If a gambler admits that it is a problem but is not yet ready to seek treatment there are several things you can do:
Similar to confronting denial, you can assist the gambler to see how the problems have continued despite efforts to change, and therefore requires assistance.
You can Contact Us for an information packet which you can read together, to help the gambler understand what is involved in treatment. Similarly, you may encourage the gambler to explore the information on this website along with you.
Some Gamblers Anonymous meetings have a Gam-Anon group running at the same time. If this is the case near you, you may offer to go to a meeting together. Otherwise some GA meetings are "open meetings" where the spouse or friends of the gambler may attend the GA meeting. Check with your local meeting to determine if it is an "open" or "closed" (available only to the gambler) meeting.
Sometimes gamblers refuse treatment because they believe that they will lose their job if they take time off for treatment. Although this is often a real fear, it is important to help them to understand that if the addiction continues they will likely lose their job anyway. Furthermore, it is important to remember that the job loss is actually another effect of the gambling, rather than an effect of seeking treatment.
You may also want to consider contacting us to conduct an intervention on your loved one at this point. We often see with compulsive gamblers -if they are left untreated, the amounts and consequences will grow greater and the periods in between the episodes will grow short
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