WHAT CAN HELP?

Therapy

The NHS reckons that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is probably the most useful type of therapy for gambling issues. CBT teaches you skills to reduce your urge to gamble and tries to replace unhealthy negative beliefs with healthier positive ones. Family therapy may also help.

Medication

If a mental health challenge such as bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety is part of your compulsive gambling, antidepressants and mood stabilisers may be prescribed. Drugs called narcotic antagonists which are used to treat some drug addictions can also be used in gambling.

Talk To Your Gp

Both therapy and medication to help with gambling disorder should be available through the NHS.

If you live in England or Wales, are aged 13 or over and have complex problems related to gambling, you can refer yourself to the National Problem

Gambling Clinic in London, which includes the Young Persons’ Problem

Gambling Clinic.

In England, the NHS also runs three other specialist gambling clinics (the NHS Northern Gambling Service based in Leeds, the NHS Southern Gambling Service near Southampton and the West Midlands Gambling Harm Clinic in Stafford). Talk to your GP.