Essential Recovery Books

The most universally praised recovery book that removes the desire to gamble rather than relying on willpower. Reviewers report immediate cessation after reading.

The foundational text for the world's oldest gambling recovery program. Essential for anyone entering GA or wanting to understand the 12-step approach.

A brutally honest 40-year addiction journey from a Chinese-American perspective. Addresses how cultural gambling acceptance fuels addiction.

Reveals how slot machines and electronic gaming devices are engineered for maximum addiction. Essential for understanding the "machine zone" phenomenon.

Harvard Medical School research in accessible self-help format. Includes self-assessment tools and structured recovery approaches.

Combines CBT, DBT, and ACT approaches with mindfulness techniques. Used in treatment centers nationwide with practical exercises.

One of the few female gambling addiction memoirs. Addresses unique shame young women face with online gambling addiction.

Dave Ramsey's proven plan for financial fitness. Essential for rebuilding finances after gambling losses with systematic debt elimination.

Uses an ABC framework (Awareness, Balance, Connection) to help families recover whether or not the gambler seeks help.

Provides clear methods for families to achieve financial and emotional freedom regardless of the gambler's progress.

Adapts Buddha's Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path specifically for addiction recovery. Non-theistic alternative to 12-step spirituality.

Gold standard for addressing co-occurring trauma and addiction. Uses evidence-based Seeking Safety model with 35 accessible chapters.

Practical workbook for applying the 12 steps specifically to gambling addiction. Includes exercises and real recovery examples.

Integrates Buddhist meditation practices with 12-step recovery. Offers non-theistic spiritual approach to addiction recovery.

Comprehensive workbook to understand and overcome compulsive gambling. Practical exercises and step-by-step guidance.

The only book specifically about working GA's 12 steps beyond official literature. GA members call it "brilliant" and credit it with "saving their lives".

Combines Zen and Tibetan practices with recovery. Written by someone who relapsed and returned using this integrated approach with specific meditation techniques.

Addresses co-occurring mental health issues most gambling addicts face. Covers Complex PTSD, trauma, CBT therapy, and attachment issues.

Offers specific CBT tools for interrupting compulsive urges, plus financial repair strategies and relationship rebuilding techniques.

Multiple first-hand accounts written in accessible prose. Details parallels between gambling and drug addiction with diverse recovery narratives.

Addresses unique pressures women face that lead to gambling addiction. Written by the UK's leading female gambling addiction therapist.

Specifically targets casino slot machine addicts, addressing the unique "machine zone" phenomenon. Praised for understanding how slot addiction differs.

First comprehensive academic review of gambling psychology theories. Explains why some control gambling while others cannot.

Makes brain science accessible to general readers. Helps gamblers understand their struggle involves actual brain changes, not moral failure.