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Gambling, for many, is a recreational activity. Playing the lottery, a few rounds on a slot machine, betting on a horse, and a short stint in a casino is fun. If you win, great. If not, so be it.
But, for some people, gambling is a compulsion. The gambler is unable to walk away from that potential win and will invest everything they have, even money they don’t have. They lose everything, their livelihoods and families.
It’s a loss of control and an unwillingness to accept they have a gambling addiction. Essentially, they’re in denial, which results in the person taking greater financial risks.
As the gambler moves through an addictive cycle, they’ll experience increased anxiety culminating in severe stress, which is only relieved by the euphoria of a win.
Much like drug addiction, gambling addiction escalates over time, resulting in the gambler borrowing and even stealing money to feed their compulsion.
Similar to drug addiction, the gambler can become increasingly agitated and preoccupied. Many struggle with anxiety and depression, which can lead to suicide.
Families often have to intervene. Get your loved ones help, particularly if they’re unable to do so themselves.
At Ixande, we treat gambling addiction. Our treatment programme breaks the cycle of addiction, and the relapse prevention strategies we advise assist with and guide the recovery process. Debt counselling is also often required as part of the process.
Gambling, for many, is a recreational activity. Playing the lottery, a few rounds on a slot machine, betting on a horse, and a short stint in a casino is fun. If you win, great. If not, so be it.
But, for some people, gambling is a compulsion. The gambler is unable to walk away from that potential win and will invest everything they have, even money they don’t have. They lose everything, their livelihoods and families.
It’s a loss of control and an unwillingness to accept they have a gambling addiction. Essentially, they’re in denial, which results in the person taking greater financial risks.
As the gambler moves through an addictive cycle, they’ll experience increased anxiety culminating in severe stress, which is only relieved by the euphoria of a win.
Much like drug addiction, gambling addiction escalates over time, resulting in the gambler borrowing and even stealing money to feed their compulsion.
Similar to drug addiction, the gambler can become increasingly agitated and preoccupied. Many struggle with anxiety and depression, which can lead to suicide.
Families often have to intervene. Get your loved ones help, particularly if they’re unable to do so themselves.
At Ixande, we treat gambling addiction. Our treatment programme breaks the cycle of addiction, and the relapse prevention strategies we advise assist with and guide the recovery process. Debt counselling is also often required as part of the process.
Medical aid schemes are coming to realise that contributing to drug and alcohol addiction treatment is a viable way to keep their clients in good health.
Drug and alcohol abuse causes many associated health complications. Medical aid schemes minimise the risk of the costs of these related health problems by covering their clients with addiction treatment and is in their clients’ best interest and theirs.
Medical Aids And Addiction
Fortunately for people struggling with addiction, medical aid schemes are willing to pay for rehab the same way they would for any other illness.
Drug and alcohol addiction can affect anybody, and the recovery therapy is a long process that can cost a significant amount of money. Medical aid schemes have recognized this and include this type of cover in their plans.
Medical Aids Covering Drug Recovery
With the increase of knowledge that is being attained by psychologists and doctors, all research supports longer periods spent in treatment leads to more successful outcomes. Medical aid schemes are compelled to pay more for addiction treatment because of the growing number of professionals who agree that is belongs in a disease category, including time spent in rehab.
Dual Diagnosis Recovery Facilities
Ixande is a dual-diagnosis facility and patients may take advantage of both psychiatric and substance abuse medical aid benefits. This extends the patient’s stay with us from 21 to 54 days where underlying trauma, that is often identified as the root of physical addiction, is treated.
After Care
After leaving a centre, addicts are encouraged to stay focused on their goals by attending support groups and having emergency numbers close at hand. Counselling sessions can be easily arranged and clients can even enter back into the addiction treatment centre on a day to day basis or as is needed.
Before being discharged, therapists work with patients and develop an After Care program that connects them with support groups and other resources. Ixande has a vibrant recovery community that meet regularly for fellowship. Patients are always welcome to visit and enjoy talks from therapists, doctors and others suffering from addiction. Ixande makes the most of modern technology with many online resources that keeps patients and loved ones motivated, inspired and informed.
Contact Ixande
Contact Ixande and let us consult your personal medical aid company today and discover their options on addiction treatment and rehab. It’s the first step to effective treatment for yourself or your loved one.
Gambling rehab can significantly alter the course of your life by addressing the compulsive behaviours that drive addiction and providing tools for sustainable recovery. At Ixande, our comprehensive approach involves not only stopping the harmful gambling behaviours but also understanding the underlying psychological triggers. This includes tackling issues such as stress, anxiety, or unresolved trauma that may contribute to your gambling habits.
Through our personalised rehab programs, you will engage in various therapeutic activities, including individual counselling, group therapy, and educational workshops. These sessions aim to rebuild your decision-making skills, enhance emotional regulation, and develop healthy coping mechanisms. By addressing both the symptoms and root causes of gambling addiction, you can restore your financial stability, mend strained relationships, and regain control over your life.
Furthermore, Ixande’s supportive community and structured environment provide a safe space for you to express your challenges and celebrate your progress. Our team works with you to create a long-term recovery plan that includes relapse prevention strategies and ongoing support, ensuring that the positive changes you make during rehab continue to benefit you long after you leave our facility.
Gambling addiction is characterised by a compulsive need to gamble, which can lead to severe financial, emotional, and social consequences. Common signs include preoccupation with gambling, lying to cover up the extent of your gambling, chasing losses, and neglecting responsibilities at work or home. You may also experience financial problems, relationship issues, and emotional distress such as anxiety or depression.
At Ixande, we provide gambling addiction help through a structured and supportive program designed to address these symptoms and underlying causes. Our rehab process begins with an initial assessment to understand the severity of your addiction and any related issues. We then develop a personalised treatment plan that includes counselling, group therapy, and educational sessions.
Our therapy sessions focus on helping you understand the triggers and patterns of your gambling behaviour, teaching you strategies to manage urges, and developing healthier ways to cope with stress and other emotions. Additionally, we offer financial counselling and support to help you rebuild your financial stability and avoid the pitfalls of gambling.
Ixande also provides ongoing support through aftercare programs, including regular follow-up sessions and access to support groups. This continuity of care is essential in helping you maintain the progress you make during rehab and supporting your long-term recovery.
Yes, many medical aid schemes in South Africa recognise the importance of covering the costs associated with gambling addiction rehab. Understanding that gambling addiction is a serious condition with significant psychological and financial repercussions, medical aid schemes are increasingly including addiction treatment in their coverage plans. This inclusion helps mitigate the broader health and societal costs associated with untreated gambling problems.
At Ixande, we assist clients in understanding and accessing these benefits. Our team liaises with your medical aid provider to clarify what aspects of our [gambling addiction treatment are covered. Whether it’s inpatient rehab, outpatient therapy, or aftercare services, our goal is to ensure that financial barriers do not impede your journey to recovery. By integrating this support, we facilitate a smoother and more accessible path to overcoming gambling addiction, allowing you to focus on recovery rather than financial stress.
In basic terms, a dual diagnosis means that a patient has more than one illness that is being treated at the same time. A person suffering from drug addiction often struggles with some form of other mental illness, like anxiety disorder or moderate to severe depression. A physical illness combined with a mental disorder can lead to a patient having a dual diagnosis so that both illnesses may be treated simultaneously.
In most cases, one illness will lead to the second illness. For example, someone who struggles with an eating disorder (the psychological illness) may start to abuse stimulant drugs like cocaine in an attempt to keep losing weight (the physical illness). Or alternatively, the abuse of drugs over a long term can lead to a form of mental illness due to the drugs altering the brain function and responses.
It is vital that both illnesses be treated together because one will always offset the second. If you treat only one, then the other will cause a guaranteed relapse of some sort, depending on which one isn’t treated. Finding a dual diagnosis facility to assist the patient can be the difference between a much-improved outlook on life or constant failure to have a full recovery.
Dual-Diagnosis Treatment
The first step in treating a person with a co-occurring illness is to detox the patient in a safe environment to remove the drugs in their bodies. From there the real rehabilitation can begin in the form of counselling and programs specifically designed to suit each individual patient. Behavioural modification therapies can be useful in altering thought patterns and behaviours, assisting in the treatment of both disorders.
This means that individual treatment plans can be amended or adapted to better treat two different illnesses instead of just one. Some facilities only assist in the drug rehabilitation and then send the patient to a mental health hospital to have further treatment. But most patients prefer to look for an establishment that will treat both illnesses at the same facility.
Dual-Diagnosis Success
Dual diagnosis patients are very difficult to treat because symptoms may overlap or may indicate a different problem than expected. And if not treated properly, will lead to future relapse. One patient who is treating a drug addiction only may have a long road ahead to full recovery, but a patient with a dual diagnosis may take even longer, spanning into years of therapy and treatment.
That said, many people have been successfully treated and are now living happy and productive lives. With the help of the right facility and staff and the correctly prescribed medication, a person with a dual diagnosis can look forward to living a happy life with the people they love.
empt to keep losing weight (the physical illness). Or alternatively, the abuse of drugs over a long term can lead to a form of mental illness due to the drugs altering the brain function and responses.
It is vital that both illnesses be treated together because one will always offset the second. If you treat only one, then the other will cause a guaranteed relapse of some sort, depending on which one isn’t treated. Finding a dual diagnosis facility to assist the patient can be the difference between a much-improved outlook on life or constant failure to have a full recovery.
Dual-Diagnosis Treatment
The first step in treating a person with a co-occurring illness is to detox the patient in a safe environment to remove the drugs in their bodies. From there the real rehabilitation can begin in the form of counselling and programs specifically designed to suit each individual patient. Behavioural modification therapies can be useful in altering thought patterns and behaviours, assisting in the treatment of both disorders.
This means that individual treatment plans can be amended or adapted to better treat two different illnesses instead of just one. Some facilities only assist in the drug rehabilitation and then send the patient to a mental health hospital to have further treatment. But most patients prefer to look for an establishment that will treat both illnesses at the same facility.
Dual-Diagnosis Success
Dual diagnosis patients are very difficult to treat because symptoms may overlap or may indicate a different problem than expected. And if not treated properly, will lead to future relapse. One patient who is treating a drug addiction only may have a long road ahead to full recovery, but a patient with a dual diagnosis may take even longer, spanning into years of therapy and treatment.
That said, many people have been successfully treated and are now living happy and productive lives. With the help of the right facility and staff and the correctly prescribed medication, a person with a dual diagnosis can look forward to living a happy life with the people they love.
Today, many people are not being served optimally by the current standard models for addiction treatment, which includes the Minnesota model, 12-steps and AA. These include many people who respond poorly to AA and/or 12-steps and others who are simply not prepared – or able –to achieve abstinence, either immediately or in the long run. The alternative is “harm reduction” or “life improvement” in the absence of total abstinence.
“In recovery” used to mean someone who is abstinent after a struggle with substance abuse. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s revised their definition in 2011 and now reads as follows: “Recovery from Mental Disorders and Substance Use Disorders: A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life and strive to reach their full potential.”
They have also outlined four major dimensions that support a life in recovery:
GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF RECOVERY
PARADIGM CHANGE
Addiction is often referenced to as chronic and progressive, while this may be the case for some – it is not true for all.
Advances in neuroscience have great implications for the delivery of addiction treatments that allow for brain “opportunities” instead of brain “illness”.
The brain is very powerful due to the fact that it is so sensitive to experiences, this is also why experiential learning is such a successful tool to use. Where we place our attention defines us at a neurological level and we have far more power to alter our brains, our behaviours and our personalities than previously thought possible. Many methods are available to train our brains, some techniques include, focused concentration, mindfulness, repetition, mental rehearsal, positive experiences as well as new and novel experiences. These methods can help us to change our thoughts, emotions and our behaviours.
Drugs and alcohol have an impact on the brain and the body, but so do lots of other factors such as stress, strong emotions, loneliness or trauma. Therefore the “disease” argument could be applied to any number of environmental variables that result in brain changes that are not welcome or positive. For example, loneliness can result in chemical and even structural brain changes that predispose to anxiety, depression and insomnia.
Addiction can be described as any repeated behaviour, substance-related or not, in which a person feels compelled to persist, regardless of its negative impact on his or her life and the lives of others. A big mind shift is needed to think of people who abuse substance or experience addiction, or people who suffer from depression or schizophrenia. They are people first, not “addicts” or “schizophrenics”. This is our approach and philosophy to treatment, we see clients as humans first, people that requires help and support and must be treated with dignity and respect.
You can receive comprehensive support for gambling addiction at Ixande’s specialised gambling addiction rehab in Cape Town. Our facility offers both inpatient and outpatient treatment options, allowing you to choose the best fit based on your personal circumstances and severity of addiction.
Inpatient rehab at Ixande provides a structured environment where you can focus entirely on your recovery. This setting is particularly beneficial if you need to distance yourself from triggers and develop new habits in a supportive, monitored environment. Our inpatient program includes intensive therapy, medical supervision, and a range of therapeutic activities designed to promote holistic healing.
For those who prefer to maintain their daily responsibilities while receiving treatment, our outpatient program offers flexibility. You can live at home and attend regular therapy sessions, allowing you to integrate the skills you learn into your everyday life immediately. Outpatient care is ideal for those with milder addictions or who have already completed an inpatient program and need continued support.
Regardless of the treatment setting you choose, Ixande provides a comprehensive approach to gambling addiction treatment, including individual therapy, group support, and educational workshops to equip you with the tools needed for long-term recovery.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have a problem. According to research, there is a fine line between habit and addiction, based on factors such as time spent engaging in the behaviour, chemical reactions in the brain and whether or not you experience withdrawal symptoms when you stop.
Broadly there are two types of addicts:
Every habit, from exercising to binge drinking to eating a specific type of food, begins with something known as the “habit loop.” This starts with a certain trigger which leads to an action, when the action is repeated it becomes a habit. This habit can create a reward sensation in the brain.
Addiction, however, occurs when you are no longer able to function without the pleasurable activity or substance. According to the Partnership For Drug-Freekids, about 23.5 million people in the US, are said to have experienced some form of addiction. In South Africa, 1 in every 15 people are said to have a drug problem. According to an article published in Parent 24, South Africa’s drug consumption among youth is twice the world norm.
If you feel that your favourite habit has become an addiction, there is hope. Research has suggested that it takes 21 days to break a habit. Depending on the reasons it became a habit in the first place, the neuropeptide connections in the brain that reinforce the habit can take longer to break. For stronger addictions, such as alcohol and drug addictions, patients may need to identify any underlying causes first, and then rehabilitation may help to rewire the brain and break the addiction.
During gambling addiction treatment at Ixande, you can expect a thorough and compassionate approach designed to help you achieve lasting recovery. The treatment process begins with a comprehensive assessment to evaluate the severity of your addiction and identify any co-occurring mental health issues. This assessment helps us create a personalised treatment plan tailored to your specific needs.
Your treatment will include individual counselling sessions where you will work with experienced therapists to explore the root causes of your gambling addiction and develop strategies to overcome it. You will also participate in group therapy, which provides a supportive environment where you can share experiences and learn from others facing similar challenges.
In addition to therapy, Ixande offers various therapeutic activities and workshops designed to enhance your recovery. These may include stress management techniques, financial counselling, and educational sessions on addiction and recovery. Throughout your treatment, you will have access to medical and psychological support to address any physical or emotional challenges that arise.
Finally, as you progress through treatment, we will work with you to develop a robust aftercare plan that includes continued support and strategies for maintaining sobriety. This plan is crucial for ensuring that the positive changes you make during rehab are sustained long-term.
Gambling addiction treatment at Ixande is designed to be highly effective by offering a holistic and personalised approach. Our programs are grounded in evidence-based practices that address both the behavioural and psychological aspects of gambling addiction. Success rates are enhanced by our comprehensive treatment plans, which include individual counselling, group therapy, and continuous support.
At Ixande, we focus on providing clients with the skills and strategies needed to manage their addiction and prevent relapse. This includes identifying and addressing the underlying causes of gambling addiction, such as stress, trauma, or co-occurring mental health disorders. Our tailored approach ensures that each client’s unique needs are met, which significantly improves the chances of a successful recovery.
Moreover, our aftercare programs provide ongoing support, which is crucial for maintaining the progress achieved during rehab. This includes regular follow-up sessions, access to support groups, and resources to help clients manage any challenges that arise post-treatment. Our goal is to empower you to lead a fulfilling life free from the constraints of gambling addiction, making our gambling addiction rehab one of the most effective in Cape Town.
Addiction doesn’t need to dominate your life. Ixande Clinic’s rehabilitation center is ready to help you in your recovery process.
Addiction doesn’t need to dominate your life. Ixande Clinic’s rehabilitation center is ready to help you in your recovery process.