How to stop gambling addiction

You can stop gambling addiction by using various methods, including some that you can apply yourself and some that include professional help. Keep on reading to find out more about gambling addiction, what you can do to stop it, who can help you, and what to do if a loved one is dealing with it!

What gambling addiction is and how to recognise it

Gambling addiction is a severe problem that affects around 350,000 people in the United Kingdom. According to the NHS statistics, only around 5% of people seek help. However, only 1% go through with it and get treatment for this addiction.

Untreated gambling addiction causes long-term physical and psychological harm

People who suffer from it have high chances of experiencing distress, anxiety, depression, migraine, and even intestinal disorders, among other issues.

Luckily for all British gamblers, it is very easy to recognise gambling addiction.

Common signs to look for:

• Inability to control your gambling;
• Obsession over any type of gambling activity;
• Lying to friends and family about your gambling habits;
• Making it a priority over other more important things such as your professional or social life;
• Selling possessions or loaning money to gamble;
• Neglecting responsibilities and bills to gamble;
• Resorting to this activity to feel better or overcome difficult personal situations.

How to stop gambling addiction

There are many ways to stop gambling addiction, depending on how serious the problem is and how long you have been dealing with it.

Self Help for gambling addiction

If you are worried you may be suffering from this addiction, it is a good idea to start with self-help.

Here are the ways in which you can stay away from gambling

• Accept the problem and decide to stop

This may sound like not much of a solution, but it is, in fact, essential!

Accepting the problem may be difficult and take a lot of time for most problem gamblers. Then, once you realise you are dealing with this issue, deciding to stop may also come with difficulties.

• Avoid tempting environments

Once you have acknowledged and accepted your problem, the next step you can take towards stopping your gambling addiction is to avoid all tempting environments. These may vary depending on the type of gambling you used to engage in, but it is a good idea to avoid them all.

These may include:

1. Casinos
2. Races
3. Any other events that would allow you to place bets

• Let someone else handle your finances

Having around-the-clock access to money may hinder your progress in dealing with this problem.

It is also a good idea to set up automatic payments for your bills and avoid walking around with much cash. Also, you can set limits to your credit and debit cards to make sure you do not feel tempted to spend money on gambling.

• Stay busy!

Staying busy is important, and it may also help you enjoy life more. Whether you take on more responsibilities at your job, spend more time with friends, or enjoy your favourite hobbies, make sure you use your spare time for good things.

This will not allow you to have time for gambling, and being immersed in other activities will keep your mind off of playing casino games.

• Find new hobbies

Now that you have more spare time since you decided to give up gambling, it is good to find new hobbies!

Whether you go for sports, games, arts, or any other type of hobby, make sure it does not have any connection to gambling. This means if you do go for sports, make sure you stay away from sports betting and even friendly bets on matches outcomes.

• Postpone gambling

This is a great way to start. Simply postpone gambling. Tell yourself you will do it tomorrow, and then notice how not gambling the previous day did not negatively affect you, so tell yourself you will do it tomorrow.

• Focus on your social life

Spending quality time with friends and family is very important when trying out new activities to stop your addiction.

Even more, you should also go out and meet new people.

• Cope with lapses

Dealing with an addiction is not easy, and it is not uncommon for casino players to relapse. If this happens to you, it does not mean you are not strong enough or do something wrong.

It is normal and what you can do in case this happens is to simply start over and refrain from playing. However, if this keeps on happening, it may mean you need some extra help as these self-help methods might not be enough for you!

• Keep in mind that gambling may lead to losing money

Casinos have their own systems that are far from perfect. All casino games have a house edge, giving real meaning to the saying “The house always wins.”

This simply means that you are constantly losing money while playing casino games, and you may end up losing the entire budget. This is a good enough reason to stop and reminding yourself this every day may help you stay away from this activity.

Gambling addiction treatment

If you have a hard time refraining from gambling yourself, it may mean the addiction is rather advanced, and you might need gambling addiction treatment.

You can receive many types of treatment, but this should always be recommended by a medical professional!

Common options that a professional might present you with:

• Therapy

This is always tailor-made for you by the professional you decide to work with!It may range from intensive treatment to group therapy. However, one type of therapy has shown significant improvement in treating gambling addiction, and this is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

Through this, you can identify what makes you gamble, what your mental processes are while gambling, and by finding and addressing the roots of the problem, you can begin your recovery.

• Support groups

While joining a support group may be a personal decision rather than an actual treatment, this may also be recommended by the mental health professional.

How can it help you?

Coming together with people who share the same problem but have different experiences can be very helpful. You can be inspired by their stories and get the chance to share your own.

Also, having the support of people who completely understand your position can be very important for a quick recovery.

• Medication

Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter or prescription medication to help you cope with giving up gambling!

For players with low impulse control, substances that affect the prefrontal cortex are often recommended.

Avoid these missteps at all costs!

1. You should only take medication your doctor recommends and always take it as prescribed.
2. Never abuse them!
3. If you feel like you need more, it is always best to check with the professional and not take more meds than you should.

• Residential inpatient treatment centre

A good option to focus on your recovery without worrying about day-to-day life is to join a residential inpatient treatment centre.

You will benefit from 24/7 care, medical and psychological supervision, therapeutic activities, and treatment for associated disorders, among others.

• Outpatient gambling rehab

These facilities allow you to benefit from the programs the inpatient treatment centres offer but personalised to your schedule and life.

This is a good option for full-time workers!

You may not be able to spend time away from home or your job, so this should be a suitable option for you. They have fully trained staff and programs that can be customised to your gambling addiction needs.

• Treating underlying conditions

Gambling addiction does not come by itself but rather has some underlying conditions that facilitate its evolution!

These often include:

1. Depression
2. Anxiety
3. Stress
4. Substance abuse

If you suffer from any of these, treating them simultaneously as your gambling addiction is a very good idea. Doing this will also help you feel better a lot sooner and ensure you a greater chance of success in overcoming this addiction!

• 12-step programs

If neither inbound nor outbound patient treatment centres are good options for you, a 12-step program might be.

Whether you go for Gamblers Anonymous or any other such program, you will be able to build a helpful support network.

What about their schedule?

Meetings for this program usually happen more times per week, but you can choose when to attend based on your personal and work schedule. They can be a great addition to your efforts to stop gambling and, paired with other recovery methods, they can be very effective.

Organisations that help you with gambling addiction

There are plenty of trustworthy organisations in the United Kingdom that can help you treat your gambling addiction.

These are some of the best organisations you can reach out to and count on:

• GamCare

This organisation provides all the British gamblers with the National Gambling Helpline, and it was founded in 1997.

It focuses on:

1. Information
2. Emotional support
3. Advice
4. Further resources.

Their services are available 24/7, so you can reach out via their Live Chat or phone number at 0808 8020 133.

Also, you have access to chatrooms and an online forum on their website if you wish to share your experience and find support and guidance.

• GAMSTOP

This non-governmental organisation is among the most well-known ones when it comes to helping problem gamblers.

It offers a free online self-exclusion program

This means that they can help you restrict your access to online gambling activities. For this to be possible, you have to sign up and offer them information such as current and previous addresses and postcodes, date of birth, and current and previous email addresses and phone numbers. After registration, you get all the tools and resources to self-exclude.

How can you reach out to them?

You may check out their website, write an email at [email protected], use the live chat from 10 am to 8 pm, or call 0800 138 6518 in the same timeframe.

• Gambling Therapy

This specialised group focuses on providing all British gamblers with online therapy.

Here, you have the chance to talk to someone about:

1. What you are going through
2. What your challenges with gambling addiction are
3. What your feelings are

They have an app, or you can check them out on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. You can also head over to their website and choose any of the options we have mentioned above.

• Be Gamble Aware

They offer information, resources, and guidance to both players who are suffering from gambling addiction and those who simply want to learn more about safe gambling.

They redirect you to the National Gambling Helpline, but they also have plenty to offer themselves

Aside from this helpline which you can call at 0808 8020 133, you can also chat with their advisors via live chat. Optionally, you may find out more about them on social media channels such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

• Addiction Recovery Agency

Founded in 1987, this agency has helped more than 40,000 people overcome and deal with both gambling and substance addiction, as well as mental health issues.

They do this through workshops focused on:

1. Educating young people
2. Structured treatment
3. Online and offline support groups
4. Housing support
5. Counselling

This GamCare partner can be contacted via phone at 0330 1340 286 or by email at [email protected].

How we help you further?

These are only some of the agencies and organisations ready to lend a helping hand to all gamblers, whether they are suffering from gambling addiction or not.

Regardless of what your situation is, you should check them out! You have plenty of helpful information to get from them and learn how to be in control of your gaming activities.

Apps to stop gambling addiction

Since online and mobile gambling has become more popular in the last years, you now have the option to get apps that can help you control your gambling, restrict it, or reach out for advice and support.

Gambling Therapy app is an excellent choice!

Here are more options for you to choose from:

How to help someone stop gambling

People who are suffering from gambling addiction need emotional support from their close ones.

It may be the case that not you, but someone in your family or a close friend is dealing with this problem.

Here is what you can do to be helpful:

• Have the conversation

The first thing you need to do as soon as you notice a loved one has a gambling problem is to talk to them about it.

You need to remember two key factors:

1. Make sure the conversation is non-confrontational and focus on finding out more about what is going on, how long they have been engaging in this, and what their current position is.
2. Listen to what they have to say and try not to be judgemental.

Admitting they have a problem is often times the most challenging part, so do not pressure them into doing it. Instead, create a safe space for them to open up and talk calmly about it.

• Offer them support

What your loved one needs in this situation most is support, especially from the people they care about.

Here are your best strategies:

1. During the conversation, let them know you are 100% behind them and that you are willing to support them through their recovery.
2. Be ready to offer constructive advice and guide them towards any of the options we have presented above to quit gambling.

• Do not blame yourself

Depending on the nature of your relationship with the person suffering from gambling addiction, you may find yourself in the position of blaming yourself for the problem.

• Prepare yourself to face the problem

Yoping with a friend or family member’s gambling addiction can be exhausting. You may often notice you are preoccupied with their problems more than with yours, you may overextend yourself or even try and fix the problem for them.

Make sure you offer as much help as you can without ignoring your own needs and responsibilities!

You can still make a difference, but at the end of the day, they should put in the most effort.

• Be patient

Treating gambling addiction is not easy nor fast!

The time needed to overcome it varies from one gambler to another and strongly depends on how advanced the problem is.

What not to do?

Do not blame the gambler for not fixing it faster, and do not expect overnight improvements. Sometimes, they may even relapse.

Be patient and allow them to go through this process while continually supporting them to stop!

• Manage their finances

You may have to manage your friend or family member’s finances during this difficult time. It may be an extra responsibility for you, but it can help a lot.

By doing this, you give them the space to focus on recovery and keep them away from temptation.

Conclusions

Gambling addiction is a severe problem that can negatively impact any gambler’s personal and professional life as well as their finances.

Even if you are not addicted to gambling, these organisations and resources can help you avoid that, create a healthy gambling habit, and always be in control.

References

• What is gambling addiction?
• Compulsive Gambling Symptoms, Causes and Effects
• Gambling Addiction and Problem Gambling