Are there any treatments for compulsive/pathological gambling?
A variety of treatments exist for pathological gambling including counseling, self-help groups, and psychiatric medications. However, no one treatment is considered to be most efficacious and no medications have been approved for the treatment of pathological gambling. Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is a commonly used treatment for gambling problems. Modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous, GA uses a 12-step model that emphasizes a mutual-support approach. Meetings are free and are held most nights of the week. One form of counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to reduce symptoms and gambling-related urges. This type of therapy focuses on the identification of gambling-related thought processes, mood and cognitive distortions that increase one’s vulnerability to out-of-control gambling. Additionally, CBT approaches frequently utilize skill-building techniques geared toward relapse prevention, assertiveness and gambling refusal, problem solving and reinforcement of gambling-i
