All About CBT for Gambling Addiction Problems, How it Works and What’s Involved

CBT for Gambling Addiction

CBT for Gambling Addiction is a highly effective way of overcoming the distress caused by your gambling problems.

It is estimated that more than 250,000 people in the UK have developed a gambling problem and collectively spend over £7 Billion a year!

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy was developed by Aaron Beck in the 1960’s who noticed that people’s inner-thoughts were often much more significant than the things that they said out loud during therapy.

He called these inner-thoughts cognition and argued that the way that people think about their experiences links directly to the emotions that they feel.

In other words our emotional experiences are a form of behaviour.

These ideas form the central concept of CBT which states that:

The way people think determines the way that they feel.

In the case of Anxiety the emotions that we feel are the direct result of what we think or believe our experiences mean.

Symptoms of a Gambling Addiction

There are a number of signs to look out for if you think you may have an addiction to gambling, including:

• Finding it difficult to stop gambling.
• Spending too much money – often more than you have.
• Becoming increasingly argumentative or defensive about money.
• Losing interest in socialising.
• Constantly thinking about gambling.
• Lying or hiding your habit from other people.
• Gambling to get out of financial trouble.
• Borrowing money, selling items or ignoring bills to fund gambling.
• Risking larger amounts of money to get enough of a ‘buzz’.
• Neglecting your relationships or responsibilities.

If you are experiencing any of these signs or symptoms then you should consider getting in touch to discuss your options.

How does CBT for Gambling Addiction work?

Normally a programme of CBT for Gambling Addiction takes place over a period of 10 to 20 weeks with an hour long session once per week.

Firstly, because the way you think about your day-to-day experiences is determined by your core beliefs, the early sessions of CBT for Gambling Addiction involve exploring and measuring these beliefs.

Secondly, once you are able to uncover your core beliefs, your thoughts about certain experiences will make more sense.

Thirdly, by understanding how you have made sense of your experiences in the past you can then begin to make changes to your thoughts and beliefs in order to create new, and more useful, emotional outcomes.

CBT for Gambling Addiction builds upon the 5 core CBT principles developed by Aaron Beck and are used extensively in our CORE CBT Programme.

How many sessions of CBT will I need?

Whilst this is a diificult question to be precise about, most people will be able to overcome their gambling problems in around 10 – 20 sessions.

However, because CBT for Gambling Addiction is always tailored to your own individual needs and circumstances, getting the outcome that you want may sometimes require more sessions.

If you have had gambling problems for many years then in all likelihood, you can reasonably expect to take a bit longer to get where you want to be.

Our CBT for Gambling Addiction programme is based on 12 sessions delivered over 12 weeks and uses an online learning platform for you to develop greater self-awareness and knowledge in the days between sessions.

The Behaviour Change Framework

All of our counselling sessions and programmes for gambling addiction use the Behaviour Change Framework (BCF).

This scientifically proven protocol defines the stages of behaviour change that you need to go through in order to achieve long lasting and sustainable change.

The framework provides a roadmap that indicates if more change is required before entering the next phase of mental health therapy.

In this way, we are able to ensure that you get the best possible level of support in overcoming your mental health problems as well preventing early termination of therapy.

You can read more about the Science of Change here.

Arrange your FREE initial consultation here.

If you’d like to find out more about CBT for gambling addiction or recovering from any of your mental health problems then why not arrange a free initial consultation with us.

During this consultation we will discuss your particular issues and the different types of mental health counselling we offer (including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – CBT) without you having to commit to any counselling going forward.

The consultation lasts around 50 minutes and is a great opportunity to meet with either Paul or Joan and decide if you would like to proceed with any support.