This book provides an overview of the state of the art in research on and treatment of gambling disorder. As a behavioral addiction, gambling disorder is of increasing relevance to the field of mental health. Research conducted in the last decade has yielded valuable new insights into the characteristics and etiology of gambling disorder, as well as effective treatment strategies. The different chapters of this book present detailed information on the general concept of addiction as applied to gambling, the clinical characteristics, epidemiology and comorbidities of gambling disorder, as well as typical cognitive distortions found in patients with gambling disorder. In addition, the book includes chapters discussing animal models and the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of the disorder. Further, it is examining treatment options including pharmacological and psychological intervention methods, as well as innovative new treatment approaches. The book also discusses relevant similarities to and differences with substance-related disorders and other behavioral addictions. Lastly, it examines gambling behavior from a cultural perspective, considers possible prevention strategies and outlines future perspectives in the field.

Seventeen years since the first edition and eight years since DSM-5 reclassified "pathological gambling," Gambling Disorder: A Clinical Guide to Treatment is here to provide clinicians with the latest thinking about gambling disorder. It is an exciting moment in the history of gambling research, with scholarly inquiry into the epidemiology, etiology, neurobiology, and treatment of this disorder growing by leaps and bounds. However, many clinicians remain unaware of the disorder's symptoms, though common, and are uninformed about available treatments, many developed quite recently. Acting on this knowledge, the editors set out to compile a guide that would equip clinicians to recognize patients exhibiting signs of the disorder, competently assess them, and work to identify effective treatment options. In addition, the book explores different ways the disorder may manifest across genders and among older and younger patients, forensic issues, and the relatively new area of study, online gambling and gambling-gaming convergence. Not so much a revision as a reconceptualization, Gambling Disorder: A Clinical Guide to Treatment brings a new cast of contributors, a totally restructured text, and the research and clinical wisdom amassed over the past decade and a half to bear on this critically important, yet often overlooked, disorder.

This handbook provides mental health professionals with a thorough understanding of the biopsychosocial nature of disordered gambling and shares current evidence-based theories, interventions and strategies to use in clinical practice. It provides guidance for working with individuals of any age and covers different gambling modes, activities and subtypes, including new forms of gambling through online and virtual platforms. Drawing on the authors' substantial experience working with and researching gambling addiction, it considers how treatment can be specialized for particular client groups, including trauma survivors, military, older adults, adolescents and diverse communities. It provides detailed diagnostic and screening resources and includes important information on the financial and legal aspects. This is essential reading for any therapist treating clients with gambling disorder.

This international survey addresses gaps in the knowledge base on problem gambling, emphasizing evidence-based best practices for working with this diverse and notably resistant client population. A detailed introduction offers current findings on behavioral, affective, and neurological manifestations of disordered gambling, with prevalent types of resultant psychological, financial, and social harm. The book’s conceptual discussion examines clinical and sub-clinical presentations as well as the complex interplay of psychological and social factors that create barriers to seeking help. And on the practical side, up-to-date chapters detail widely-used and newer treatment options for compulsive gambling with the best chances of reducing treatment non-compliance and post-treatment relapses, including: · Psychoeducation. · Motivational interviewing. · Cognitive behavioral therapy. · Metacognitive and mindfulness approaches. · Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. · Dialectical Behavior Therapy. · Schema therapy. · Pharmacology. · Relapse Prevention. Evidence-Based Treatments for Problem Gambling is a ready source of insights, data, and strategies for counselors working in problem gambling treatment centers, and for psychologists and counselors operating in public or private practice who see individuals with problem gambling as a primary or comorbid presentation. Researchers, lecturers, and treatment clinic managers will find this presentation both informative and immediately useful.

This book brings together an international selection of academics with expertise in problem gambling issues in women, with chapters reflecting ongoing work with female gamblers across the world in both group and individual settings. In choosing such a specific patient group, the authors aim to raise the profile of gambling disorders in women and also provide fellow professionals across the world with a shared understanding of evidence based treatment and recovery in problem gambling literature and research. Gambling Disorders in Women: An International Female Perspective on Treatment and Research will provide professionals working in addictions and policy-making with much-needed knowledge about a seriously under-represented area, and about which many professionals feel they would like to know more. The book will also highlight different international approaches to the provision of treatment for women in each country as well as the epidemiology of the illness.

The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Disordered Gambling is a complete guide to the current empirical literature relating to the conceptualization, assessment, and treatment of disordered gambling. The international contributors are all experienced, practicing clinicians who discuss gambling within a global context. Best-practice guidelines for the clinical management of problem and disordered gambling Contains empirically derived findings that translate research into practical clinical applications that clinicians and counselors can use in understanding and treating problem gamblers Brings together a distinguished international group of scholars whose contributions discuss gambling as it occurs around the globe Clearly organized into sections that cover conceptualization, research, assessment, treatment, and special topics

Wexler's compulsive gambling spiraled out of control....after forty-plus years in recovery, he's become a nationally known expert on gambling addiction.