Problem Gambling: How Treatment Heals Family Relationships

Problem gambling is an addiction disorder that is often not taken as seriously as the rest. However, that’s not right. It is very much an addiction like any other. Problem gambling can be harmful, but help is readily available, and rehab for gambling addiction can drastically change your life for the better. 

“Accepting that you or a loved one needs treatment is not something to be ashamed about,”, says addiction expert Paul Spanjar, CEO of Providence Project addiction treatment centres. Acknowledgement is the first step towards actually receiving treatment and recovering. A recent study showed that 92% of the people who followed their treatment plan in 2020-2021 showed a significant amount of improvement in their PGSI (Problem Gambling Severity Index).

The Road To Recovery

The road to recovery is holistic and focuses on not just an individual’s tendency to gamble, but also their social life. When an individual, especially an adult with people dependent on them such as children or a spouse, delves into the world of gambling, their family ties may become severed. 

As such, seeking treatment for behavioural addictions such as gambling and betting helps individuals reconcile with their families, and reconnect with the people they may have lost along the way.

Treatment Includes Family Counselling

There are multiple types of treatments for gambling. For people in rehab, there is family counselling as well. Family counselling refers to the immediate relationships of an individual (parents, children, spouse, siblings) undergoing mental health help in the same treatment as the individual struggling with problem gambling. 

In very simple words, it means that the family members receive professional help to understand the situation. Beyond just increasing understanding, family counselling aims to help alleviate the stress or pain of “betrayal” that people may be going through.

Be In Harmony With Loved Ones

It is valid for people to have reactions to their loved ones struggling with gambling. However, during a treatment, individuals and their healing need to be in harmony with the healing of the people around them. Individuals must not be berated for what they did when they were in a dark place, but rather met with kindness and empathy. This empathy can be born in people’s hearts through family counselling, thus setting the path for healing family relationships. Many treatment centres provide family counselling as part of their standard rehabilitation programmes, including the Providence Project, which whom we consulted for the creation of this article.

Seeking Treatment Can Reduce Stigma

It is common to be misunderstood as an “addict,” when in fact there are just people who have addictions. Someone’s struggles do not define who they are inherently, and believing that they do, is not okay. It harbours stigmatisation which is not ideal when someone is trying to get help and be better. The process of seeking treatment for your loved ones requires extensive research into what they are struggling with and how they can be helped. This research leads to awareness, which leads to a reduction in believing stereotypes.

Important To Be Considerate 

Stereotypes are harmful and promote stigma. When families begin to understand this, they become better equipped to help the person who may be struggling with problem gambling, and they begin to be more considerate. This consideration is great because it helps individuals with gambling problems to reach out to their families without fear of judgement. An environment safe from stigma helps people be closer to each other, and this reinforces connections that may have become distant before. As a result, families begin to heal.

Therapy Makes You Better at Coping

Treatment for problem gambling includes multiple types of therapy, and all of these treatment methods come together to make an individual a better person. In a nutshell, gambling is mostly a sort of coping mechanism, and therapy provides you with better coping mechanisms.  Improving communication skills is one of the main aspects of therapy. It helps people learn to talk about what’s wrong in their life, or what their motivations are behind their actions. When they begin to talk, they learn to share and learn to receive solutions. 

Knowing how to take advice positively is also an important aspect taught by therapy. This makes people better equipped at talking to their family members, which in turn heals their family relationships. 

Frustrations that are bottled up inside can be harmful to family members as lash outs may occur, but therapy helps people resolve this internal conflict and resentment. This makes individuals calmer, and they can then try to fix the family relationships that they may have lost before.

Summary

Problem gambling has effective treatment available that can help individuals overcome their behavioural patterns. This course of treatment both directly and indirectly leads to better family relationships.

Family counselling allows people to have a closer look into the mind of their loved ones. This helps them understand their circumstances and be empathetic. Counselling also helps family members regulate their own emotions, so they can be there for their loved ones. It is a difficult time, and individuals need all the emotional support they can get.

Reaching out for help allows families to be more aware than before, thereby confronting their personal biases and stigmas. Reduced stigma creates a safe space to heal broken relationships. Therapy during an individual’s gambling treatment makes them more coherent in their communication. This allows them to open up to their family when they need help, rather than resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms or indulging in gambling again.

Built-up resentment and frustration are to be resolved during therapy, so both the one in recovery and their family can experience a calmer and more collected life without the stress of gambling and the financial difficulties it presents.

Treatment for problem gambling can heal multiple areas of an individual’s life, including their family relationships. It helps them make better financial decisions for both their sake and their family’s sake, leading to a healthier lifestyle. If you or someone you know is at risk for problem gambling, know that help is available. Reach out whenever you think you need to.