High Stakes Recovery

High Stakes Recovery

It often takes extra ordinary circumstances to get a gambler to seek help. This particular addiction pushes many deeper into depression than many others. The sheer sense of loss that is experienced by these individuals time and time again after binging often only serves to push them further into it.

We are not dealing with men and women who are driven to win, we are dealing with the insidious insanity of a never ending pursuit of a high that releases serotonin several times the amount of cocaine.

The withdrawal from this addiction is similar as the extreme depression that one experiences as a result of this particular high also acts to further insnare them.

Ultimately trapped and tortured by any means of escape, the depression, the self loathing and pity, the entitlement, the disregard, the guilt and the shame. We are not dealing with men and women driven by a desire to win, the occasional feeling of trying to win their money back or double their income is a delusion that many gamblers have.

The real driving force is the pursuit, it highlights a common factor of many addictions. This is that many addicts are already under the influence long before they have used. It is not the drug but the sensation of having a means to acquire some relief from stressors originating from a extreme sensitivity to life. Gambling addiction is the ultimate embodiment of this, the pursuit itself giving the addict even more reasons to keep running from life and to keep seeking relief. It rewrites their entire existence around the concept of having financial means. This is intensified by the despair, guilt and shame.

What is the best treatment

Self-esteem evaluation

Ideally the best form of therapeutic treatment along with 12 Step treatment is self esteem evaluation and reconstruction. This is due to the heavy appeal that the pursuit of money is a means to establishing confidence and capabilities in gambling addiction.

Financial accountability

Another effective therapeutic tool is financial accountability, ironically gambling addicts perpetuate a cycle of guilt, shame, suicidal ideation and depression to in term perpetuate their own addiction and the belief systems around it. Therefore their motivational structure needs to be reformed shifting the focus from an over reliance on extrinsic motivational attribution to intrinsic. This will instil a permanent mechanism for the gambling addict to grow their self esteem and work on their intra personal relationship with themselves. Essentially enabling them to begin to regulate themselves, their lives and their resources to live it better, eliminating their drive to create unmanageability and enhancing their capacity to maximise their life experience without turning to addictive indulgence.

Contact us today for help.

Stories of Recovery

• The encouragement, love and support from the team at Crossroads allowed me to eventually see that I was worth something - that my life could be turned around and that I could accomplish the things that had long been a forgotten dream.
  Oliver VG
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• On the last day of my stint at Crossroads I could only express gratitude towards all who works there. A wise councillor once commented on my question when one is ready for rehab by explaining that when one is ready for rehab, rehab is ready for you.
  Johan B
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• I was lost and my soul was broken until I ended up at Crossroads and was introduced to the Twelve Steps. With the help of their excellent staff and amazing support I have recently been clean for 18 months, I could not have done it without them!
  Carla S
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• "Just for today I am more than three years in recovery. I have Cross Roads to thank for this wonderful gift. Cross Roads helped me to set a firm foundation in my recovery on which I can continue to build."
  Angelique J
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