Professional Help for Compulsive Gamblers
It's estimated that today over 350,000 individuals in the UK are compulsive gamblers. For them, the fun of winning-and-losing ended long ago. They are isolated, anxious about finances, and full of remorse. Some have lied and stolen in order to avoid exposure; others are contemplating suicide as a way out of their distress. Gambling used to be confined to a few places—casinos, betting shops and the like—but, with the advent of on-line gambling, it now comes into our homes every minute of every day, placing temptation literally at our fingertips, and is beginning to affect almost as many women as men.
Whatever the port of entry into the gambling world individuals choose—bingo halls, on-line fruit machines, or poker games—some find that they gradually lose control over the activity, coming to organise their lives around it and becoming dependent on it for emotional fulfillment. Besides the money gone—since it's true that 'The house always wins'—they spend countless hours chasing the 'buzz' of earlier wins, or trying to make back money that's already been lost.
The most compassionate and effective psychotherapeutic model regards compulsive gambling as a coping strategy that has become its own problem; an activity that once seemed to solve emotional difficulties that has created others. Understanding the emotional needs you were meeting through gambling enables you to regain control over your life and to lead a more satisfying and stable existence. Not only will you regain control over yourself, but you will be able to lead a more satisfying and stable existence than ever before. More information
 Dr. Kenneth Demsky is an American psychologist who settled in London, UK in September 2004. Born and Raised in New York City, Kenneth Demsky maintained a private practice in Boston, Massachusetts for 12 years prior to his relocation to London.
He brings 29 years of clinical experience and a great deal of compassion to the psychotherapeutic encounter. His approach is compassionate, non-judgmental and aimed at enhancing the individual's overall emotional health. |