Compulsive and problem gambling is a problem that, left unattended, can ruin the life of any gambler and those close to the gambler. Like other addictions such as alcohol, smoking, or drugs, gambling addiction is a psychological disorder that impairs a person’s ability to make good decisions. Often, gambling can cause a person to lose their grip on reality, leading them to do things and spend amounts of money that would normally seem outrageous.

Especially in today’s day and age when gambling over the internet is so popular, there are many people who have a problem with it. The first signs of problem gambling are not serious, as they will probably include small amounts of money lost. Over time, the problem can grow out of control, though. As a person begins to lose more money, desperation sets in and they begin to make terrible decisions. The problem is compounded over and over again until there is no money left and all hope is gone. Gambling is dangerous because it is a gateway addiction. It can lead to things like depression and criminal activity.

Do you feel like you have to gamble each and every day? Do you feel like gambling has taken control of your life to the point where you cannot stop get yourself free of its grip? These are realities for many people and it is often difficult to admit that. Doing so is important, though. Treatments for gambling addiction are out there, but nothing has been noted as being extremely successful. Hypnotherapy is one of the more effective modes of treatment for gambling addiction, though.

People see hypnotherapy on television and in movies and they miss out on the reality of the situation. Hypnotherapy is no joke that is used to simply mesmerize people. It is a real psychological treatment that can set a person’s thinking back to the correct state. Hypnotherapy has long been an effective treatment for things like smoking, slimming, and stress, but it is successful in stopping problem gambling in a lot of people.

I have been using hypnosis for many years to treat different problems that people may face. If you want to get rid of a problem that is having a terrible effect on your life, I suggest you find out more information about hypnotherapy and get started on stopping your problem. Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis treatments are excellent stoppers for life’s worst afflictions.

When our self esteem is low, we tend to have the habit of picking at ourselves. Little self criticisms enter our thoughts constantly, and a lot of the time we do not even realize we are doing it! We just feel crumby. It is simply a bad habit to pick at your self, but since that makes us feel sad and incompetent it limits us from doing all we can in life. When we notice we are doing self criticizing, we can argue with the criticism and that helps. But if each evening we just think of three things we can feel good about ourselves, that would go a long way to building a more positive habit of looking at ourselves in terms of the good, rather than the bad and help us in life.

We deserve to have better self esteem. And the stronger we are, the more we can help others and want to help others, so we should never feel guilty about feeling good about ourselves. It is not selfish. There is a big difference between healthy self esteem and being egotistical or insensitive to others. The egoist usually does not feel good about themselves. Their big words about themselves is a cover up how small they feel. Self esteem is often quiet. Some person with good self esteem is not threatened by others criticizing them. With healthy self esteem they can laugh at their own mistakes, rather than having mistakes make them unhappy and sad.

So at the end of each day, write in a journal or an online blog at least three things that either you did today or ways that you are, that are things that you can feel good about or proud of. Maybe you were kind to someone or did a task very well, or resisted a temptation, or just simply did your best and tried, even if things did not turn out well. What kinds of things do you admire in other people? Did you do any of those things today? What qualities did you admire in your parents? Do you take after them in any of those ways? Are there other ways you chose consciously not to be like? Have you avoided addictions or crime? We already have many qualities we take for granted. Perhaps you received a compliment or two today, or a thank you note, and those are also good things to note. Do remember all these things in your daily life.

Write three things a night for a week to start and then try to make it a whole month slowly and slowly. Every person has value, every single day. You especially need to write three things on those days when you feel less good about yourself, but if you miss a night, just start again the next night. In a month you will have a little collection. It can be a good thing to re-read when you are feeling low. And will feel a noticeable difference as you go through your day.

To further illustrate the persuasive power of framing, I’ve chosen a few pretty hot topics. I’m hoping to stir us all up a little.

Everybody knows about the world’s ‘oldest profession’ and whether you’re an opponent or proponent, it’s not going anywhere. Prostitution is illegal in most of the U.S. and unfortunately is connected to drugs and violence, disease and abuse. That’s one frame. We can all agree on that, can’t we? But how about a different frame? An acquaintance and former student of mine sent me the following link in an e-mail. He wrote, ‘Check out this frame.’ His link connected me to the International Committee for Prostitute’s Rights. http://www.walnet.org/csis/groups/icpr_charter.html

Upon further research, I found another organization called C.O.Y.O.T.E. The letters stand for call off your old tired ethics. They bill themselves as a sex worker’s rights organization. Old frame: prostitutes. New frame: sex workers.

There’s a pretty strong movement in the U.S. and all over Europe, to decriminalize prostitution and ensure rights and protection to the people working in the industry. To me, that’s a new frame. I had never heard of such a thing and it really struck me as interesting.

Proponents of this frame differentiate between the prostitutes who are being victimized and the sex workers who feel empowered in the industry. The issue is certainly complex with the emotional fire that politics and sexuality can inspire.

Another part of the frame is that sex work is an important part of the economy. Legalizing it, as it is in Nevada and in other countries, shows how some of the dangers associated with the industry can be lessened through regulation. For example, if there are no pimps, the violence is cut down. With mandatory medical checkups and regulated practices, the health and medical dangers are nearly eliminated.

The issue of sex for money has been taken out of the frame of morality (which has been the strongest frame by far) and put it in the frame of being an important part of the economy. If you look at the argument for legalizing drugs, it’s very similar.

The idea of ‘victimless crimes’ is an appealing frame to me in that the amount of money spent each year on imprisoning pot growers/users and sex workers, is staggering. I am not advocating to ‘legalize it’ though I am intrigued to know that there are intelligent opponents to the cultural norm.

However, this is simply an exercise in framing and as with any frame, whoever has the stronger one, wins.