My name is Jane and I have worked at the Statewide Gambling Therapy Service (SGTS) for over 10 years and during this time I have assessed and treated many problem gamblers. 

The clients I see who present for help often find the initial contact difficult especially as some of the clients I speak with have tried a number of ways to manage their gambling problems before coming to our service.  For some these strategies such as avoiding hotels or not carrying money have only helped in the short term.  Often they report that these strategies may increase the ongoing stress in their lives by their not having access to money or having to be constantly vigilant in their efforts to reduce the risk of gambling.

Once a person first makes contact with the Statewide Gambling Therapy Service, a comprehensive assessment is taken where each person is assessed for both their gambling problems and for the presence of other mental health problems which are then treated as appropriate.  During the clinical assessment it becomes apparent that people usually experience a number of significant impacts of the gambling in many areas of their lives including negative impacts on their relationships, work, social involvement, financial distress and both mental and physical health problems.  Often people present with depression and significant anxieties that result from their gambling problem.

Most people present often with an uncontrollable urge to gamble which they find distressing and unable to resist especially when they have money to spend on gambling and are alone.  The specific therapy offered at the SGTS uses ‘cue exposure’ which means people are helped slowly to confront their urge to gamble rather than avoiding all the usual triggers to gamble such as having access to money, gambling venues, social events held in hotels and being alone.

The treatment focus is on the urge to gamble with the aim of therapy being to eliminate this urge so the person is free to return to their usual daily life activities without having to avoid the triggers that can lead to uncontrolled gambling.  This means once the urge to gamble has been extinguished people are able to carry money for example and have no desire to gamble.  This specific program usually takes 12 weeks and during this time the person attends a weekly one hour appointment with their therapist where the person’s progress in therapy is reviewed and new tasks are set as required.

For some people the option of an inpatient admission to Flinders Medical Centre is recommended to help provide them with daily support to work on their therapy program.  The inpatient admission is usually for 2 weeks with ongoing support once the person is discharged.  Once people complete the course of therapy, which involves specific behavioural tasks, people are then placed in a regular follow up program so their ongoing progress is monitored.  The tasks people are asked to complete as part of therapy are graded in a manner the person feels confident to complete between therapy sessions.  These tasks are slowly increased in difficulty until the person has extinguished their urge and is able to enter a gambling venue repeatedly with money and no longer have an urge to gamble.

In addition to helping the person with their gambling problems the person is also taught skills such as problem solving strategies, cognitive therapy where the person is taught to identify and challenge both erroneous beliefs about gambling and negative thought processes that contribute to a depressed mood.  Financial advice is also offered to people and they also have the opportunity to talk with ex-problem gamblers (consumers) who provide a service to people attending the SGTS program. These consumers are past clients who have completed the SGTS treatment and have overcome their gambling problems so are able to provide a valuable support to other people during their therapy. Clients’ significant others are encouraged to attend the initial stages of the program so they can meet with the treating therapist and gain an understanding of  the specific therapy offered at the unit and how best to support their partner or significant other during their treatment.

I have found my work with people who present to the SGTS unit rewarding because people who complete the treatment program are able to return to their normal lifestyles without being troubled by their gambling problems.  By overcoming their gambling problems, people are also able to improve their personal relationships which may have become problematic as a result of their gambling addiction.