How can Switch-Up Hypnotherapy help me beat my pokies / gambling addiction?

Published on 14 October 2024 at 07:00

Gambling addiction is a growing problem for many people across Australia and the world, with pokies (slot machines) being one of the most addictive forms of gambling. These seemingly harmless machines can quickly entrap individuals, leading to devastating personal, financial, and emotional consequences. At Switch-Up Hypnotherapy, we specialize in helping individuals break free from their pokies addiction, using personalized approaches tailored to your unique situation.

 

Australia has almost 200,000 pokie machines - one machine for every 120 people - which generate just under $12 billion a year.  We have less than half-a-per cent of the world's population but 20% of its pokies - and 80% of those located outside casinos. Australians lose around $24 billion a year from gambling each year. Per head of population we lose more than any country in the world, double the average of countries like the US, New Zealand and Ireland.

 

In 2010, the Productivity Commission estimated problem gamblers accounted for around 40 per cent of poker machine losses in Australia. That means there's a strong economic incentive to keep addicted gamblers coming into venues.

 

The majority of gambling losses comes from poker machines, but increasingly thousands of young people are losing money on sports betting — an industry that is spending up big on marketing and advertising.

 

Australia does not have a highly regulated sports betting industry compared to countries like the UK, France or Sweden. There is no national gambling regulator, but the Northern Territory Racing Commission has become the main regulator for sports betting almost by default after 20 betting agencies set up shop in Darwin for tax purposes. Over her 10 years working at Financial Counselling Australia, Lauren Levin says this has not been good for problem gamblers. "The online betting market operates without a moral compass, and without fear of any of the regulators. It's like the wild west," she says.

 

The result is a nation with the world’s worst average gambling losses: About $1,000 per adult each year. Opponents of gambling say pokies fuel suicides, domestic violence, insolvencies and financial crimes. “If you look at comparable countries around the world,” said Charles Livingstone, an associate professor of public health at Monash University, “we are far and away the worst in terms of both expenditure and its impact on the community.”

 

According to a 2017 government report looking at the risks of pokies, or electronic gaming machines (EGMs), one of the key findings was that the machines have computers which run "sophisticated techniques, designed to maximise spending and time on device per user". The report said pokies very successfully employ complex "game maths" and "psychological principals" to maximise bet sizes and usage. "These characteristics have the effect of increasing the addictive potential of EGMs" it warned.

 

Habitual Gambling vs. Addiction vs. Risky Behaviors

It's important to distinguish between different types of gambling behavior when crafting a hypnotherapy approach:

 

  • Habitual Gambling: If you gamble out of habit rather than compulsion, hypnotherapy focuses on breaking the automatic patterns that lead to gambling. This often involves replacing the habit with healthier activities.

  • Addiction: Gambling addiction involves a deeper psychological dependence, where your brain’s reward system becomes hijacked by the need to gamble. For addiction, hypnotherapy addresses the emotional and psychological triggers, working to desensitise cravings and help you regain control.

  • Risky Behaviors: Some people engage in risky gambling behaviors during times of stress or emotional upheaval. Hypnotherapy helps you develop healthier coping mechanisms, making you less likely to turn to gambling as an emotional escape.

 

Why Are Pokies So Addictive?

 

Pokies are designed to be highly addictive through several psychological and physiological mechanisms. These machines are built using principles of operant conditioning, where rewards (in the form of money or free spins) are delivered at unpredictable intervals. This "intermittent reinforcement" creates a strong compulsion to keep playing, as players believe that a big win could happen at any time, leading them to chase losses.

 

Another key element of pokies is the sensory feedback they provide. The flashing lights, sounds of coins dropping, and vibrant colours all trigger the brain’s reward system, producing dopamine—a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. This combination of unpredictable wins and sensory overload hooks players and makes it difficult to stop, even when they are losing money.

 

How pokies work

Key messages

    • Pokies (or EGMs) are computers utilising sophisticated techniques, designed to maximise spending and “time on device” per user.

    • The pokies are designed to very successfully employ psychological principals to maximise users’ bet sizes and machine usage. These characteristics have the effect of increasing the addictive potential of pokies.

    • Pokie-punters, and policy makers as well, are mostly not well informed about the way the machines work, or the complex “game maths” behind them.

    • Internationally, Australian pokies are known for their ability to maximise users’ spending and “time on device”, yet Australia has been one of the slowest to develop adequate policy responses to reduce harms.

 

Why don't our governments just outlaw pokies?

 

While pokies are widely recognized as highly addictive, they are not illegal for several reasons. One reason is the massive revenue they generate for governments through taxes. In countries like Australia, gambling is a significant source of income, and banning pokies would result in a substantial loss of funds for public services. Moreover, gambling is a legal and heavily regulated industry in many countries, and policymakers often argue that outright bans would drive gambling underground, making it harder to regulate and control.

 

Additionally, freedom of choice plays a role. Many people believe that adults should be free to make their own decisions about gambling, as long as the activity is conducted responsibly and within the bounds of the law. Unfortunately, for individuals struggling with addiction, the allure of pokies becomes difficult to resist, even with these regulations in place.

 

There is little political will for change in a country where the gambling industry donates millions of dollars to the major political parties and pays billions in taxes to states and territories.  The ABC reported last year that the gambling industry had donated at least $60 million to the three major political parties over the past two decades. "We know precious little money is returned to the community but I think we are yet to fully learn how much money is paid to political parties and politicians both on and off the books," Federal Independent MP Andrew Wilkie said.

In New South Wales, home to half the country’s 200,000 pokies, the gaming commissioner was recently removed after pushing reforms that would have protected gamblers at the expense of the industry.

 

"These are a dangerous machine and they should not be in the community without proper safeguards." Mr Wilkie said research has shown that the machines are made to be deliberately addictive and "trick" people into thinking they have won money with false wins. "You put 10 dollars in and the bells will go off and the lights will flash and you win five dollars back, when you have actually lost five dollars."

 

 Studies show that the closer someone lives to pokies, the greater the likelihood that the person will gamble on the machines and experience financial hardship. Two recent  Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation -funded research reports, Proximity to gambling venues, gambling behaviours and related harms and Personal insolvencies and the availability of neighbourhood gaming venues, broadly found that those who live closer to a gambling venue lose more than people who live further away.

 

Recovering gambling addict Shonica Guy, who is pursuing litigation again Crown Casino and Aristocrat, said she would have never touched the machines if she had known they were "secretly rigged". "I thought it was all fun and entertainment but I was hypnotised and ripped off."

She's not the only one who has noticed that pokies tap into your subconscious mind...

A Tasmanian woman estimates she lost over $100,000 on the pokies and says she played the machines as a way of coping with bipolar. "I am not a gambler of any other sort. There's something in the lights and the music of the machines that works with the wiring of the brain," she says.

"It's almost like they put you into a trance. It's really hard to describe the impact it has on your mind. When things are really tough for me, that's the only thing that shuts my mind down and gets me away from my head. They can put a spell on you."

 

Government research has found that a person experiencing problem gambling can affect up to six other people around themA NSW Crime Commission report into the widespread use of pokies indicated the problem goes far beyond individual gamblers and their wider families.

Poker machines in NSW pubs and clubs turned over $95 billion in 2020-21.  While impossible to know exact figures, the commission has estimated that criminals launder billions each year through the machines, the proceeds of organised crime coming from drugs, sex work, human trafficking and other illicit activity.

 

Why isn't the "gambling self-exclusion" system working?

 

The self-exclusion system is one of the tools designed to help people manage their gambling habits by voluntarily banning themselves from gambling venues. However, many individuals find that this system doesn’t work as effectively as intended. There are several reasons for this:

 

  1. Lack of enforcement: While individuals can sign up for self-exclusion, it is often poorly enforced by gambling venues. People can find ways to slip through the cracks, re-enter venues, or gamble online.

  2. The allure of gambling: The strong psychological grip that gambling has on people makes it challenging for them to adhere to self-exclusion, especially during times of stress or emotional distress.

  3. Accessibility of gambling: In today’s world, with the rise of online gambling, people can still gamble from the comfort of their own homes, making self-exclusion from physical venues less effective.

  4. Insufficient support: Simply banning oneself from gambling venues doesn’t address the root causes of the addiction. Without proper psychological and emotional support, individuals may continue to struggle with urges to gamble.

This is where hypnotherapy can be a transformative tool, as it goes beyond surface-level interventions to address the underlying factors driving gambling addiction.

 

Gambling researchers from Central Queensland University have identified flaws in the self-exclusion scheme. Their report, commissioned by the NSW Responsible Gambling Fund, found that "monitoring of self-exclusion has numerous deficiencies."

 

The researchers conducted focus groups with gaming room staff and found that the deficiencies in the system included:

    • Inadequate communication to staff as to who is self-excluded
    • Lack of systems for staff familiarisation with photos of self-excluders
    • Failure to update the self-exclusion register
    • Too many self-excluders for staff to recognise them
    • Difficulty of monitoring for partial self-exclusions and people on a multi-venue self-exclusion order (MVSE)
    • The near impossibility of recognising people from very poor quality photos that were not always accessible to floor staff.

 

The  researchers discovered that pokies profits had an influence on how seriously the self-exclusion scheme was taken inside venues. A manager of a venue in a large hotel group suggested that self-exclusion was not well implemented because of the hotel group's focus on revenue: it's probably not policed in our venues as well as it should be, but then there's a very good reason behind that: 

"That's where most of your money comes from when you think of the venue."



Why do people get addicted to gambling on the pokies?

 

People can become addicted to gambling on poker machines, also known as electronic gaming machines (EGMs), slot machines, slots or pokies, due to a combination of psychological, social, and biological factors. Here are some reasons why individuals may develop an addiction to poker machines:

 

  1. Immediate Rewards: Poker machines provide immediate and intermittent rewards in the form of winnings. The unpredictable nature of these rewards triggers the brain's reward system (dopamine), reinforcing the behaviour and making it more difficult for individuals to resist the urge to continue playing. Dopamine is a motivating chemical. The chemical that is produced when you are content or savour enjoyment is serotonin, but pokies do not stimulate the production of this chemical in your brain.

  2. Escape and Coping Mechanism: Gambling on poker machines can serve as a way for individuals to escape from stress, anxiety, or other life challenges. The immersive and absorbing nature of the games provides a temporary distraction from real-life problems.

  3. Psychological Factors: Certain psychological factors, such as cognitive distortions and irrational beliefs about luck, winning, and control, can contribute to the development and maintenance of gambling addiction. For example, individuals may believe that a big win is just around the corner or that they have a special strategy for winning.

  4. Socialisation and Social Pressure: Gambling often occurs in social settings, such as clubs, casinos, or pubs with poker machines. Social interactions and peer pressure can influence an individual's decision to gamble. Additionally, the normalisation of gambling in social circles may contribute to the development of addictive behaviour.

  5. Accessibility and Availability: The widespread availability of poker machines, particularly in clubs, casinos, bars, and other public places, makes them easily accessible. The constant availability of these machines increases the likelihood of individuals engaging in repetitive gambling behaviour.

  6. Operant Conditioning: The design of poker machines is often based on principles of operant conditioning, where behaviours are strengthened through rewards. The flashing lights, sounds, and visual stimuli associated with wins create a sensory-rich environment that reinforces the desire to continue playing.

  7. Biological Factors: Some individuals may be more biologically predisposed to developing addictive behaviours. Genetic factors and variations in neurotransmitter systems in the brain can contribute to susceptibility to gambling addiction.

  8. Financial Hope: Individuals may be driven by the hope of winning a substantial amount of money to improve their financial situation. This hope can be particularly compelling for those facing economic challenges or financial stress.

 

It's important to recognise that the combination of these factors can vary from person to person. Hypnotherapy for gambling addiction involves a comprehensive approach that addresses psychological, social, and biological aspects.

 

References:

https://www.9news.com.au/national/pokies-australia-poker-machine-how-young-nsw-problem-gambler-hit-rock-bottom/c9ebda61-a061-4b06-b96b-fbb865b22b62

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/04/26/australia-gambling-addiction/

https://www.gamblingresearch.org.au/sites/default/files/2021-10/Final%20IGS%20report%202021.pdf

https://responsiblegambling.vic.gov.au/about-us/news-and-media/counting-the-cost-of-pokies/

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/pokie-leaks-to-expose-industry-secrets/sy99f5tst

https://aifs.gov.au/resources/policy-and-practice-papers/how-electronic-gambling-machines-work

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-14/how-the-gambling-industry-cashed-in-on-political-donations/100509026

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-04/abc-gambling-crowdsourced-investigation/11678066

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-27/problem-gamblers-say-self-exclusion-pokie-laws-are-not-working/12696520

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-09/gambler-who-lost-millions-says-he-was-targeted-by-betting-groups/12409910

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-26/pokies-addicts-kick-habit-during-coronavirus-venues-shutdown/12183018

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-13/wilkie-says-clubs-non-compliant-with-money-laundering-laws/11958254

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-05/bet365-whistleblower-says-winners-given-delays/11768486

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/crackdown-on-pokie-site-awash-with-tens-of-millions-of-dollars-20220615-p5au0g.html

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-11/tasmania-pokies-licences-monopoly-is-about-to-end/100444822



How Does Gambling Affect Mental Health and Relationships?

Depression Caused by Gambling

Gambling addiction often has a direct impact on mental health, leading to feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and shame. Many individuals who gamble compulsively experience depression, either as a precursor to their gambling habits or as a result of the devastating financial and emotional consequences. The constant cycle of winning and losing can lead to emotional highs and lows, which may exacerbate existing mental health issues or create new ones.

 

Financial stress can amplify depressive symptoms, as you may struggle to pay bills, manage debt, or support your family. As the addiction deepens, you often experience feelings of worthlessness and self-blame, further entrenching you in the cycle of addiction.

 

Gambling’s Effect on Relationships

Gambling doesn't just affect you; it impacts your loved ones as well. Family members, partners, and friends often bear the brunt of the emotional and financial toll. Trust can break down as a result of secretive behavior, lies about money, or even stealing to fund gambling habits. The strain on your relationships can lead to isolation, conflict, and even separation or divorce. Additionally, gambling addiction can take time away from family responsibilities, leading to neglect of important relationships and emotional connections.

 

How can hypnotherapy help me overcome my gambling addiction?

 

Hypnotherapy helps you overcome gambling addiction by addressing the underlying psychological and behavioural patterns associated with the addiction. Here are ways in which hypnotherapy may be beneficial:

 

  1. Behavioural Patterns: Hypnotherapy can target and modify the behavioural patterns and habits associated with gambling. It helps you recognise and change the automatic responses that lead to gambling urges.

  2. Subconscious Exploration: Hypnotherapy involves accessing the subconscious mind, where many habits and beliefs are rooted. I can guide you to explore and understand the underlying issues or triggers contributing to your gambling addiction.

  3. Stress and Anxiety Management: Gambling addiction is often linked to stress and anxiety. Hypnotherapy can help you relax and manage stress more effectively, providing alternative coping mechanisms that don't involve gambling.

  4. Motivation and Goal Setting: Hypnotherapy assists in reinforcing motivation to overcome addiction and setting achievable goals. It enhances your commitment to change and creates a positive mindset.

  5. Building Self-Esteem: Gambling addiction can sometimes be associated with low self-esteem or other emotional issues. Hypnotherapy can work on building self-confidence and addressing any deep-rooted insecurities.

  6. Breaking Triggers: Hypnotherapy can help identify and break the cycle of triggers that lead to gambling urges. By creating new associations in the subconscious mind, you are less likely to succumb to those triggers.

  7. Visualisations and Imagery: Using guided visualisations and positive imagery, I can help you envision a life without gambling, reinforcing the benefits of overcoming addiction.

 

How Can Switch-Up Hypnotherapy Help Me Overcome My Gambling Addiction?

At Switch-Up Hypnotherapy, we offer a comprehensive approach to help you break free from your pokies addiction by addressing both the conscious and subconscious drivers of your behavior. Hypnotherapy is particularly effective for gambling addiction because it works at the deep subconscious level, where many of our habits and compulsions are rooted. Here’s how hypnotherapy can help:

 

Addressing Root Causes of Gambling Addiction

Gambling addiction often stems from underlying emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, or unresolved trauma. During hypnotherapy sessions, we explore these underlying factors and work to reframe the negative thought patterns that contribute to addictive behavior. By addressing the emotional triggers and breaking the psychological connections to gambling, hypnotherapy helps reduce the urge to gamble.

 

Techniques Used in Hypnotherapy for Gambling

  1. Behavioral Reprogramming: Hypnotherapy can help to "reprogram" the mind, replacing destructive gambling behaviors with healthier alternatives. This involves creating new, positive associations in the subconscious mind. For example, instead of gambling to cope with stress, you can learn to visualise yourself engaging in healthier coping mechanisms such as exercise or meditation.

  2. Cognitive Restructuring: Cognitive distortions (like believing that a win is inevitable) are common among gamblers. Through hypnotherapy, we can help you challenge and change these false beliefs, creating a more realistic and balanced view of gambling.

  3. Stress Reduction Techniques: Hypnotherapy is also highly effective at teaching stress management techniques. By promoting deep relaxation, you can experience relief from the anxiety and stress that often drive gambling urges.

  4. Building Self-Esteem and Self-Control: Hypnotherapy helps build confidence and self-control, making it easier to resist urges and stay committed to change. By reinforcing a sense of self-worth, you are less likely to seek external validation through risky behaviours like gambling.

The Role of Drugs, Alcohol, and Mental Health in Gambling Addiction

Gambling addiction rarely exists in isolation; it is often intertwined with other substance abuse issues and mental health disorders. In fact, many individuals struggling with gambling addiction are also dealing with co-occurring conditions such as alcohol or drug abuse, anxiety, depression, or trauma. This combination of problems can create a destructive cycle that makes it even more difficult to break free from the addiction. Understanding these connections is crucial for developing a comprehensive and effective treatment plan, and it’s one of the reasons why hypnotherapy at Switch-Up Hypnotherapy takes a holistic, individualised approach.

 

Drugs and Alcohol as Triggers for Gambling Addiction

Drugs and alcohol are common companions to gambling, particularly in environments where gambling is prevalent, such as casinos, clubs, and pubs. Substance use can exacerbate gambling problems for several reasons:

 

  1. Lowered Inhibitions and Impaired Judgement: Alcohol and drugs can impair your decision-making abilities and reduce inhibitions, making you more likely to take risks and gamble irresponsibly. When intoxicated, you often feel overconfident and more willing to take financial risks you might otherwise avoid.

  2. Escapism: People who turn to gambling as a form of escapism often also use drugs or alcohol to numb their emotions and cope with stress, anxiety, or depression. This creates a double-edged sword where substances fuel the gambling habit, and the gambling, in turn, exacerbates the need for substances.

  3. Heightened Euphoria: Gambling while under the influence of alcohol or drugs intensifies the euphoric highs experienced when winning. The combination of these substances with your brain’s reward system (activated by the anticipation of winning) can lead to stronger compulsions to keep gambling, chasing the high.

  4. Co-occurring Addictions: In many cases, individuals with a gambling addiction also struggle with substance use disorders. These co-occurring addictions feed off each other, making it much harder to overcome either problem without addressing both.

At Switch-Up Hypnotherapy, we recognise that gambling addiction often goes hand in hand with substance abuse, and our treatment approach can help address both simultaneously. Hypnotherapy is effective at addressing the root emotional triggers that lead to addictive behaviours, whether they involve gambling, alcohol, or drugs.

 

Mental Health Issues and Gambling Addiction

Mental health disorders, particularly anxiety, depression, and trauma, are also closely linked to gambling addiction. For many individuals, gambling becomes a way to self-soothe and escape from emotional pain, creating a cycle where the addiction worsens their mental health, and the worsening mental health fuels the addiction.

 

  1. Depression: Gambling addiction can either result from, or lead to, depression. As financial losses mount, feelings of despair and hopelessness can set in. The stress of trying to recover from losses often deepens the depression, making it even more challenging to break free from the gambling cycle.

  2. Anxiety: The uncertainty and stress associated with gambling can exacerbate anxiety disorders. Many people with anxiety use gambling as a way to distract themselves from their worries, only to find that the unpredictable nature of gambling and the stress of losses increases their overall anxiety levels.

  3. Trauma and PTSD: Individuals who have experienced trauma may turn to gambling as a way to numb emotional pain or to gain a sense of control over their lives. However, gambling addiction can trigger flashbacks, increase emotional dysregulation, and further entrench them in patterns of avoidance, making trauma symptoms worse.

  4. Bipolar Disorder: During manic or hypo-manic episodes, individuals with bipolar disorder may exhibit reckless behaviours, including compulsive gambling. The impulsive decision-making associated with these episodes can lead to significant financial and emotional consequences, making it essential to address both the gambling addiction and the underlying mood disorder.

How Hypnotherapy Can Help with Co-occurring Issues

At Switch-Up Hypnotherapy, we understand that overcoming gambling addiction often requires addressing not just the gambling behaviour itself but the underlying mental health issues and substance use that contribute to the problem. Our holistic approach integrates techniques to manage both the addiction and co-occurring conditions:

 

  • Emotional Regulation: Hypnotherapy helps you build emotional resilience and learn healthier ways to manage stress, anxiety, and depression without turning to gambling or substances.

  • Subconscious Reprogramming: We use hypnotherapy to reshape the subconscious mind’s connection between gambling, substance use, and emotional relief, replacing these unhealthy associations with more positive coping mechanisms.

  • Stress Reduction: Many individuals use gambling and substances to cope with stress. Hypnotherapy helps reduce the overall stress response, allowing you to approach life’s challenges with a calmer, more centred mindset, thereby reducing the urge to gamble or use drugs and alcohol.

  • Trauma Work: For clients who have experienced trauma, hypnotherapy can help address the emotional wounds that may be driving addictive behaviour. Techniques such as age regression or inner child healing can help release the emotional weight of past trauma and reduce the compulsion to escape through gambling.

  • Relapse Prevention: Hypnotherapy helps you build mental fortitude and a strong sense of self-control, which is critical for preventing relapse. This includes reinforcing self-esteem and the ability to set firm boundaries, not only with gambling but also with substances and other risky behaviours.

 



COVID-19 Lockdowns provided a brief respite for problem gamblers

 

During COVID, many gamblers were able to break the habit of playing the pokies for the first time in years, but some began gambling online instead.

Online gambling surged during COVID-19 lockdowns. A report by the Australian Gambling Research Centre found that one in 20 people picked up online gambling in the first lockdown. Young men aged between 18 and 34 were the most likely to have picked up the habit.

The number of people who reported gambling online jumped from 8 per cent in 2020 to 11 per cent in 2021, said ACMA. 

Online casino-style gambling games including games based on poker machines, blackjack, roulette and scratchies are banned in Australia.

Many online casinos still target Australian audiences despite the risk of a $1.1 million fine aimed at unlicensed online gambling services. Estimates of the revenue of online gambling operators in the Asia Pacific eclipse $60 billion and Australians spend at least $400 million gambling online per year.

ACMA says 100 offshore operators illegally offering online gambling in Australia have pulled out of the market since 2017. But elusive operators and the sites’ tendency to vanish and then reappear under different branding present a challenge for the regulator to crack down on the illegal sites.

 

DIY Tips for Breaking Free from a Gambling Habit

While Switch-Up Hypnotherapy can be transformative, there are also several DIY techniques that can support your journey to overcoming pokies addiction:

 

  1. Set Financial Boundaries: Limit your access to money when you’re feeling vulnerable to gambling urges. For example, give a trusted friend or family member control over your finances temporarily.

  2. Find Alternative Activities: Replace gambling with hobbies or activities that give you a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Exercise, reading, or learning a new skill can provide healthy distractions.

  3. Practice Mindfulness: When you feel the urge to gamble, take a moment to pause, breathe, and observe your feelings. Mindfulness can help you become aware of your triggers and create a space between the urge and the action.

  4. Join Support Groups: Engaging in a community of people who understand your struggles can be invaluable. Gamblers Anonymous or other support groups can offer emotional support and practical advice.

  5. Create a Gambling-Free Environment: Remove yourself from places or situations where gambling is present. If you gamble online, block access to gambling websites.

 

It's essential to note that while hypnotherapy is a valuable tool, it is often most effective when integrated into a comprehensive treatment plan. Combining Switch-Up Hypnotherapy with other therapeutic approaches, support groups, and counselling could enhance the overall effectiveness of treatment for gambling addiction. Or you might find you just need a Switch-Up.

 

Overcoming a pokies gambling addiction can feel like an overwhelming challenge, but with the right support, it’s entirely possible. At Switch-Up Hypnotherapy, we understand the complexities of gambling addiction and use personalised, evidence-based techniques to help clients regain control over their lives. Whether you are dealing with habitual gambling, addiction, or risky behaviours, hypnotherapy can provide the tools and support needed to break free and rebuild a healthier, more fulfilling life.


At Switch-Up Hypnotherapy, we believe that no addiction occurs in a vacuum, and the best path to recovery is one that addresses all contributing factors, including substance abuse and mental health issues. If you or someone you love is struggling with a pokies gambling addiction, we are here to help. Hypnotherapy can provide a powerful, personalised approach to tackle addiction at its core, offering lasting relief from the destructive patterns of behaviour that have taken control.


Remember, overcoming a gambling addiction is not just about stopping the behaviour—it’s about addressing the underlying emotional, mental, and physical challenges that drive the addiction. Whether you’re dealing with co-occurring substance use issues or mental health struggles, our team is ready to guide you on your journey toward freedom and a healthier, more balanced life.


If you’re ready to break free from gambling addiction and regain control of your life, contact Switch-Up Hypnotherapy today for a consultation. Together, we can develop a personalised plan that helps you overcome your addiction, improve your mental health, and build a brighter future.

 

Make a booking now

 

Luke O'Dwyer

+61 407 88 45 43

SwitchUpHypnotherapy@gmail.com




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