Hamilton, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/24/2017 -- The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ), which offers help for disordered gamblers and their loved ones, asks the community to join them in observing Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October.
Gambling addiction and domestic violence exhibit a strong correlation. According to research, 25-50% of spouses of disordered gamblers report abuse. On top of that, some reports show that about 50% of disordered gamblers were abused themselves.
"Abusive behavior is all about control. When something like disordered gambling takes that control away, people seek it in their relationships. Unfortunately, this usually takes the form of physical or verbal abuse," said Neva Pryor, Executive Director of the CCGNJ. "At the Council, we hope to put disordered gamblers back in touch with both themselves and their loved ones."
A family member's gambling disorder typically creates not only financial but also emotional tension within the family. When a gambler develops disordered behavior, they may experience gauntlet of emotions that shame, anger, and helplessness, often all at the same time. The difficulty of coping with their thoughts and feelings may cause a problem gambler to displace them onto their closest loved ones. This dysfunction can often manifest itself in even more disordered behaviors, such as disordered substance use or child neglect.
However, support, treatment and hope are available to problem gamblers who wish to begin recovery, as well as concerned loved ones. The CCGNJ's hotline, 1-800-GAMBLER, offers completely confidential support 24/7, and can connect those struggling with a gambling problem with the help they need, such as treatment programs and support groups such as Gamblers Anonymous
Additional resources can be found on their website, https://800gambler.org/.
About The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey
The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey is a non-profit, private organization dedicated to helping individuals seek help for their disordered gambling problem, and for concerned friends and loved ones to confidentially express their concerns about someone close to them. Their 24/7 hotline is 800-GAMBLER. The Council also works to train professionals in the fields of gambling addiction and recovery.
For more information, please visit http://www.800gambler.org.