Gambling Addiction in Knoxville, TN — Therapists and Counselors
For some, gambling is not a problem. They place their bets; they win or lose; they go on with their lives. For others, gambling is a problem. Much like alcohol, gambling can become addictive. Gambling can interfere with people’s lives. Gambling can change their brains. But also like alcohol addiction, there are treatments and interventions for gambling addiction.
Thriveworks Knoxville offers therapy for gambling addiction, and we have seen clients take back control of their lives from out-of-control gambling. Reach out today for help.
The Brain and Gambling Addiction
For several decades, mental health professionals have known that gambling can become a problem for people. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) classified different mental health challenges that people can face, and in the 1980s, it categorized compulsive gambling under the label of impulsive control disorder. More recently, mental health professionals have changed their classification. The most recent edition of the DSM places compulsive gambling within the chapter of addiction.
Recent studies have shown that what happens in the brain of a compulsive gambler is very similar to other addictions, even to substances like opioids or alcohol. When a gambling addiction develops, dopamine floods an individual’s brain so that they feel a kind of high as they gamble. It is not gambling, per se, that people are addicted to but the emotions they feel as they gamble.
Symptoms of Gambling Disorder
The DSM-5 outlines criteria for behavior that constitutes a gambling addiction. Of the signs and symptoms, an individual must display at least four within a continuous 12-month period.
- Using more and more money when gambling to experience the same high.
- Feelings of irritability or restlessness when trying to stop or curb gambling.
- Frequently thinking about gambling: rehashing past experiences or arranging for future experiences.
- Using betting as a coping mechanism for feeling anxious, guilty, depression, or another hard emotion.
- Trying to win back money lost through gambling.
- Lying about how much, when, where, and how one is gambling.
- Risking not just money but also jobs, relationships, opportunities, and more in order to gamble.
- Experiencing financial difficulties because of gambling; relying upon others to supply the money needed to gamble.
How Does Gambling Addiction Counseling Work?
If gambling is causing problems in your life, consider reaching out for help. If you recognized any of the symptoms of a gambling addiction, it may be time to meet with a mental health professional. Thriveworks Knoxville offers therapy for gambling addiction, and we have helped many people reset their brain and regain control.
Each client at Thriveworks Knoxville receives individualized care, but often, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a part of the treatment plan. CBT focuses upon the intersection between what people believe and how they behavior. It helps clients recognize the distorted thinking patterns of a gambling addiction. Once people can discern these false beliefs, they can work on changing them and changing the behaviors that flow from them.
Scheduling Gambling Addiction Counseling at Thriveworks Knoxville
If you are ready to get started on treatment, so are we. When you call Thriveworks Knoxville, one of our scheduling specialists (that is, a real person) will answer and help you find an appointment time. We offer evening and weekend sessions. New clients often have their first appointment within the week of their first call. We also accept a variety of insurance plans. Let’s get started. Call today.
