We have been asked by some of you to write a post on gambling addiction and how to first tackle it by its roots.
Of course we thought this was a great idea for a post, especially since it’s what you asked from us. However, we wanted to provide you with answers and tips from people who have gone through the real issue. Nobody can tell it better than the people who have experienced the real deal.
We conducted a small forum where we asked people to give us their best advice on how to deal with a gambling addiction and these are the main issues we chose for you. Of course the forum was anonymous and we’re only providing a fake name to let you know the gender of the people who shared their experiences with us.
It is also very important to remember that gambling can be a fun and healthy activity, however, like everything in excess, it can be a problem.
“The first thing I suggest you do right now is to ask someone to help you. Whether it is someone from your family, a friend, a therapist or a meeting at Gambler’s Anonymous or even AA. Of course you can do it on your own but a support person makes it easier, especially if you’ve got serious problems caused by gambling.” – Mary
“You need to get real. It’s the first step. The way to tackle an addiction is by getting honest with yourself and the rest of your family and friends. To me this was the hardest step, yet, once I came out of the “lying closet,” the rest of the process just became easier. My problem was that I ended up hiding my gambling problem from the main people around me. I mean, it is quite understandable as it is hard to explain to a partner, family member or friend some of the things that problem gamblers do to keep their gambling going, such as borrowing money from finance companies or taking cash from a child’s money box. Coming clean about gambling with a trusted person can relieve pressure and provide the space to prepare a more thoughtful plan for recovery. Lying is a hard habit to break. If it happens with your support person, it stops them being able to help you because they won’t trust what you say. You and your helper need to talk about this and plan out how to cope.” – John
“Let me tell you that to me, my life or in this case, my addiction really changed when my access to cash was basically denied. Giving up gambling is not that difficult, especially if you catch it on time; however, if you have cash available then something inside yourself feels like it’s impossible to stop. Getting the cash flow to simply STOP is how you can stop thinking that you can place a bet. My personal recommendation: play for free if you can’t control yourself, it is after all just games” – Ryan
“When you’re trying to quit gambling, you need to get busy or very relaxed. You need to make sure that all of the hours you spent gambling, are now being spent doing something else. Do yoga, swim, do sports and join a book club! Whatever it is that you’ve always wanted to learn or do; NOW it’s your chance!
Learn how to relax, get plenty of rest and eat quality food. I saw this chance as an opportunity to make a life change, a positive one, rather than a negative and difficult time. It’s all a matter of perspective!” – Mark
As I mentioned previously, it is important to draw a line when it comes to certain activities, some as simple as eating, drinking or even playing games. Once we lose control over ourselves and something we enjoy becomes our main priority, affecting our lives and the lives of those we love, we need to sit back, take a good look at the situation and act healthy and responsible.
