Craig Carton, host of WFAN’s radio show, “Hello, My Name is Craig,” recently attended Algamus to treat his compulsive gambling disorder. Over the weekend, he sat down with Algamus founder, Rick Benson, to discuss Rick’s past with gambling, and how he went on to start Algamus, one of the only gambling-specific treatment centers in America.
Listen to the audio recording of the interview here.
Just like any addiction, a gambling addiction creeps up on a person gradually. What may start as harmless sports betting, may turn into an unhealthy obsession with gambling that leads to serious consequences.
With the rise of online gambling, problems with gambling addiction are even more hidden than ever before. If you have a gambling problem, those around you may not even realize it, since they don’t see you spending endless hours at the casino.
Online gambling can take place anytime, anywhere - all you need is a credit card and an internet connection. The online gambling industry has been growing in the past few years, but now even more so with many casinos being closed due to the COVID-19 restrictions. With the pandemic, many people are also experiencing increased feelings of boredom, loneliness, and financial stress, which can lead them to gamble.
Glamorous advertisements for gambling and sports betting are also becoming unavoidable, and they don’t tell you about the risks associated with gambling.
Teachers and parents will often talk to kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, but what about the dangers of gambling? Gambling is something that even children are familiar with, because advertisements are everywhere: from sports games on TV to websites and social media ads. In some cases, parents can encourage gambling without meaning to, whether it be through sports betting or purchasing lottery tickets. Although most people can gamble responsibly, for some, gambling can become a problematic obsession.
As humans, it’s natural for us to have a competitive nature. However, this is not always healthy, especially in the case of recovery. When you are healing from a gambling disorder and the pain of the past, you may be feeling less confident which leads you to start comparing yourself and your recovery to that of others. Remember that everyone progresses at their own pace, and you are not weaker or stronger than another person based on the speed of your recovery. There is also no rule that says that everyone has to recover in the same way. Tactics that are helpful for you might not be helpful for someone else and vice versa. Here are a few simple tactics that we recommend trying out, but be patient with yourself as you do some trial and error to figure out what works for you.
At first glance, it may appear that attending a residential treatment center is too unrealistic, or too much of a commitment, so instead you opt for a different type of therapy such as Gamblers Anonymous or outpatient counselling. Although attending a support group like Gamblers Anonymous can be beneficial, recovery success rates through only GA are very low at about 5%. Residential treatment centers offer a unique experience where individuals can dive deep into the recovery process, and the success rates are much higher, around 67%.
Craig Carton, radio personality at WFAN, a sports radio station in New York, speaks on air about overcoming his compulsive gambling disorder.
At the start of every year, millions of people create resolutions in order to make a change to their lifestyle. Unfortunately, most of these people don’t end up sticking to their resolutions past February. When it comes to a gambling disorder, the resolution to stop gambling altogether may feel overwhelming and unattainable at times. Perhaps you’ve already tried and not succeeded, but what you need are some strategies that will actually help you maintain your goal to quit or cut back on gambling in 2021.
The holidays can be a difficult season to navigate if you are currently recovering from a gambling disorder, especially due to our current state of isolation. Here are some common relapse triggers and tips on how you can avoid them.
As we look forward to the holidays, it's so important to have your priorities set in your mind. There are so many distractions during this time of year, and emotions can be at a high on many different levels.
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