Imagine that there is such a rehabilitation clinic for people who are addicted to gambling. Now imagine what they treat there without the use of pharmacology.
The main doctors there are gambling specialists, whose task is to convince you that you do not need to gamble. Your task, for example, is to prove that the patient most likely has a disordered game. In order to have long-term income, you need to have a gaming system. And not just a system, but a fairly innovative system of forecasting and risk management. Most likely the patient does not have it and never had it; otherwise he would have been successful and would not have ended up in rehab.
It is also necessary to find something for the patient to do instead of playing, so that he can occupy himself.
Now imagine that this gambling expert is you. What arguments will you give? What will you tell the patient about?
Please note that the patient will resist to the last. He will give counterarguments. For example, that he will get rich in the future, he’s just not lucky yet.
What other arguments do you think the patient will give? How do you respond to these arguments of his?
I'm not a psychiatrist either, but I believe that just a good idea or concept will not help an addict.
In these rehabilitation clinics, professionals need to use different methods to have some success with the patient and this primarily includes the lack of access to gambling, whether physical or online, participation in stimulating activities for the brain and body, diverting attention from the addiction, and this includes physical activities and hobbies.
I believe that it is possible to carry out treatment using medication if the addicted person is really aware of their problems and has the desire to stop gambling, otherwise I think that the use of medication is essential to help control the person's hormones and put her in an easier mental state to accept treatment.