Sex & Gambling Addiction

Ventura Wellness Behavioral Health provides gambling addiction treatment in Thousand Oaks, along with care for compulsive sexual behavior, through outpatient programs that let you keep living at home. Behavioral addictions don’t involve a substance, but they can drain bank accounts, end relationships and bring on serious depression just the same. If you keep going back to a behavior you’ve promised yourself you’d stop, treatment can help you understand why and build a way out.

Gambling losses and secret sexual behavior are often tied to intense shame, and sometimes to suicidal thoughts. If you’re thinking about ending your life, call or text 988 or call 911. We’re an outpatient program, not an emergency service.

Gambling Addiction Treatment in Thousand Oaks, CA

Gambling disorder is a recognized diagnosis in the DSM-5, the manual clinicians use to diagnose mental health conditions. It sits in the same chapter as substance use disorders because it acts on the brain’s reward system in similar ways. Sports betting apps, online casinos and crypto trading have made it possible to gamble every waking hour from a phone, and we see more people whose problems began on a screen.

Signs that gambling has become a disorder include:

• Needing bigger bets to feel the same excitement
• Restlessness or irritability when you try to cut back
• Chasing losses, trying to win back what you lost
• Lying about how much you gamble or borrowing money to cover it
• Gambling to escape stress, loneliness or low mood
• Putting a job, relationship or savings at risk

Sex Addiction and Compulsive Sexual Behavior Treatment

What people often call “sex addiction” is described clinically as compulsive sexual behavior disorder, a diagnosis included in the World Health Organization’s ICD-11. The issue is not how much sex someone has or what they enjoy. It’s a pattern of sexual urges and behaviors, including pornography use, that feels out of control, continues despite real harm, and causes significant distress.

We approach this without judgment. Many clients carry years of secrecy and shame, and treatment starts by making it safe to talk honestly. From there, therapy looks at what the behavior is doing for you, whether that’s numbing anxiety, avoiding intimacy or coping with old trauma, and helps you find other ways to meet those needs.

What Drives Behavioral Addictions

Compulsive gambling and sexual behavior rarely stand alone. They often travel with depression, anxiety, ADHD, trauma or alcohol and drug use. A win or a sexual high can briefly quiet painful feelings, and that relief is what keeps the cycle running. Treating only the behavior, without the condition underneath, leaves people open to relapse or to switching to a new compulsion. That’s why we treat co-occurring conditions at the same time, as part of our dual diagnosis care.

How We Treat Gambling and Sex Addiction

Every client has a dedicated therapist, case manager and psychiatric team. Your treatment plan is set within the first three days and reviewed weekly. Care may include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which has good research support for gambling disorder. It targets thinking traps such as “I’m due for a win” and builds plans for high-risk moments.
• DBT skills for tolerating urges and riding out strong emotions without acting on them
• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to reconnect choices with the things you value most
• Group therapy, where hearing others’ stories cuts through isolation
• Medication management for co-occurring depression, anxiety or ADHD
• Practical support from your case manager, such as setting up self-exclusion, money safeguards, blocking software or a referral to a financial counselor

Some clients also find breathwork, yoga or sound baths helpful for managing stress and urges between sessions.

Outpatient Programs That Fit Around Your Life

Our partial hospitalization program offers about six hours of care a day for people in crisis or early recovery. The intensive outpatient program runs about three hours a day, several days a week. Morning, afternoon and evening tracks are available, in person in Thousand Oaks or online for California residents. That privacy and flexibility matters to many clients from Westlake Village, Agoura Hills and Simi Valley who are juggling work and family while getting help.

Sex and Gambling Addiction FAQs

Is gambling addiction a real mental health condition?

Yes. Gambling disorder is listed in the DSM-5 and is classified alongside substance use disorders because it affects the brain’s reward system in similar ways. It is treatable, and therapy such as CBT has solid evidence behind it. Many health insurance plans cover treatment for it, depending on the plan.

Is sex addiction an official diagnosis?

The World Health Organization’s ICD-11 includes compulsive sexual behavior disorder, which describes a persistent pattern of sexual behavior that feels out of control and causes significant distress or harm. The DSM-5 doesn’t list it separately, but clinicians can still diagnose and treat the problem and the conditions that often come with it.

Can I get treatment without my family or employer finding out?

Your treatment is confidential and protected by federal and California privacy laws. We don’t share information without your written consent, except in rare safety situations the law requires. Evening and virtual sessions make it easier to attend without big changes to your schedule. Family involvement is encouraged but always your choice.

Will you help with gambling debt?

We’re not financial advisors, but your case manager can help you put safeguards in place, such as self-exclusion from casinos and betting apps, handing over control of accounts for a while, and connecting with a nonprofit credit or financial counselor. Facing the numbers honestly is often part of therapy too.

Call 805-905-5483 to speak with our admissions team, or verify your insurance for a free benefits check. For more on problem gambling, see the National Council on Problem Gambling.