Best Possible Odds: Contemporary Treatment Strategies for Gambling Disorders

An estimated 3–5% of all individuals who gamble will become compulsive gamblers. This "invisible addiction" can be financially and emotionally devastating to both the gambler and his/her family. This timely clinical manual explains why gambling is on the rise and the factors which distinguish recreational and compulsive gamblers. Mental health professionals will learn how to assess and treat compulsive gamblers using a variety of interventions: behavior therapy, inpatient treatment, family therapy, and 12–step programs.

Spis treści:
An Introduction to Gambling and Gambling Disorders.
Paradigms of Problem Gambling Behavior.
The Phenomenology of Gambling.
Etiologies and Maintenance of Gambling Disorders: A Brief Review.
Treatment for Pathological Gambling: Inpatient Programs and Gamblers Anonymous.
A Multiphasic Model of Outpatient Treatment.
Working Strategies for Treatment Success: The Pragmatics of Therapy for Abusive and Addicted Gamblers.
Assessment of Gambling and Gambling–Related Psychological Disturbances.
Chaos Theory, Gambling, and Addictions: Speculations on New Methods of Nonlinear Treatment.
Family Systems Therapy: Treating the Patient and the System.
Epilogue: Considerations for Future Research and Interventions.
References.
Indexes.