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Gambling

Gambling addiction, also known as compulsive gambling, can be a dangerous, destructive and overwhelming disorder, with mounting debts and relationship conflicts often leading to severe stress and isolation.

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  • Alcohol
  • Drugs
  • Prescription Drugs
  • Disordered Eating
  • Sex Addiction
  • Gambling
  • Work Addiction
  • Gaming, Social Media and Device Addiction
  • Love and Avoidance Addiction
  • Dual Diagnosis

Understanding compulsive gambling

We live in an age where it’s never been easier to slip into gambling addiction. With outlets for gambling behaviour available online, at sports betting agencies, in casinos, at racetracks and on stock trading apps, it’s also never been easier to hide it from family and friends.

Compulsive gambling is marked by the rare highs from wins, denial that there’s a problem, a tendency to attempt to recoup losses instead of calling it quits and painful feelings of remorse.

For those of us struggling with compulsive gambling, it can be too easy to miss the warning signs that our behaviour is becoming problematic. In too many cases, it’s only the reality of severe financial distress or confrontation with those we love which brings us to the point of reaching out for help.

Healing fractured trust

When confronted by the need to stop gambling, we may find ourselves able to reduce gambling behaviour or being able to abstain for a period of time.

It’s important to understand that gambling addiction isn’t always driven by gambling itself, but by underlying clinical issues which drive this kind of risk-taking behaviour. Potential underlying causes include anxiety, depression, other addictions and unresolved trauma.

At South Pacific Private, we’re committed to helping people climb out of the hole of compulsive gambling, to helping heal and repair damaged relationships and to addressing the underlying drivers of the compulsion to take financial risks.

Gambling addiction help

Indicators of compulsive gambling

Gambling addicts often experience the same rush that other addictions deliver with drugs and alcohol. This is because the process of gambling stimulates the same reward system in the brain.

Some of the key signs of a gambling addiction include:

  • Being preoccupied with gambling, looking forward to gambling or planning finances to enable gambling
  • Being unable to walk away from a gambling experience without recouping losses or depleting funds
  • Feelings of depression or contemplating suicide to get out of crushing financial stress
  • Feeling the need to be secretive about gambling, lying about losses or denying to family or friends that you have a problem
  • Seeking loans or borrowing from friends to enable gambling
  • Escalatory behaviour, needing to gamble more or at higher risk for the same thrill
  • Turning to gambling when lonely or bored
  • Using gambling as a way to unwind

If you’re concerned you may have a problem with gambling, you can use our self-assessment tool here to gain a better understanding of whether key indicators of addiction apply to your situation. To schedule a free, confidential, professional phone assessment, call our team seven days a week on 1800 063 332.

Your journey to recovery

At South Pacific Private, we know the importance of providing comprehensive care and clinical expertise when helping clients with gambling addiction, drilling down to find the root drivers of the compulsion and assisting clients to rebuild relationships with friends and loved-ones. 

With a full, multi-disciplinary team of specialists and a dedicated Family Program, we’re committed to standing with you every step of the way toward recovery.

If you’re ready to start your journey out of gambling addiction call us on 1800 063 332 or contact us here to see which of our programs are right for you.

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WE HEAL FAMILIES

Why Choose South
Pacific Private?

With decades of experience, South Pacific Private is Australia’s leading treatment centre for addiction, trauma, depression and anxiety. Our uniquely comprehensive programs change lives, repair relationships and heal families by identifying and addressing the underlying causes laying the groundwork for sustained, long-term recovery.

Read more

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN MORE?

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Assessment

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    • Alcohol Addiction
    • Anxiety
    • Codependency
    • Depression
    • Disordered Eating
    • Drug and Substance Addiction
    • Gambling Addiction
    • Gaming, Social Media and Device Addiction
    • Love Addiction
    • Love Avoidance
    • Prescription Drug Addiction
    • Sex Addiction
    • Trauma
    • Work Addiction

The goal of our self-tests is not to provide you with a diagnosis for yourself or for someone you care about. Instead, they are an opportunity for you to better understand how a behaviour might be impacting upon your life or the life of your family. Use these tests to enhance your awareness of what the problem might be.

These tests should be answered honestly in order to provide accurate insight and are a chance for you to reflect upon the current situation.

WANT TO READ ON?

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Other Addiction Pages

Alcohol Addiction

At South Pacific Private, we know how difficult it is to take the first step and admit that alcohol has become a problem in your life. The idea of living without alcohol can feel daunting, overwhelming or even impossible.

Click here to read more >

Drug and Substance Addiction

At South Pacific Private, we recognise drug addiction as a particularly devastating and all-consuming disease which can destroy lives, fracture families and risk serious health impacts, including overdose.

Click here to read more >

Addiction to Prescription Medication

Addiction to prescription medication is a serious and rapidly growing problem in Australia and can lead to financial, relational and physical and emotional issues.

Click here to read more >

Disordered Eating

The term ‘disordered eating’ covers a vast range of behaviours which can include over-eating, under-eating – annorexia binge eating and purging – bulimia, craving food or lacking control around food and an obsession with healthy eating, known as orthorexia.

Click here to read more >

Sex Addiction

Sex addiction – sometimes described as hypersexuality, porn addiction or sexual compulsive disorder – is a very common, very real and rarely discussed disorder which can have a devastating impact on individuals, relationships and families.

Click here to read more >

Gaming, Social Media and Device Addiction

The rise of technology has resulted in new and detrimental addictive behaviours, variously called internet addiction, screen addiction, device addiction, social media addiction, video gaming addiction or gaming disorder.

Click here to read more >

Love/Avoidance Addiction

Love Addiction and Love Avoidance describe two dysfunctional relationship patterns that some of us repeatedly find ourselves falling into, often leading to significant emotional pain, distress and unhealthy intimate relationships.

Click here to read more >

Dual Diagnosis

Dual diagnosis is a term used to describe a person who is experiencing mental health issues such as depression and anxiety alongside alcohol and drug addiction.

Click here to read more >

Work Addiction

Work addiction, also known as workaholism or burnout, is a relatively new issue in the field of psychological research, but we know it can have significant impacts on individuals’ families, emotional and physical health.

Click here to read more >

Stories of Recovery

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South Pacific Private recognises the Gayamaygal people as the traditional owners and custodians of the land upon which we work. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and future and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

South Pacific Private is working towards Rainbow Tick Accreditation.

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