Gambling addiction, whether to the lottery or the casino, can take control of your life and force you to make decisions that you’ll later regret. If you need gambling addiction help, follow these steps which can help you start rebuilding your future from scratch. And remember, whatever you do, don’t gamble! It will only hurt you in the long run!
Is it time to quit?
We’ve all heard the saying, life is a marathon, not a sprint. If you take just one lesson from that phrase it should be that true success doesn’t happen overnight. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—lots of us would love to get in shape overnight—but it is important to have patience with yourself when trying to quit gambling. There will be times where you slip up, but don’t beat yourself up too much if you do.
Get out of debt
The first step in getting out of debt is accepting that you have a problem, and then taking action. Begin by creating a detailed budget that’s realistic—and stick to it. You may also want to consider seeing a therapist or joining a support group. If you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck, create an emergency fund so you can afford unexpected expenses like medical bills or car repairs.
Seek help
If you’re struggling with a gambling addiction, seeking help is critical. Talk to your family, a counsellor or a treatment centre about how to quit for good. A therapist can also provide helpful insights into what may have caused your gambling problem in the first place. Getting professional help doesn’t mean that you are weak—it means that you are strong enough to recognise that you need assistance overcoming an issue that could destroy everything important in your life.
Give back
Addiction is a serious disease that deserves help. If you feel like you might be addicted, don’t wait for tomorrow or next week or next month. Contact an addiction specialist today. The earlier you begin your recovery process, the better your chances are at long-term success. You can start rebuilding your future now by getting started with gambling rehab treatment today. Treatment specialists can offer one-on-one counselling and support groups as well as resources for family members of people struggling with gambling addiction.
Focus on being healthy
If you have a gambling addiction, your biggest problem is not necessarily money; it’s that you’re killing yourself. While your addiction certainly impacts your bank account, it also damages your personal relationships, makes you more susceptible to diseases, stunts your professional growth and even increases your risk of suicide. If any of these reasons seems important enough for you to quit gambling once and for all, know that there are tons of treatment options available.
Get a job/volunteer
If you want to quit gambling for good, it’s important to develop new interests and activities. This might mean getting a job or volunteering at a non-profit—anything that will get you out of your house and socialising with others. Connecting with other people is key when trying to break free from addiction.
Hang out with non-gamblers
When you’re trying to figure out how to quit gambling, a great first step is just distancing yourself from your regular environment. You don’t have to move into a new house or abandon your social circle—just avoid places where you might be tempted. Hang out with friends who aren’t gamblers, eat at restaurants that don’t have gambling machines and limit time spent on sites like Craigslist where you could wind up playing poker online.
Learn from your mistakes
You are not a gambler if you have gone through treatment. It’s going to be tough, but learning from your mistakes is a great way to start rebuilding your future. People think of gambling addiction as a choice that people make, when in reality it’s something that is much more complex than people realise. The truth is, most gamblers do not realise they have an addiction until it has ruined their lives.