How to Stop Gambling Addiction – Handling the Urges
Defeating gambling addiction, similar to drugs or alcohol, might be very tough and time-consuming. However, maintaining recovery is possible if you follow a proper scheme and turn for help from professionals. Here you’ll learn about the difference between problem and compulsive gambling, as well as get expert pieces of advice on how to quit this pernicious habit and regain a healthy and active life.
What is Gambling Addiction?
The definition of gambling addiction qualifies as a condition of mental health when a person completely loses his/her grip on casino and sports betting behaviour. (Sometimes also called ‘disorder’ or ‘compulsive/pathological gambling’.) Addicts have an irresistible craving for making real money bets, especially in stressful situations. They play again and again and again even despite the toll their actions take on their life. Such as:
- Gambling addiction contributes to health issues as punters experience severe stress.
- Major depressive episodes, anxiety and even suicide are all possible scenarios.
- Many borrow money or take loans that they are unable to pay off.
- Facing job loss, unemployment, uncertainty and homelessness.
- Fractured relationship with close and dear people, social exclusion.
- Stealing to get money and chase losses leads to legal troubles, often imprisonment.
Problem Gambling vs Compulsive Gambling
The two terms are often used as synonyms, but they are not. These notions represent different stages of addiction to various games of chance or sports wagering. Problem gamblers do experience difficulties in controlling their betting habits, yet they are not pathological addicts. Such people may tell lies to their relatives and friends and attempt to recoup, but the harmful flair doesn’t affect every area of life. Slight problems with gambling are still of major concern, as doing nothing with the buds can quickly bring you to the extreme end of the scale.
Gambling Addiction Symptoms and Signs
The great majority of compulsive players deny their bondage to the dark side and refuse to seek help, although they do need outside support. You may wonder how to recognise a person as a pathological playaholic if they don’t talk frankly. Here are visible signs of gambling addiction in someone you care about or yourself:
- Deep engagement. The candidate abandons familiar things, particularly food, work and sleep, in favour of gambling. He/she perpetually plans for the next visit to a casino or bookie, online or offline. Or, maniacally muses about where to get cash for gaming sessions. Gambling addicts stop responding to family, buddies and colleagues, ignoring personal duties, responsibilities and bills.
- Loss of control. Another urgent call for help to stop gambling, because a person is unable to give up harmful activities. This applies to both their mental condition after a streak of failures and after big wins. Less visible but far more damaging is betting appetite: compulsive punters crave to risk more pounds sterling with every game.
- Keen desire to recoup what has been lost. A ‘suspect’ fantasises about lucky days to come: when he wins back all pounds and later successfully ties with betting for good. This is a major flashing sign to start googling ‘how to quit gambling’.
- Severe withdrawal syndrome. When an individual thinks: "Got to stop doing that." But all attempts come to nothing, and he goes on in a circle... constantly making bets. In moments of ‘ties’, gambling addicts tend to feel irritable and angry, and suffer mood swings, which is easy for others to notice.
- Shift in attitudes and values. To have finances for wagering, a person may regularly get into debt, take out loans with enormous interest, or even commit a crime. For example, they steal possessions from family or mates and sell them, rob a nearby cafe, etc.
How To Quit Gambling Permanently
Problems with games of chance mustn’t be neglected as it is a major issue. But the good news is that a well-structured program can help you shake off the shackles of this harmful infection. First, admit to yourself that you went off the track at some point, and probably a long way back to healthy living lies ahead. Other fruitful ways to stop damaging your life and stay away from activities that waste your finances are:
Isolate yourself from occasions of making real bets. Terminate all gaming accounts you’ve registered and uninstall casino apps from your smartphone/tablet if any. You might want to use the service of Gamstop and sign up for their free self-ban scheme.
Don’t forget to disable marketing newsletters from gambling operators, either. And, of course, eliminate every last one of the playaholics from your social circle. That's because they might undermine your attempts to beat gambling addiction for good.
Non-stop access to funds, both online and offline, definitely bodes poorly. It does just the opposite, as money is an obvious irritant that tops the list of things that must be restricted in the first place. Choose a treasurer among house or close acquaintances ready to help you with gambling addiction recovery and whom you 100% trust. The digital era is the most welcome, and it lets you set up automatic payments for your bills. Lacking access to pounds you will feel less and less tempted to ‘break bad.’
Once you quit, you'll have plenty of free time that you previously spent on rolling slots and other casino games. To avoid drifting into boredom, organise your schedule beforehand so that you have busy and interesting days. You may restore an old hobby or try something completely new and unfamiliar. The main thing is to keep busy to prevent recurring episodes.
The need for gambling (and thus addition) develops from emotional discomfort in particular. When a punter feels anxiety, anger, fear or melancholy, he has an intense urge to distract himself from the painful conditions and so he goes into betting. You must learn to confront these difficult emotions in other ways to avoid relapses.
Managing stress with sports, long walks, reading, practising yoga and meditation and deep breathing are also successful techniques. Try multiple approaches to find the most effective for you or combine them.
Don’t know how to overcome gambling addiction on your own? Are you quick in relapsing? Then you should seek a competent psychologist or psychiatrist, or even travel to a specialised medical institution. The treatment format will depend on the intensity of your passion for real money games. Given your individual needs, professionals can offer the most effective recovery options or a mix of them. More about available treatment will follow later in the article.
Treatment Options for Gambling Addiction
If your betting habits have taken too far and just invaded your mind, you’ll need particular treatment for compulsive players. Only a qualified medical specialist should recommend any healing program based on your situation and diagnostic results. Popular methods include:
- Self-help. No one is responsible for your mental and general health but you, so yourself should be your starting point.
- Structured therapy. Under medical supervision, the addict learns to notice and control his/her impulsive longing to place a real bet. The scheme normally suggests that one develops skills to resist delusional ideation. The patient tries to learn to replace distorted thoughts with adequate and realistic reactions.
- Support groups. Another effective approach to treating gambling addiction is group counselling. The pathological gambler receives more backing from other addicts, realising that he or she is not the only one.
- Medication. During treatment, doctors may turn to pharmacological mechanisms and prescribe some tablets, such as anxiety meds. However, you should be extremely careful and strictly follow the medical specialist's instructions.
- Rehab centres. When the disease advances, and UK punters don’t understand how to deal with gambling addiction, moving to a rehab unit will be a sound decision. Such medical establishments help you start a new, healthier chapter quicker than when you battle with addiction on your own. Trained staff will take custody of you and facilitate at all times.
Agencies That Provide Gambling Help Online in UK
Dependence on casino games develops gradually. If you don’t seek assistance or do treatment promptly, the disease will turn into a severe form. And it's always easier to beat it at the start than at the extreme stage. Whenever you feel that you need help, here is a list of organisations that provide confidential support for UK residents affected by gambling addiction (all stages):
| Name | Website | Duties |
|---|---|---|
| GambleAware | gambleaware.org | Here one can find details about problem gambling and get off-the-record advice via live chat or with a phone call. Free of charge, 24/7 support. |
| GamCare | gamcare.org.uk | Operates the National Gambling Helpline; free number: 0808 8020 133 (more on this later). |
| Gambling Therapy | gamblingtherapy.org | British punters can turn here for online therapy and talk about their challenges. |
| Counselling Directory | counselling-directory.org.uk | Counselling support for UK citizens involved in gambling addiction. |
| Samaritans | samaritans.org | Round-the-clock service that supports people who are in distress or despair, incl. those thinking of suicide. |
National Gambling Help Line: How it Works?
This is an emergency contact for everyone who suffers problems with their betting passion and works 24/7 across the entire United Kingdom. The gambling addiction hotline is free, and one can even call from BT phone boxes. You will be talking to professional Advisers who keep everything you say a secret except where you ask otherwise. They provide related information and give advice and support to anyone with the burden of gambling problems.
First Aid Tips on How to Help a Gambling Addict
Once you realise that someone from your surroundings is in trouble, don’t be judgmental or blame them for their problem. Instead, be calm and open; try to bring up a frank conversation and gradually learn about their current condition. Show you care about your loved one or friend, lend a hand and offer support. Treating pathological symptoms is not easy and definitely not fast, so you should be patient and carefully encourage them to stop.
Prevention of Gambling Addiction
We highlight that playing real-money games must have entertainment purposes behind it, and nothing else. Responsible gaming will help prevent the transition to problem, or worse, compulsive player. All UK-licensed sites follow the obligation of providing dedicated tools to help customers control their betting desires and habits.
FAQ
Yes. Similar to alcohol or drugs, it can stimulate the brain's reward system, which translates into dependence. The treatment regimen also has akin principles.
Among the reasons, experts most often mention dissatisfaction with life (entirely or partially), huge temptation for "quick and easy" money, protracted loneliness and an unstable psyche.
Stay close, listen and talk openly, let them be honest about all their fears and worries. Accept what you hear and never blame them for anything. Consider visiting a counsellor or having fun together.
The best method for a person will depend on the nuances of their individual case and medical diagnosis.
Of course! There are actually enough charities and organisations that provide online and offline assistance. We’ve cited several examples in this article.
