Addiction: The Next Step
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Addiction: The Next Step
Problem Gambling: A Look Inside Treatment
Explore the complex world of problem gambling with us, where we promise to uncover the hidden nature of this addiction in the age of mobile sports wagering. Join me, Jerry Gretzinger, as I sit down with Stephen McLaughlin from McPike Addiction Treatment Center in Utica, to discuss why gambling often flies under the radar and how treatment strategies are evolving to meet this challenge. Discover how personalized care, akin to substance abuse treatment, is provided to those in need, and learn about the comprehensive approaches that include financial counseling and both inpatient and outpatient support.
The New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, or OASAS, provides this podcast as a public service. Thoughts and opinions expressed do not necessarily represent or reflect those of the agency or state. This is Addiction: The Next Step.
Jerry Gretzinger:Welcome to this episode of Addiction: The Next Step. I'm your host, Jerry Gretzinger, coming to you from the New York State Offices of Addiction Services and Supports. Today we are talking about problem gambling and specifically about problem gambling treatments that are available, and I think sometimes people may be curious well, what does treatment for problem gambling look like? And it's something that we really should be talking about. Mobile sports wagering is such a big part of that, that gambling picture today, so many different ways for people to place wagers, so we want to make sure that we've got the resources that are available known to you, that you're informed about it and joining us today to talk more about what that kind of treatment looks like. Stephen McLaughlin, he is here joining us from McPike, right, tephen?
Stephen McLaughlin:Yep
Jerry Gretzinger:McPike
Stephen McLaughlin:McPike Addiction Treatment
Stephen McLaughlin:yep,
Jerry Gretzinger:Yep, and that's in Utica. So thank you for sitting down with us today, you know. Let's first talk about that idea that I mentioned, about how sometimes people may wonder what is treatment, you know, for problem gambling. Even look like, I think a lot of times people assume if there's a treatment center that offers treatment, it's going to be for substance use. But indeed we do offer treatment-based or treatment center-based treatment for problem gambling.
Stephen McLaughlin:Yeah, so it's person-centered, just like the substance abuse treatment standard substance abuse treatment. The individual comes in. They have an assessment, screenings for different things that they may be experiencing in their lives a co-occurring issue, co-occurring medical or another mental health disorder, where sometimes many of them do come in with a substance abuse issue as well. The treatment plan is tailored specifically for their needs. They may go into standard addiction groups individuals, those types of things. We also do things for finances, any type of continuing care needs the individual has. So the process is similar. Referrals get put in. Either the individual calls or it's referred by an outside agency and that process is similar. The admission process is similar and just the counting process is a lot similar. So it's not as different as many people would think for gambling treatment compared to substance abuse treatment.
Jerry Gretzinger:And it can be both inpatient or outpatient.
Stephen McLaughlin:Correct. Yeah, our facility is inpatient. You know, we treat individuals in an inpatient setting that have gambling use disorder and also substance abuse disorder as well. So it mirrors standard substance abuse services, but it's just geared towards the process addiction, which is gambling.
Jerry Gretzinger:Got it. You know, I know a lot of times too, with problem gambling people refer to it as the hidden addiction, and that's you know. Obviously, now especially, you can tell me if I'm wrong, but I would imagine with mobile sports wagering it is so much more of a practice that can be hidden. That may not be noticeable because somebody can be on their phone, you don't know what they're doing, but they may be placing wagers beyond their means and that becomes part of the problem. Talk to us about that, about this being a hidden addiction and what people might want to look for if they have concerns.
Stephen McLaughlin:Yeah, many of us have our cell phones with us. If someone's looking at a cell phone, you don't know what they're looking at, you don't know what type of notifications they are getting. You're inundated constantly with messages and those types of things and usually someone who is typical, just like substance addiction. Substance addiction is they may be staying up late, they may be preoccupied with their phone, they may go a little crazy. They can't find their phone. Money they may be using their bank account is going to be drained. Um, they're going to be just like someone who would um not go to social, um events with family's friends. They're more preoccupied with going somewhere or using their phone all the time.
Stephen McLaughlin:Um, so it it mirrors typically, uh, an individual who may have a typical addiction. Um, it's, it's, it's almost the same. So just you know, change in behavior, the change in attitude, those types of things, and you will see that they will be on their phone a lot more, especially with the batting, sports, betting and those types of things. But one thing to keep in mind it's not just sports that you can, that you can bet on. There's many different profits, um, all those different things that that, um that you can bet on, and there's different apps and websites where you can do a lot of these profits. So it's not just the actual sporting events, um, that individuals can do on their phones to bet um and to wager for things.
Jerry Gretzinger:You know I I asked you before the signs and what people might look for in another individual that they know who may be showing signs of having an issue with gambling. When you have people who come in to the treatment center looking for treatment services, do you often find that that was prompted by their own volition. They got to a point in their gambling and said, okay, I need to go in and do something about this. Or do you find more often or maybe it's the same amount of times, where it's a loved one or a friend who kind of brought that to light for them and kind of led them to this path?
Stephen McLaughlin:I think the majority you find is that it's a loved one or a friend that would say you know, we notice something's going on, or a significant other noticing that they share those types
Stephen McLaughlin:They can see that the money is draining or they see the change in behavior, because a lot of times with gambling, a scratch off is gambling and to do that daily you may not. You go. A scratch off is gambling and you do that daily. You may not see that as a problem, but then when it starts affecting your life and someone else's, someone points it out and some people don't even realize that that is an actual addiction, where that it would lead someone to attempt to go into treatment. So usually someone identifies that this is an issue that you really want to get checked out and then sometimes they are given an ultimatum to go into treatment, which that's okay. You work with that. You use motivational interviewing, just like you would with someone that is coerced to go into treatment for standard addiction. So it's usually a family friend that identifies it and points them in the right direction.
Jerry Gretzinger:Gotcha. So and then too. I mean, if somebody is hearing this and they wonder you know more about how the treatment plays out is there a typical duration of the treatment? I'm sure a lot of it is very much defined by what the individual may need. But is there a program, a type of program length that people may anticipate? length of substance
Stephen McLaughlin:No For inpatient care. What we try to do is make it person-centered, whatever their needs are. You know an individual may come in with a gambling addiction but also need housing, also need a referral to a primary medical provider or a mental health provider or a halfway house, shelter, those types of things. So we try to look at what the individual needs are and the link to stay will determine, you know, the treatment plan that the individual gets um, regardless of the addiction, and what the continuing care is going to be. Because there's a lot of times we like to do a warm handoff and we just don't want to put the individual back in their environment and not be prepared whether it's gambling or substitute services, um and and set up to fail. So we try to get the individual to a warm handoff or a continuing care that's really strong and it's going to help their recovery plan. So there's no determined amount, length of stay that is set for the individual and they can decide, you know, what is comfortable for them.
Jerry Gretzinger:And you know, you kind of touched on it there about the warm handoff and make sure people are set up to succeed going forward. It's not just about the treatment for problem gambling. There's also the question of recovery, and we talk to people with substance use who are in recovery and they say recovery is not a destination. You don't arrive and you're all set. You need to maintain that, and the same is true for people in recovery from problem gambling.
Stephen McLaughlin:It is. It's something that the individual will work on for the duration. You leave a facility if you come to my program or our program, it's inpatient. You walk out the door, there's convenience stores all over the place that have scratch-offs, that have different, you know, inundated with stimuli that's going to get you that could lead to relapse if you're not, you know, prepared and have a good, strong recovery plan. So it's not this. Hey, I'm done, I graduated the program and I don't have to worry about gambling anymore.
Stephen McLaughlin:No, it's something that you focus on for the rest of the, you know, for the duration, um, and and that's where it, where it comes to that, it's typical, uh, like a typical addiction or substance abuse addiction, um, I keep saying typical, but it's not typical, um, but it, it. You have the same process of recovery through gambling as you would through, um, a substance abuse disorder, addiction. So, um, it, it. It's very important mobile keep in mind that you finish treatment. It's not over. You still have your continuing care or whatever, however that looks that you still have to work on your recovery plan.
Jerry Gretzinger:And Steve, I mentioned it. You mentioned it a bit about the mobile sports wagering and how that sort of changes the landscape. Certainly because you don't really necessarily need to seek it out anymore, it's always in the palm of your hands necessarily need to seek it out anymore, it's always in the palm of your hands. I know it's always been a focus for the agency but I have to imagine it takes an even elevated focus at this point because of the prevalence of oval sports wagering right.
Stephen McLaughlin:Yeah, you have to be on the lookout for many different things. It's, it's becoming more of a norm when because, when you look at the data and the numbers that come out from for mobile sports betting, yes, you can do it, you know, in a safe, in a safe way, but then if it becomes a problem for somebody, since you're inundated by it from all the different games and sports wagering, it's not just football, baseball, hockey, it's also golf, it's also tennis, it's also I've actually seen cricket.
Jerry Gretzinger:Oh, wow.
Stephen McLaughlin:Betting for cricket. Those different things. But yeah, you're inundated with it so much and it becomes. It is so popular now, it does become more prevalent when you are - even someone - because we screen everyone who comes through our door whether you have a gambling issue or not - and you will find that many of them have participated in mobile sports betting or any type of like. You have the casino stuff on the phones, now the apps, so it's becoming prevalent not just in the standard population but also in the addiction population, where it may not become a full-blown addiction, but it is something that's a problem. So, yeah, it's. You have to keep your eyes and ears open for that. For an individual who is just coming in for standard substance abuse treatment, If you don't identify that screen for that and and put make that part of the recovery plan, if they do have an issue, then their chances of relapse on both things is is possible.
Jerry Gretzinger:Yeah, yep, Steve, listen. I want to mention too. I know we mentioned you're from McPike and Utica and it's one of our two treatment centers that have treatment for problem gambling, the other being the Bronx Treatment Center, correct? Yep so if people want more information, they want to get some more resources, learn what they can do. To kind of access some of this, we want to give you our website. It's oasas. ny. gov, O-A-S-A-S. ny. gov. You can always call our HOPE line as well. It's 877-8-HOPE-NY.
Stephen McLaughlin:And Steve, any other things you want to let people know, as we kind of wrap up about what they can do or should consider if they're thinking to themselves. Maybe it's time for me to make a call. New York has many different avenues and a lot of resources. You have your regional centers for problem gambling. You have the ATCs. All the ATCs can take phone calls and accept individuals that have gambling issues or they can push you in the right direction. If you feel like you have an issue or if you feel like you're losing control of the issue, reach out.
Stephen McLaughlin:Don't feel that it is not something that you can get help for, because you can.
Jerry Gretzinger:There's no bad questions, no wrong questions, and everybody's just here to do what they can to assist.
Stephen McLaughlin:Yep, no wrong door.
Jerry Gretzinger:That's right. All right, Steve, listen. Thank you so much for sitting down and chatting with us today. We appreciate it. And thank you everybody for checking out this latest episode of Addiction: The Next Step brought to you by OASAS. I'm Jerry Gretzinger, your host, and until we see you next time, be well.
