ones may notice increased:

  • anxiety
  • depression
  • large portions
  • dark under-eye circles
  • weight loss
  • suicidal thoughts
  • lack of sleep
  • lack of eating

Many people with compulsive gambling addictions may turn to alcohol and substance abuse as a way to cope with the feelings as mentioned above. Similarly, individuals who have successfully become abstinent from drug and alcohol abuse may involve themselves with a process addiction such as gambling.

Recovery From Gambling IS Possible

Blonde lady sitting at a poker table looking upsetOur Certified ARISE® Interventionist will evaluate where your loved one is in their gambling addiction. From there, your Interventionist will work with you and your family to provide the best approach and treatment for your loved one.

An ARISE® Gambling Intervention Treatment is an effective way to help someone you love to get the support and treatment they need. Your loved one does not have to hit “rock bottom” before getting help. Your family does not have to lose their financial and emotional stability before intervention and treatment can begin.

Whole Family Healing

Your Certified ARISE® Interventionist will work with your entire family to restore trust and peace of mind in your home. Our Certified ARISE® Interventionists will coordinate with you and the important members of your family to get your Person of Concern into treatment. ARISE® gets over 83% of individuals into treatment within three weeks, 96% into treatment within six months and 61% in recovery by the end of the year. Your Certified ARISE® Interventionist will help you select a gambling addiction treatment facility that is right for your loved one.

The ARISE® Continuum of Care

Once your loved one has entered treatment, your Certified ARISE® Interventionist will continue working with your family. In collaboration with the treatment facility or outpatient professionals, the Interventionist works until your loved one is ready to move to the next phase of recovery. Recommendations for this next step of recovery will be decided in collaboration with the treatment facility, other treating providers, the Person of Concern, your family, and your Certified ARISE® Interventionist all working together.

You and your Certified ARISE® Interventionist will continue to work together for a minimum of the next 6-12 months on life skills, development, and healing for your family. Measures of monitoring and accountability will be put in place to suit both your needs and the environment. In conjunction with a Certified ARISE® Interventionist, rehabilitation experts, and the support of family members, it IS possible to overcome a gambling addiction.

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Frequently Asked Questions

PLEASE NOTE: This site is not designed to and does not provide medical advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment to you or to any other individual. This site provides general information for educational purposes. The information provided in this site, or through linkages to other sites, is not a substitute for medical or professional care. ARISE® is not liable or responsible for any advice, course of treatment, diagnosis or any other information, services or product you obtain through this site. If you are having a medical emergecy please call 911 or your physician.

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Q: How to help someone overcome a gambling addiction?

A: There are many ways to help someone overcome a gambling addiction. Including but not limited to support groups (such as SMART Recovery, Gamblers Anonymous), therapy with a skilled and qualified therapist, treatment centers that specialize in gambling addiction, or a gambling addiction intervention.

Q: What is compulsive gambling?

A: Compulsive gambling, also known as gambling addiction, gambling disorder or problem gambling is an impulse-control disorder (or “process-addiction”). A compulsive gambler is unable to control the impulse to gamble even when it has a negative impact on themselves and loved ones.

Q: How can you tell if you are a compulsive gambler?

A: Warning signs of compulsive gambling (or gambling addiction) may include: the inability to stop gambling, gambling with money that you can not afford to lose, attempting to regain money lost through gambling more, gambling with an increasing amount of money, taking bigger risks when gambling, going to extremes to find money to gamble with (i.e. theft, forgery, crime), prioritizing spending time gambling above other actives, experiencing negatives emotions after gambling, denying having a problem or acting defensive when confronted.

Q: What is the difference between a problem gambler and a professional gambler?

A: A problem gambler is someone who continues to gamble despite negative consequences. A professional gambler is someone who has made gambling (for instance, playing high stakes poker games, or betting on sports) their job. Professional gamblers may attribute their success to knowledge of statistics and math, as well as the ability to pull out of gambling when they know they are not going to win. It is however, important to note, that a professional gambler, could also be considered a problem gambler.

Q: What are the potential consequences of problem gambling?

A: Problem gambling (or gambling addiction) is often expensive, and can cause financial strain. Other consequences include strain on relationships, and a lead it to other addictions such as drug/alcohol abuse.

Q: How can I get a friend or family member to get help for a gambling problem?

A: An intervention is one of the most effective ways to get your loved one help for a gambling addiction. An ARISE® Intervention can help orchestrate a non-secretive, non-confrontational, intervention that will help get your loved one to recognize the seriousness of their problem and allow your whole family to begin to rebuild trust.

Q: Can children or teenagers develop gambling problems?

A: Approximately 2-3% of Americans meet the criteria for problem gambling. That’s around 6 million adults and about half a million teens. While gambling is age restricted, access to the Internet exposes children and teens to gambling long before that age.

Q: Can someone overcome problem gambling on their own?

A: While it is certainly possible to enter recovery from problem gambling on your own, the process is much more successful with the help of a support system. Your Certified ARISE® Interventionist will help you and your family set up a family board of directors, help you find treating professionals such a therapists and treatment centers and find the support groups that are right for you. Connection is protection!