A women-only treatment center for gamblers in the UK is a unique place that offers hope and help to those facing gambling addiction. Located in the heart of Birmingham, the inpatient center attracts attention not only for its impressively successful treatment program but also for its special approach to creating a comfortable and supportive environment.
Immediately upon entering the center, each visitor is greeted with posters bearing messages of support from patients who have already gone through the treatment program. These words emphasize the importance and effectiveness of this place and become a source of hope for women who are just beginning their journey to recovery.
Inside the inpatient unit, there are many creative artworks and positive messages that adorn all surfaces, including the kitchen cabinets. This atmosphere creates a feeling of homeliness and contributes to the psychological support of the patients. Each guest is also greeted with a letter written by a woman who has previously stayed in the same room. This final message becomes a symbol of support and a call to fight addiction.
The treatment center is run by the charity Gordon Moody, and its opening in late 2021 has generated a lot of public and media interest. In a short space of time, the number of women seeking help at the clinic has more than doubled from 77 in its first year of operation to 210 at the end of March 2023.
The women’s commitment to recovery and the positive changes they achieve at this center make a strong impression on visitors and leading experts in the field of gambling addiction. The very fact that women can seek help on their own or through healthcare providers and gambling-related organizations underscores the importance and accessibility of this program.
Differences in stay between women and men
The length of stay in this clinic is much shorter for women, only five weeks, compared to 14 weeks for men. One of the reasons for this is that many of the women who seek treatment have children to care for. This factor requires a shorter treatment program so that they can return to their families and daily lives as soon as possible. However, despite the shortened length of stay, this clinic continues to achieve significant results.
Another difference in treatment for women is that they want to focus more on the personal experiences that may have led them to problems with gambling addiction and how the addiction affects their relationships. Unlike men, who tend to talk first about their gambling addictions and then the circumstances surrounding their problem, women start immediately by talking about how gambling has affected their lives, relationships, and emotional well-being. This reflects a deep need to understand and explore their own addiction journey, which is an important part of the treatment program.
The intensive five-week treatment program includes daily therapeutic and psychoeducational sessions. During these sessions, women are given the opportunity to discuss their problems, learn how to manage stress and anxiety, and develop healthy behavioral strategies to avoid the temptation to return to gambling. Such a chance certainly exists, as there are sites like www.topcadcasinos.net on the Internet that actively advertise casinos with no-deposit free spins and other free bonuses.
The center also offers creative workshops where women are encouraged to express their feelings and emotions through art, music, or other creative forms. These workshops focus on self-expression and help women find new ways of self-actualization as well as coping with negative emotions and stress.