Relapse is a problem, but one or two relapses do not necessarily indicate failure. The more severe the gambling problem prior to treatment, the greater the chance of relapse and eventual treatment failure. Compulsive gamblers frequently also suffer from other addictions such as alcoholism, drug abuse, compulsive shopping or bulimia. Some evidence indicates that individuals with multiple addictions are more difficult to treat than those who suffer from a single addiction. Similarly, women recovering from compulsive gambling have encountered problems with compulsive shopping.
Much less information is available on compulsive gambling than on other addiction problems.
Check with your local financial counseling service or Employee Assistance Program, but you may need to supplement this with information from other sources. The national telephone number for Gamblers Anonymous is 800 287-8670. In some areas, a local affiliate may be listed in your telephone book. Then click first on Health, then on Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery, and Compulsive Gambling. If you are a spouse or close friend of someone who suffers from this problem, also go to Health, Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery, and then Codependency.