Finding Treatment for Gambling Addiction in Tampa

Whether you or someone you know has a gambling problem, you ended up in the right place. This is the first step to recovery. 

Also called compulsive gambling, gambling addiction, is an uncontrollable urge to gamble despite the consequences. It can drain finances, destroy careers, ruin relationships, and impact one’s mental health. 

It’s possible to find treatment for gambling addiction in Tampa. The most common forms of treatment include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Gamblers Anonymous (GA), inpatient care, and outpatient treatment. 

If you want to know if you or someone has a gambling addiction, you should first be aware of the warning signs and symptoms. 

Treatment for Gambling Addiction

If you notice any of the above signs, you should avoid gambling as soon as possible. Since there’s no prevention for gambling, seeking treatment is the only option. Starting treatment at the first sign of gambling addiction can prevent it from worsening. 

Treatment typically consists of some form of psychotherapy and medication. The most common is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which allows the individual to identify the emotions, thoughts, feelings, and triggers that caused their compulsive gambling. 

Other treatment options for gambling addiction include individual and group counseling. Family or couple’s counseling may also be necessary for the addict to repair their fractured relationships. With gambling addiction, your family and partner have likely been impacted as well. 

Both types of counseling address the root of the problem while repairing relationships and moving toward a path of recovery. 

Inpatient and outpatient treatment centers are advised for those whose addiction has caused serious consequences and outcomes. Inpatient treatment offers 24/7 care in a supervised space where the individual can focus on recovery without outside distractions or temptations. 

Birches Health offers an innovative telehealth model that provides convenient and confidential therapy sessions with licensed professionals throughout Florida and the entire Tampa area.

If you or someone you know in Tampa is struggling with problem gambling, we encourage you to learn more about the comprehensive gambling addiction support that Birches Health provides. Individual counseling is available virtually from the comfort of home across the state.

Just click here to book an appointment, call 833-483-3838 or email help@bircheshealth.com.

The entire process is confidential and secure, whether you want to get a quick assessment or begin treatment today.

Warning Signs of a Gambling Addiction

Gambling isn’t taken seriously since it’s seen as a fun activity. Some argue that gambling addiction is a result of poor decisions. 

People assume that behavioral addictions addiction aren’t as bad as substance abuse. However, gambling affects the brain’s reward system just like drugs and alcohol. It gives them the same high they would get from using substances. 

Gambling can have devastating consequences for the individual and their inner circle. The outcomes could ruin their career, finances, family life, and interpersonal relationships. 

Despite the consequences, they continue to gamble. It’s because this compulsive behavior is so consuming that it’s all they think about it. The behavior is similar to someone who’s using drugs or alcohol.

Common signs of gambling addiction are deflecting away from the problem, dishonesty about gambling habits, a history of family addiction, missing money, and suffering from other mental health problems. The addict might also feel frustrated or irritable when trying to quit their gambling problem. 

Florida Gambling Addiction Stats

Florida’s gambling addiction hotline has seen a spike in phone calls. The calls increased by over 130% from December to January during 2023. 

According to addiction specialists, the availability of online gambling led to an uptick in phone calls. Richard Pinksy from the Council on Compulsive Gambling revealed that most of the calls are from 18 to 24-year-olds. Unfortunately, the hotline is overwhelmed by the response and unable to help everyone with their gambling addiction. 

Recently, the University of Florida researched problematic gambling. Floridians are twice as likely to develop a gambling addiction compared to people nationwide. The UF study also found Florida has double more problematic and compulsive gamblers.

A significant portion of the state has a gambling problem due to the increased ads for online gambling. According to that study, 200,000 Floridians have gambling problems. Most reside in Tampa, which is home to casinos and gambling.