The Gambling, Food & Sex Support Center

Every person is unique, but when you face a challenge like gambling, food and sex addiction, you are never alone.  Countless men and women have faced the exact same diagnosis and have survived and thrived.  The following guide is designed to help you navigate your journey with the best information and resources that helped other survivors when they faced the same challenge.  

TSC has scoured the Internet and assembled links to the very best gambling, food and sex addiction resources: articles, blogs, forums and tools that can help you make better decisions and take action to overcome the range of physical, emotional and other challenges you’re facing.

As you’ll see, we always welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this Gambling, Food & Sex Addiction Guide even more helpful to survivors like you.    

JUST FOUND OUT  

Survivors Say: Best Resources for Gambling, Food & Sex (Addiction)

Process Addictions Gambling, sex and food addictions are known as process addictions. They are no less real nor are they any easier to cure than drug or chemical addictions and over time the addict must intensify their addictive behavior in order to maintain the same “high.”

Symptoms of Gambling, Sex and Food Addictions What are the warning signs and what can you do about compulsions that seem to be out of your control? What are some of the ways to deal with compulsions?

In-Depth Discussions of a Variety of Addictions including Gambling, Food and Sex People often see process addictions in others but tend to overlook such addictions in themselves. If you know someone who fits that description then perhaps it’s time for you to point them in the direction of this site where process additions are discussed openly.

The Big Picture

Gambling, food and sex addictions are a very severe psychological dependency on specific types of behavior and can be as difficult to break as a deep-seated drug or alcohol addiction.

There are no hard and fast figures available on the number of people addicted to food, sex and gambling for the simple reason that potentially millions of cases go unreported each year.  These types of addictions remain hidden and denied by possibly millions of sufferers through embarrassment or fear or shame, even though the vast majority of health care professionals recognize and treat these addictions for what they are – addictions…uncontrollable compulsions that force the suffers to act in ways that the sufferer knows may be detrimental to his or her long-term health.

If you have admitted to your addiction and have been diagnosed with a process addition, it is important for you to gather as much information as possible about your addiction(s) and become proactive in finding ways to break the behaviors that are controlling your life.

To better understand the most common signs and symptoms of process addiction, be sure to visit:

About: Eating Disorder and Sexual Addiction - Sex Addiction Common Alongside Eating Disorders

Your Gambling, Food & Sex Addiction

Compulsive behaviors, such as the almost uncontrollable need to engage in sexual activity or to gamble or to eat are difficult to cure because there is no single trigger mechanism that controls these behaviors in all individuals.  That makes each case somewhat unique, although all cases have many elements in common as well.  To better understand your specific case you can learn more at:

• Gambling Addiction
• Food Addiction
• Sex Addiction
  

Addiction is not always straightforward and so it is wise to get a second opinion, not only regarding your addiction itself, but also a second opinion as to the treatment options open to you.  For a better idea of how and why you need a second opinion, go to:

How To Get a Second Opinion

 This is your life and you need to understand not only what your problem is, you also need to understand all of your treatment options plus you need to understand all of the steps involved in your treatment.  In order to understand everything completely it’s important for you to know what questions to ask.  The Partnership for a Drug Free America has a list of questions that can help you get all of the answers you need:

13 Addiction Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Your World

Don’t be surprised if you’re feeling a flood of emotions one you accept your addiction diagnosis.  This is perfectly normal.  Talk with your loved ones and reach out to support centers during the initial stages of your journey. For advice on dealing with the tangled web of emotions you may be going through, visit

Building a Personal Support Network

It’s sometimes difficult to put everything into perspective and to make your new world make sense to you.  For a whole different way of looking at your life and your problems, consider a non-traditional Zen perspective:

Zen and the Art of Addiction

Gambling, Food & Sex Addiction Myths

• Gambling, food and sex addictions are not real addictions like alcohol or cocaine.  Explore the Pros & Cons
• Female sex addiction rarely receives the same attention as male addiction: 6 Myths of Female Sex Addiction

• Gambling is a compulsion to approximately 15 million adults in this country. Gambling Myths & Facts
• Compulsive eating disorders are particularly common among teenaged girls, but can affect almost anyone at almost any age.  Eating Disorders: Fact & Fiction

Information and Recommended Links for Survivors:

• This site offers resources for coping with process addictions and reaching out for support. Find the best options for dealing with your particular addiction(s): How Can Family & Friends Support the Behavioral Recovery Process (video)
• This site gives you straight-talk on what to expect in the near future as you deal with your addictions and offers several support groups that you can join to share your story and read how others are coping. What to Expect During Recovery


Here you can find advice for coping with gambling, food and sex addictions:

• Coping With Gambling Addiction
• Coping With Food Addiction
• Coping With Sex Addiction

Types of Treatment

Treatments for Gambling Addiction:

Gambling Addiction Treatments

Treatments for Food Addictions

Food Addiction Treatments

Treatments for Sexual Addiction

Sex Addiction Treatments

Possible Treatment Side Effects

The use of drugs to treat gambling addiction is rare but not unheard-of.  Drugs for the treatment of food and sex addiction are used even less often.  Most treatment consists of counseling and learning to avoid situations that encourage the addictive behavior.

Creating a support circle

• Set up your TSC Survivor Profile
• Join support groups of other survivors or set up your own
• Interact and provide updates on your profile or our forums.
  

Insurance & Work Matters

Insurance Matters

Few insurance companies recognize compulsive gambling as an illness and so many compulsive gamblers looking for help must rely on their own resources.

Who Pays For Addictive Gambling

Almost no insurance will cover food addictions.  While food addictions are considered medically significant, the insurance industry fails to take the same view.

Food Addicts Just Called Fat

Sexual addiction is seldom covered directly by any insurance policy; however, many policies will pay a portion of psychotherapy sessions that address sexual compulsions.  However, most insurance will only pay a small portion of psychotherapy and only for a few sessions in most cases.

Work Matters

Most companies have no provisions for workers who are compulsive gamblers.  Indeed, most companies are surprised to learn that any of their employees are addicted to gambling.  Gambling addiction causes billions of dollars in lost man-hours and lessens productivity, yet most companies have no policies in place to help or deal with problem gamblers.

Gambling in the Workplace

Most companies make no provision for workers with an eating disorder even though loss of work time and lost productivity cost American business several billion dollars a year.

Food Addiction in the Workplace

Most American companies wish to stay out of their employee’s private lives.  This certainly expends to the area of sex and sexual addictions.  Virtually no company in America has any policies regarding sexual addiction in the workplace except for rules discouraging workplace romances.

Sexual addiction is a touchy subject when it comes to the workplace.  Employers don’t want to become too intimate with their employee’s private affairs, but sex addiction in the workplace can lead to expensive and unproductive sexual harassment lawsuits and other work related problems.  Perhaps it’s time for employers to become just a little bit more aware of such problems within their companies.

Workplace Sexual Addiction

Health-care Providers Who Can Help

Psychologists and counselors are the primary health-care providers who offer help for gambling, food and sex addictions, although some medical doctors feel that certain medications can also help to break the addictive patterns that some addicts display.

For a list of types of physicians and what they can do for you, follow this link:

• The National Council on Problem Gambling
• Find a Therapist
  

The Emotional Roller-coaster

Surviving with gambling, food and/or sex addition is a challenge. Understand that you are not alone.  Some people find that dealing with the emotional aspect of process addiction is more of a hardship than the actual addictions themselves. Many survivors panic and break down under the stress of battling one or more addictions. To avoid this, it's important to continue living your life normally, participating in the same daily activities you've always done. Support groups are also important to maintaining a healthy emotional state. Other than that, educating yourself on the reality of your addiction and avoiding situations which are known to trigger your obsessions as well as exposing yourself to books and stories written by those who have dealt with compulsions in their past can help give you and your loved ones hope while dealing with this crisis.

Books Survivors Recommend

• From First Bite: Recovery From Food Addiction
• Don’t Call It Love: Recovery from Sex Addiction
• Stop Gambling For Good   
  

Communicating with Your Health-care providers

• Bring a friend or family member with you to your appointments not only to provide support but to lend an extra ear to understand everything your health-care provider has to say and to think up any more questions you may not realize are important at the time.
• Don't be afraid to ask any questions you feel you need the answer to, even if you may be scared of the answer. Ignorance won't help you fight your addiction.
• Write down any questions you may have ahead of time and the answers to those questions as your health-care provider walks you through them.  Don't be afraid to ask for clarification on anything.
  

Dealing With Gambling, Food & Sex Addictions: Information and Recommended Links for Co-Survivors:

How you can help

• Be there for your friend or family member.  Let them know you care, that you still love them and that you are 100% behind their efforts to control their obsessions.
• Keep a daily routine going as much as possible.  Keep your loved one “in the loop” as far as making decisions is concerned.
• Involve your friend or family member with others. Don't focus exclusively on their disease and treatment plan when interacting with them. Talk to them about yourself or make plans to visit friends and loved ones. A recovering addict who is involved with others has a better chance of avoiding feelings of abandonment.
• Keep your loved one away from friends who will encourage their addictions and away from situations which will make their cravings worse.
  

What to say   

• "I will support your decision in whichever treatment option you choose."
• "Do you want to talk about it?"
• Tell them how much you care about them.

What not to say

• "Don't worry, we'll find a way to make this all go away."
• "We'll go to every hospital and spend as much money as it will take to get you well."
• "I’ll handle everything; you won't have to lift a finger."
  

Things you can do for a survivor every day

Offering day-to-day support is a great gift. If the recovering addict isn't a family member, help out when they are away at hospitals or hotels by picking up the mail or newspaper, making meals, going grocery shopping, etc. If the recovering addict is a family member, help out with chores or other duties they may have fallen behind on. Help them get their life back on track – and then step back and allow them to get on with their lives.

How to build a support network

• Set up your TSC Co-Survivor Profile
• Create a support group for your friend or family member.
• Interact and provide updates
  

How to help a recovering addict deal with day-to-day challenges

• How The Family Can Support a Recovering Addict
• Is There A Cure For America’s Gambling Addiction?

A recovering gambling, food or sex addict is never “cured.”  Much like a recovering alcoholic, recovering process addicts must always take their recovery “one day at a time.”  By telling your story you can not only put into perspective your thoughts and feelings but you can provide hope to others who are going through a similar journey themselves, whether it be with gambling, food or sex addiction or another form of addiction or compulsion altogether.

Remission / Recovery / Recurrence      

There is no cure for gambling, food or sex addiction.  Recovery is a process and not an end. The recovering addict must always be on guard, must always be aware of his or her feelings, emotions, cravings and compulsions – and must be willing to fight against them when necessary, using the skills they have learned in counseling or therapy.

There are early warning signs for most process additions. Gambling, food addictions and sexual obsessions can start at an early age and should be treated immediately. Remember, these addictions are often a sign of another problems altogether which, if caught and treated early, may help to prevent later-life addiction.

Relapse is common among recovering addicts – but there are ways to deal with relapses that can keep you on the right track:

• Avoiding Food Addiction Relapse
• Avoiding Gambling Addiction Relapse
• Avoiding Sex Addiction Relapse 


Give back


What helped you while you were dealing with the diagnosis, undergoing treatment and realized you had recovered? Take a look back at your journey and share with other what helped you and what you wished you would have known/done during your addiction experience. You can create a profile, reach out to other survivors, join support circles or share your story by following the links at TheSurvivorsClub.org.

Check out some of the best charities for supporting addiction research and cures:

Where It Is Most Needed

What can you do when you find out your addiction treatment has failed or that you have relapsed? Many survivors refuse to cope with the possibilities this opens up – including death.  If you find out that your treatment has not taken effect it's important for you to understand what the consequences can be:

Consequences of Your Addiction(s)