Expert perspectives on gambling addiction recovery, treatment approaches, and the journey to lasting change.
Most people believe their feelings are signals they must obey. If they feel motivated, they act. If they feel anxious, tired, ashamed, or overwhelmed, they wait. This feels reasonable. And it is one of the most reliable ways people stay stuck.
Sports betting addiction is a behavioral addiction marked by repeated betting despite negative consequences. It is not a lack of discipline or intelligence. Research shows that gambling activates the brain's reward system in ways similar to substances.
Gambling addiction doesn't care about status, education, income, or reputation. As the Director of a gambling treatment program, I've seen it quietly take hold in people who appear successful, composed, and in control.
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Most people don't wake up one day thinking, "I'm developing a gambling addiction." Usually, it's quieter than that. A late-night Google search. A passing thought you can't quite shake. A moment where you wonder, "Why does this feel harder to stop than it should?"
The phone usually rings before she's ready to say her name. There's a pause on the other end—just long enough for me to know this call took courage. When a woman calls asking about gambling treatment, the silence often tells me more than anything else.
I work in gambling addiction admissions, and I've taken hundreds of calls over the years. But there's one kind of call I hear more than any other—especially when it comes to sports betting.
