Stephen Chan licensed Thrive Programme® Consultant and hypnotherapist can help you with Addictions and Gambling Problems using Hypnosis, Hypnotherapy and the Thrive Programme® at Ulster Hypnotherapy: covering Belfast, Portadown, Ulster, Lisburn, Newry, Armagh, Antrim, Lurgan and Dungannon, Northern Ireland

I was discharged from the addictions unit in record time!

I beat my gambling addiction – SO CAN YOU!

Gerard beat his gambling addiction – SO CAN YOU!

Alan beat his addictions – SO CAN YOU!

Addictions, addictive behaviours and gambling addiction, in particular, are becoming more prevalent in today’s society. Gambling is becoming particularly problematic because, thanks to the internet you are now only a couple of clicks away from online football betting, poker, horse racing, bingo, roulette and a whole host of other gambling activities from anywhere and at any time.

To make things worse, gambling has recently been seen as being socially accepted and ‘normalised’ due to TV advertising, the National Lottery and government legislation which has allowed casinos to spring up all over the country. All of it comes together to create distorted thinking. The distorted thinking that it’s OK/normal to spend your money on games of chance now and again…this is how easy it is to ‘reel’ people in.

But unfortunately, you and I both know that, for many people, it doesn’t remain a “little flutter now and again” for very long.

Gambling addiction, as with most other addictions is compulsive behaviour, thus it shares the same psychological mechanisms that drive other compulsive behaviours. Let me explain, gamblers feel a build-up of excitement at the thought of having a flutter; if however, the compulsion to gamble has to be postponed or delayed (perhaps you have to do the school run, or you have other appointments to keep), then this excitement increases and builds the longer the flutter is put on hold.

This is what happens whenever you are really looking forward to anything, your expectation just builds and builds. So when you finally get to do it, you are so excited you feel as if you are ‘bursting at the seams’. If you then win, this only serves to reinforce the belief that compulsive behaviour is OK; indeed, ‘If I won that time – perhaps I can win again’. But, remember, there is an old saying that goes something like this “The thrill of the chase is better than the final outcome itself”.

It’s this excitement and expectation of the potential win which ‘drives’ the whole process. Because the odds are always stacked in the bookies’/casinos’ favour, this means that the belief that you will beat the bookies, in the long run, is nothing more than very costly ‘wishful thinking’ – bookies and casinos are in the business of taking your money, never forget this!

So you can see that it isn’t just about the dreams of ‘becoming rich’ from gambling which drives the gambling addiction (compulsion) – it’s also about the feelings involved with the activity – the excitement – the anticipation – the buzz and the inevitable feeling of guilt that follows all losses of money when it all goes belly up. These feelings of guilt only increase as the gambler carries on gambling to not only satisfy the desire for a bet but also to try and recoup the debts that are beginning to build up. Now they are gripped in this never-ending cycle of feelings of excitement, loss and guilt until they lose everything! In this way, what started out as a compulsive behaviour can develop into a bit of an obsession where the person thinks about their particular addiction/addictive behaviour a lot of the time, even when they aren’t actually participating.

Many other hypnotherapists will offer ‘suggestion’ therapy (otherwise known as clinical hypnosis) to help gambling addiction but I believe that this is absolute nonsense because the activity of gambling is a symptom and the real reason or driving force behind the symptom will still be there if this method is used.

Take alcoholism/drink problems for example; it’s not the alcohol/drink that’s the problem. The real problem is what drives the person to drink in the first place. So, if suggestion therapy is used on someone with gambling or a drinking problem, say, they will most likely replace the original addictive behaviour with another compulsive activity such as over-eating, drug use, compulsive spending etc.

Because the real reason behind the compulsive activity is never addressed with suggestion therapy, the person can never ever truly be free of their compulsive behaviour patterns. This is precisely why many alcoholics, say, still consider themselves as (recovered) alcoholics, even after years and years of sobriety – the reasons behind their drinking have never been addressed.

I am interested in helping people to be free of their compulsive behaviours for good and not just to replace or substitute one compulsive behaviour with another.

My aim is to help my clients to resolve and overcome the real driving forces (the cause) of their compulsive behaviour, which will allow them to permanently live happier and more prosperous lives.

How do I help you to overcome your compulsive behaviour?

Using scientific, researched methods I will help you to permanently release and resolve the cause of compulsive behaviour. Upon your successful conclusion, not only will you no longer feel the compulsion to gamble but you will also experience vast improvements in every single area of life!

Would you like to beat your addictions?

If so, contact me at Ulster Hypnotherapy to arrange a free consultation

Phone me on 07854 877 882.

You can now arrange Thrive Programme® sessions anywhere in the world via Skype.

I offer a free confidential consultation at my Portadown, Newry and Belfast Hypnotherapy clinics, which are within easy reach of Lisburn, Armagh, Antrim, Lurgan and Dungannon. Consultations are also available via Zoom.

There will be no need to speak to anyone other than myself and I promise that your problems will be discussed with the greatest of sensitivity and strictest confidence. Please note because of the volume of clients there is a strong possibility you will be connected to my personal answering service. If this is the case just leave your name and number and, when I return the call, I will not give my name and I will ask for and talk only to you.

YOUR CONFIDENTIALITY IS GUARANTEED.