How To Deal With a Gambling Addiction
How To Deal With Gambling Addiction
For some, gambling is a type of entertainment. They love the feeling of getting “high” or excited about the chance of winning something. For others, they consider gambling as a coping mechanism. These chance-based games make them forget about their problems, worries, and depression, and winning these games contribute a lot to their self-confidence.
Unfortunately, too much gambling can turn into an addiction. Gambling addiction is when a person cannot resist the urge to gamble, which can lead to personal, financial, and social consequences. Like quitting smoking or alcohol, stopping your gambling addiction can be extremely difficult, but it’s not impossible. On a good note, once you’ve managed to stop gambling for a long time, it becomes easier to quit it for good.
Are you having problems with quitting gambling? Here are a few steps to help you deal with your gambling addiction and help you recover from this unhealthy habit without relapsing.
- Have A Plan On How To Avoid Boredom
If you’ve only started avoiding or quitting gambling, one of the main struggles you’ll likely encounter is dealing with boredom. Considering that you’ve spent most of your extra time gambling in the past, now you have plenty of time on your hands to face boredom while resisting the urge to gamble.
Thus, it’s recommended to have a plan on alternative activities you can do during those times when you’re supposed to gamble. You can create a list of all things or activities you can do whenever you start feeling bored or “itchy to gamble.” Once you start feeling the urge to gamble again, you can look back on this list and do any of the activities to relieve boredom.
On the other hand, if you’re having difficulty formulating a plan to avoid gambling and deal with boredom, it’s also best to consult a rehabilitation center like https://rehab.melbourne/ or other addiction recovery facilities that deal with gambling addiction. They can assist you in devising a plan to quit gambling and facing boredom the healthier way.
- Work On Moving On From Your Losses
Another reason some people find it difficult to quit gambling is that they still feel the need to repossess their lost money. Thinking about their gambling losses will only motivate them to keep playing to get a chance to recover these losses and win back their money. If you really wish to quit your gambling addiction, you’ll need to work on moving on from your losses and remove the desire to get even with the casinos or bookmakers who won your bets.
To help you move on from your losses and focus on abstaining from gambling for good is by doing something completely different. For instance, set yourself some new tasks or goals each day to stimulate your problem-solving skills such as home designing, playing puzzles, learning a new instrument or dance, woodworking, etc. Focusing on problem-solving activities can help you better cope with your gambling urges.
- Revisit Your Old Hobbies
Perhaps your gambling addiction has made you forget your past hobbies and passions. Now that you’re trying to quit gambling for good, this is also an excellent time to revisit your old hobbies and use them to distract you from your gambling urges. Engaging in your old hobbies will serve as your reminder to live a healthier life free from gambling and other negative habits.
- Be Wary About Special Events That Promote Gambling
Special events like sports championships, festival games, or tournaments can be particularly challenging for recovering gamblers. The hype and excitement surrounding these competitive events may trigger your gambling urges and make it more difficult to resist them. Thus, if you’re aware that particular special events are approaching shortly, have a plan on how you can avoid them at all costs. For example, if there’s an upcoming horse race on TV or a sports championship event in your local area, you can plan to travel somewhere, go on a road trip, or camp outdoors with your friends to distract your mind away from the games and focus on somewhere else.
- Find Healthier Alternatives On How To Cope With Stress
As mentioned, some people gamble as their way of coping with stress or their problems. Thus, when stuck in stressful events, it may be easier for some of you to relapse from your gambling recovery. To avoid relapse and hopefully keep up with your recovery process, take your time to find healthier alternatives to deal with stress. Some healthier stress-relieving activities may include meditation, exercise, hypnotherapy, gardening, or talking to someone you trust. As you become more habituated to your new stress-reliever, you’ll find it easier to quit gambling for good.
Recovering From Gambling Addiction
While gambling is fun and exciting, you need to remind yourself that gambling is about risking and losing your money, regardless of how good your betting strategy is. After all, gambling is all about chance and luck, and there’s no guarantee that luck will always be by your side.
Thus, if you or someone else is suffering from gambling addiction, you can consult a professional therapist to help you recover from this addiction, along with the tips above. Your therapist will help you identify your triggers to relapse and personalize a plan for your successful recovery from gambling addiction.
