Treatment for Gambling

I have been fighting the problem of gambling for many years. I have stop many times but seem to always return to it. I have asked myself many questions over the years. One that stands out is, how does one suppress the feeling of not doing what gives them feeling of excitement, pleasure and helps when they are bored. I compare it to being on a diet, try accepting the fact that the rest of your life you will not be able to eat what you crave. Suppressing the craving of something you can’t have seems to only increase the craving more.Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½Doctors will tell you that while on a diet if you crave something, don’t suppress it, have it in moderation. Looking at it that way seems to make more sense.

The next question I ask is: Can a problem gambler be taught to control his or her gambling? I don’t know the answer to that yet, but one thing for sure is if a new treatment is not tried we will never know. The next question I ask myself trying to break a bad habit which we all have is not easy. So couple that with craving and your problem is now doubled. I find must people replace a broken habit with another habit which can also be another bad habit. I have met many members of GA that have quit but still attend meeting on a regular basic. Which would only tell you that the desire to gamble still excites inside them and can be restarted at any time .Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½

Also one must remember years ago the access to gambling was not as easy as today. You do not even have to leave the house if you have a computer . You can have a phone account with OTB and the list goes on. Many members of GA have told me That if they had to stop today It would be a lot harder and they did not know if they would have been successful. in quitting . The next question I have ask of myself If gambling has changed over the years it must only mean that the treatment for gambling should also have changed You may ask me how . I must admit I have yet to answer that question. But just like everything else time changes everything. So it only seems right that the treatment for gambling should also change in keeping with the times. I am not knocking GA it has help many and I hope it still will.�¯�¿�½

But I believe that gambling has changed and become more and more accessible that the programs to help the problem gambler should also change . Look at the changes that have occurred in medicine , treatment that once were no longer work. Mental problems are addressed in a different manner and treated with more morden ways. But still we ask the problem gambler to except the old treatment for there illness. A treatment that work in its day and helped many but has not changed over the year to keep up with the times. It sounds unfair that most treatments have advanced with the times but the illness of the gambling is still treated with ideas of years ago I think for the problem gambler of today the chance of curing their illness the treatment must move up to modern times and the pros that help should realize that changes must happen to help the problem gambler of today .