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A Look At The Various Treatments For Problem Gambling

Compulsive gambling is one of the many pressing issues that continue to hound people who have the passion for playing casino games. It is defined as the desire to gamble regardless of the negative effects. When the urge becomes stronger than before, it develops into a clinical condition known as pathological gambling.

In a recent study conducted by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission entitled the "British Gambling Prevalence Survey 2007", it was revealed that 0.6% of adults are prone to problem gambling which is the same as in 1999. The highest percentage was reflected in spread betting followed by fixed-odds, and betting exchanges which reflected 14.7%, 11.2%, and 9.8%, respectively.

When losses pile up, there is a tendency for gamblers to attempt recovery of their loss income. This is where the problem sets in as the player would resort to anything in order to find the money for their bankroll. They would steal money, sell drugs, or get a loan just to get the capital.

Compulsive gambling has some resemblance with other conditons such as kleptomania or pyromania. Some mental conditions associated with pathological gamblers are antisocial personality disorder and schizophrenia.

Here are some of the various methods used in treating problem gambling.

The most common method of curing pathological gambling is the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS) which was introduced by Lesieur and Blume in 1987. Recently, however, the use of the method gradually declined due to its exaggeration of false positives.

The DSM-IV, developed by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), serves as an alternative to the SOGS. Likewise, another recent assessment method is The Canadian Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). It delves on the dangers and effects related to problem gambling.

Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is a popular form of treating gambling problems. Patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous, it utilizes a 12-step approach focusing on mutual support.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a form of couseling, has been proven to minimize the symptoms and urges of problem gambling. It is facilitated by professional counsellors who are certified psychologists or social workers. In various countries, telephone counselling is available.

One of the vastly growing treatment method in terms of popularity is peer support. With the growth of online gambling, gamblers have turned to online peer-support groups to assist them on their way to full recovery. This ensures that the identity of the gambler remains confidential while helping them recover on their own without revealing their condition to relatives.