With an estimated quarter of million people suffering with a gambling addiction, the NHS have opened their first clinic to treat gamblers with complementary therapy and debt management.

Opened in Soho, West London, The National Problem Gambling Clinic will run for a year with addicts undergoing psychotherapy sessions and getting advice from debt experts.

Families of gambling addicts will also be offered therapy to learn how to cope with loved ones who have an addiction.

Psychotherapy sessions will include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing as the NHS looks to address both addicts and partners/families of addicts.

Gambling addiction has increased since the introduction of online casinos and betting. The National Lottery is seen as the most popular gambling activity followed by horse racing and fruit machines.

This clinic is a positive step toward helping people overcome their addiction, but for many there is still a lack of public services available in their area. A private session with a cognitive behaviour therapy practitioner or psychotherapist can be found locally to you using GoToSee’s search facility.

Learn more about addiction and the therapies that help you overcome your gambling problem here.

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