How To Stop Compulsive Gambling

1. Dec 05, 2016 Compulsive gambling can be an addiction, just as real and powerful as a serious drug addiction. According to Scientific American, 'pathological gamblers and drug addicts share many of the same genetic predispositions for impulsivity and reward seeking. Just as substance addicts require increasingly strong hits to get high, compulsive gamblers.
2. Jul 06, 2017 If your gambling addiction is terrible, you will need as much assistance as you can get to help you stop gambling. Get Help for Underlying Mood Disorders. Many people with a gambling problem also suffer from depression, anxiety, stress, or other substance abuse issues. These can both trigger compulsive gambling as well as make it worse.

• How To Stop Compulsive Gambling Websites
• How Do I Stop Compulsive Gambling
• How To Stop Compulsive Gambling Thoughts
• How To Stop Compulsive Gambling Disorders

Dec 03, 2018 For the Real Victims of Compulsive Gambling. If you are a compulsive gambler, you have my sympathy, but you may want to skip this article. It will upset you. If you are the spouse/partner, parent, or child of a compulsive gambler, then the advice I’m about to offer may save your sanity and your financial future.

Are you or a loved one dealing with a gambling problem? Explore the warning signs and symptoms and learn how to stop.

What is gambling addiction and problem gambling?

Gambling problems can happen to anyone from any walk of life. Your gambling goes from a fun, harmless diversion to an unhealthy obsession with serious consequences. Whether you bet on sports, scratch cards, roulette, poker, or slots—in a casino, at the track, or online—a gambling problem can strain your relationships, interfere with work, and lead to financial disaster. You may even do things you never thought you would, like running up huge debts or even stealing money to gamble.

Gambling addiction—also known as pathological gambling, compulsive gambling or gambling disorder—is an impulse-control disorder. If you’re a compulsive gambler, you can’t control the impulse to gamble, even when it has negative consequences for you or your loved ones. You’ll gamble whether you’re up or down, broke or flush, and you’ll keep gambling regardless of the consequences—even when you know that the odds are against you or you can’t afford to lose.

Of course, you can also have a gambling problem without being totally out of control. Problem gambling is any gambling behavior that disrupts your life. If you’re preoccupied with gambling, spending more and more time and money on it, chasing losses, or gambling despite serious consequences in your life, you have a gambling problem.

A gambling addiction or problem is often associated with other behavior or mood disorders. Many problem gamblers also suffer with substance abuse issues, unmanaged ADHD, stress, depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. To overcome your gambling problems, you’ll also need to address these and any other underlying causes as well.

Although it may feel like you’re powerless to stop gambling, there are plenty of things you can do to overcome the problem, repair your relationships and finances, and finally regain control of your life.
The first step is to separate the myths from the facts about gambling problems:

Myths and Facts about Gambling Problems
Myth: You have to gamble every day to be a problem gambler. Fact: A problem gambler may gamble frequently or infrequently. Gambling is a problem if it causes problems.
Myth: Problem gambling is not really a problem if the gambler can afford it. Fact: Problems caused by excessive gambling are not just financial. Too much time spent on gambling can also lead to relationship and legal problems, job loss, mental health problems including depression and anxiety, and even suicide.
Myth: Having a gambling problem is just a case of being weak-willed, irresponsible, or unintelligent. Fact: Gambling problems affect people of all levels of intelligence and all backgrounds. Previously responsible and strong-willed people are just as likely to develop a gambling problem as anyone else.
Myth: Partners of problem gamblers often drive their loved ones to gamble. Fact: Problem gamblers often try to rationalize their behavior. Blaming others is one way to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, including what is needed to overcome the problem.
Myth: If a problem gambler builds up a debt, you should help them take care of it. Fact: Quick fix solutions may appear to be the right thing to do. However, bailing the gambler out of debt may actually make matters worse by enabling their gambling problems to continue.

Gambling addiction signs and symptoms

Gambling addiction is sometimes referred to as a “hidden illness” because there are no obvious physical signs or symptoms like there are in drug or alcohol addiction. Problem gamblers also typically deny or minimize the problem—even to themselves. However, you may have a gambling problem if you:

How To Stop Compulsive Gambling Websites

Feel the need to be secretive about your gambling. You might gamble in secret or lie about how much you gamble, feeling others won’t understand or that you will surprise them with a big win.

Have trouble controlling your gambling. Once you start gambling, can you walk away? Or are you compelled to gamble until you’ve spent your last dollar, upping your bets in a bid to win lost money back?

Gamble even when you don’t have the money. You may gamble until you’ve spent your last dollar, and then move on to money you don’t have—money to pay bills, credit cards, or things for your children. You may feel pushed to borrow, sell, or even steal things for gambling money.

Have family and friends worried about you. Denial keeps problem gambling going. If friends and family are worried, listen to them carefully. It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help. Many older gamblers are reluctant to reach out to their adult children if they’ve gambled away their inheritance, but it’s never too late to make changes for the better.

Self-help for gambling problems

The biggest step to overcoming a gambling addiction is realizing that you have a problem. It takes tremendous strength and courage to own up to this, especially if you have lost a lot of money and strained or broken relationships along the way. Don’t despair, and don’t try to go it alone. Many others have been in your shoes and have been able to break the habit and rebuild their lives. You can, too.

Learn to relieve unpleasant feelings in healthier ways. Do you gamble when you’re lonely or bored? Or after a stressful day at work or following an argument with your spouse? Gambling may be a way to self-soothe unpleasant emotions, unwind, or socialize. But there are healthier and more effective ways of managing your moods and relieving boredom, such as exercising, spending time with friends who don’t gamble, taking up new hobbies, or practicing relaxation techniques.

Strengthen your support network. It’s tough to battle any addiction without support, so reach out to friends and family. If your support network is limited, there are ways to make new friends without relying on visiting casinos or gambling online. Try reaching out to colleagues at work, joining a sports team or book club, enrolling in an education class, or volunteering for a good cause.

Join a peer support group. Gamblers Anonymous, for example, is a 12-step recovery program patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous. A key part of the program is finding a sponsor, a former gambler who has experience remaining free from addiction and can provide you invaluable guidance and support.

Seek help for underlying mood disorders.Depression, stress, substance abuse, or anxiety can both trigger gambling problems and be made worse by compulsive gambling. Even when gambling is no longer a part of your life, these problems will still remain, so it’s important to address them.

How to stop gambling for good

For many problem gamblers, it’s not quitting gambling that’s the biggest challenge, but rather staying in recovery—making a permanent commitment to stay away from gambling. The Internet has made gambling far more accessible and, therefore, harder for recovering addicts to avoid relapse. Online casinos and bookmakers are open all day, every day for anyone with a smartphone or access to a computer. But maintaining recovery from gambling addiction or problem gambling is still possible if you surround yourself with people to whom you’re accountable, avoid tempting environments and websites, give up control of your finances (at least at first), and find healthier activities to replace gambling in your life.

Making healthier choices

One way to stop gambling is to remove the elements necessary for gambling to occur in your life and replace them with healthier choices. The four elements needed for gambling to continue are:

A decision: For gambling to happen, you need to make the decision to gamble. If you have an urge: stop what you are doing and call someone, think about the consequences to your actions, tell yourself to stop thinking about gambling, and find something else to do immediately.

Money: Gambling cannot occur without money. Get rid of your credit cards, let someone else be in charge of your money, have the bank make automatic payments for you, close online betting accounts, and keep only a limited amount of cash on you.

Time: Even online gambling cannot occur if you don’t have the time. Schedule enjoyable recreational time for yourself that has nothing to do with gambling. If you’re gambling on your smartphone, find other ways to fill the quiet moments during your day.

A game: Without a game or activity to bet on there is no opportunity to gamble. Don’t put yourself in tempting environments. Tell gambling establishments you frequent that you have a gambling problem and ask them to restrict you from entering. Remove gambling apps and block gambling sites on your smartphone and computer.

Finding alternatives to gambling

Maintaining recovery from gambling addiction depends a lot on finding alternative behaviors you can substitute for gambling. Some examples include:

Reason for gambling	Sample substitute behaviors
To provide excitement, get a rush of adrenaline	Sport or a challenging hobby, such as mountain biking, rock climbing, or Go Kart racing
To be more social, overcome shyness or isolation	Counseling, enroll in a public speaking class, join a social group, connect with family and friends, volunteer, find new friends
To numb unpleasant feelings, not think about problems	Try therapy or use HelpGuide’s free Emotional Intelligence toolkit
Boredom or loneliness	Find something you’re passionate about such as art, music, sports, or books and then find others with the same interests
To relax after a stressful day	As little as 15 minutes of daily exercise can relieve stress. Or deep breathing, meditation, or massage
To solve money problems	The odds are always stacked against you so it’s far better to seek help with debts from a credit counselor

Dealing with gambling cravings

Feeling the urge to gamble is normal, but as you build healthier choices and a strong support network, resisting cravings will become easier. When a gambling craving strikes:

Avoid isolation. Call a trusted family member, meet a friend for coffee, or go to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting.

Postpone gambling. Tell yourself that you’ll wait 5 minutes, fifteen minutes, or an hour. As you wait, the urge to gamble may pass or become weak enough to resist.

Visualize what will happen if you give in to the urge to gamble. Think about how you’ll feel after all your money is gone and you’ve disappointed yourself and your family again.

Distract yourself with another activity, such as going to the gym, watching a movie, or practicing a relaxation exercise for gambling cravings.

Coping with lapses

How Do I Stop Compulsive Gambling

If you aren’t able to resist the gambling craving, don’t be too hard on yourself or use it as an excuse to give up. Overcoming a gambling addiction is a tough process. You may slip from time to time; the important thing is to learn from your mistakes and continue working towards recovery.

Gambling addiction treatment

Overcoming a gambling problem is never easy and seeking professional treatment doesn’t mean that you’re weak in some way or can’t handle your problems. But it’s important to remember that every gambler is unique so you need a recovery program tailored specifically to your needs and situation. Talk to your doctor or mental health professional about different treatment options, including:

Inpatient or residential treatment and rehab programs. These are aimed at those with severe gambling addiction who are unable to avoid gambling without round-the-clock support.

Treatment for underlying conditions contributing to your compulsive gambling, including substance abuse or mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, OCD, or ADHD. This could include therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Problem gambling can sometimes be a symptom of bipolar disorder, so your doctor or therapist may need to rule this out before making a diagnosis.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy. CBT for gambling addiction focuses on changing unhealthy gambling behaviors and thoughts, such as rationalizations and false beliefs. It can also teach you how to fight gambling urges and solve financial, work, and relationship problems caused by problem gambling. Therapy can provide you with the tools for coping with your addiction that will last a lifetime.

Family therapy and marriage, career, and credit counseling. These can help you work through the specific issues that have been created by your problem gambling and lay the foundation for repairing your relationships and finances.

How to help someone stop gambling

If your loved one has a gambling problem, you likely have many conflicting emotions. You may have spent a lot of time and energy trying to keep your loved one from gambling or having to cover for them. At the same time, you might be furious at your loved one for gambling again and tired of trying to keep up the charade. Your loved one may have borrowed or even stolen money with no way to pay it back. They may have sold family possessions or run up huge debts on joint credit cards.

While compulsive and problem gamblers need the support of their family and friends to help them in their struggle to stop gambling, the decision to quit has to be theirs. As much as you may want to, and as hard as it is seeing the effects, you cannot make someone stop gambling. However, you can encourage them to seek help, support them in their efforts, protect yourself, and take any talk of suicide seriously.

How To Stop Compulsive Gambling Thoughts

Preventing suicide in problem gamblers

When faced with the consequences of their actions, problem gamblers can suffer a crushing drop in self-esteem. This is one reason why there is a high rate of suicide among compulsive gamblers. If you suspect your loved one is feeling suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the U.S. at 1-800-273-8255 or visit Befrienders Worldwide to find a suicide helpline in your country.

Four tips for family members:

1. Start by helping yourself. You have a right to protect yourself emotionally and financially. Don’t blame yourself for the gambler’s problems or let his or her addiction dominate your life. Ignoring your own needs can be a recipe for burnout.
2. Don’t go it alone. It can feel so overwhelming coping with a loved one’s gambling addiction that it may seem easier to rationalize their requests “this one last time.” Or you might feel ashamed, feeling like you are the only one who has problems like this. Reaching out for support will make you realize that many families have struggled with this problem.
3. Set boundaries in managing money. To ensure the gambler stays accountable and to prevent relapse, consider taking over the family finances. However, this does not mean you are responsible for micromanaging the problem gambler’s impulses to gamble. Your first responsibilities are to ensure that your own finances and credit are not at risk.
4. Consider how you will handle requests for money. Problem gamblers often become very good at asking for money, either directly or indirectly. They may use pleading, manipulation, or even threats to get it. It takes practice to ensure you are not enabling your loved one’s gambling addiction.

Do’s and Don’ts for Partners of Problem Gamblers
Do…
Talk to your partner about their problem gambling and its consequences when you’re calm and not stressed or angry. Look for support. Self-help groups for families of problem gamblers, such as Gam-Anon, for example, can introduce you to people who’ve faced the same obstacles. Explain to your partner that you’re seeking help because of how their gambling affects you and the family. Talk to your children about your partner’s problem gambling. Take over management of your family finances, carefully monitoring bank and credit card statements. Encourage and support your loved one during treatment of their gambling problem, even though it may be a long process peppered with setbacks.
Don’t…
Lose your temper, preach, lecture, or issue threats and ultimatums that you’re unable to follow through on. Overlook your partner’s positive qualities. Prevent your partner from participating in family life and activities. Expect your partner’s recovery from problem gambling to be smooth or easy. Even when their gambling stops, other underlying problems may surface. Bail your partner out of debt or enable their gambling in any way. Cover-up or deny your partner’s problem to yourself or others.

Hypnotherapy can help you

• Is it time for you to stop compulsive gambling?
• Is compulsive gambling ruining your life?
• What will life be like, free from addiction?
• It is possible to quit gambling for good.
• You can take back control, you know.
• Hypnotherapy and NLP may help you.

Read success story»

‘Sam had an issue with his gambling…’
We have successfully worked with to many people to help them to stop compulsive gambling. In many ways this can be no more than a bad habit, although the compulsive gambler’s ‘bad habit’ will often have devastating effects upon their life. It will invariably also affect the lives of their family and friends. Often, but not always, there are other issues that need to be addressed.We often find ourselves dealing with issues of self-esteem or self-worth, anxiety or depression.

Stop compulsive gambling. Learn to control your thinking

The way we help you to stop compulsive gambling is to teach you literally HOW to control your thinking so that you stop the gambling habit, stop finding yourself walking into that betting shop or logging on to that on-line casino, picking up that telephone to the bookmaker etc. By using hypnosis, where appropriate, we help you to feel more comfortable and confident within yourself, having stopped the gambling habit.

Gain self confidence

One of the advantages people report, having kicked the gambling habit, is that they gain more confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. We find that this addiction often responds rapidly to this kind of approach.

How long does the work take?

The average number of sessions required to help you stop compulsive gambling is 2 – 4, though obviously it varies from person to person. The aim is always to provide rapid effective help. Please feel free to get in touch regarding your personal circumstances.

Gambling Testimonial

Sam was most certainly a compulsive gambler, it took just one session with Steve Tromans to change this for good (often it takes more than one session)

Hi SteveJust to give you an update –You did talk a lot of crazy stuff in our meeting I must admit but in all honesty I have now closed all of my gambling accounts and haven’t once even had the urge to gamble so I would just like to thank you for your help and time– I’m not saying I’m cured as it’s only been a few weeks but I certainly feel a lot more positive about life in general and certainly for the foreseeable future gambling is not on the radar.Again thanksSam’

And then fourteen months later I heard from Sam again

‘Hi Steve,Gambling really isn’t an issue in my life anymore, and I have moved on from the problems now, had a go on the sweep stake at work for the grand national but that has been it. It seems the desire just isn’t there anymore.Again thanks for you helpSam’

JustBeWell.com Hypnosis Recordings – CDs and MP3 Downloads

Please feel free to make comments and or ask questions.

Anthonysays:August 26, 2014 at 9:56 pm

Please please please give me the tools to stop betting on sports… I think I lost my wife of 8 years… I am not in a good place at the moment..

Replystevesays:August 27, 2014 at 6:51 am

How To Stop Compulsive Gambling Disorders

Sorry to hear that Anthony and I would love to help if I can. It isn’t the kind of thing that I can do via text though. I work intensively with people one-to-one to help retrain their thinking to neutralise the ‘triggers’ that bring about the gambling behaviour. Without going into the ’causes’ of the gambling problem, it is still possible to change the habituated patterns that bring about the activity. This can be done via Skype if you are too far away for a personal meeting. I see you have also emailed me and will reply to that now. Steve Tromans: London

ReplyAaron Gauntsays:November 2, 2014 at 9:11 am

Steve it would be good if this could help as I have lost everything

Replystevesays:November 4, 2014 at 12:26 pm

Hi Aaron
Well hopefully I will be able to help you. Please feel free to call me on 07900 240192 anytime.
Steve Tromans

ReplyAndrew Pollittsays:December 25, 2014 at 11:19 am

I need help to stop gambling pls.

Replystevesays:January 7, 2015 at 11:36 am

Hi Andrew

Please scroll down and get in touch with whoever is closest to you. Hopefully one of us will be able to help you.

Reply

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