How to Stop Gambling | Helpful Guide by Transcend Recovery Community

While gambling poses a major concern in our society, things have escalated with two-thirds of gamblers committing crimes just to sustain their gambling problem. Transcend Recovery Community is here to shed light on this process addiction issue, by curating everything you need, including how to get professional help and tips on how to stop gambling effectively.

Continue reading below to find out more.

Do I Have a Gambling Problem?

Compulsive gambling addiction is a type of process addiction that may feature an uncontrollable urge to keep on gambling even if it negatively impacts your life in many ways. Most often, people with a gambling problem aren't aware that the problem exists in the first place.

A compulsive gambler has an unhealthy obsession with gambling. And as this worsens through time, it puts a strain on their relationships with friends and family. It may also bring forth serious consequences affecting someone's relationship with money.

People struggling with gambling would most likely be seen spending extra money casually. It's also not surprising that a person with gambling cravings will most likely have self-esteem or mental disorders.

Here are some symptoms of a gambling problem:

• Prone to have financial problems due to their gambling problem
• Risking losing their academic and career opportunities due to their gambling problem.
• Lying to loved ones to cover up for their gambling
• Attempting to cease gambling without much success
• Stayed mostly in gambling-related spaces such as the casino or race tracks.

A suspected compulsive gambler must enroll in a rehabilitation program to resolve their gambling problems. As this is a behavioral-related addiction, a licensed professional counselor alongside support groups (example: Gamblers Anonymous) may help them work on their gambling addiction treatment.

Efforts to cease gambling should also be taken seriously as problem gambling may develop more mental health issues, such as trauma, depression, or even anxiety.

5 Tips to Stop Gambling

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Although the problem gamblers face is challenging, there are quite a few ways to improve yourself despite your gambling disorder. The following five tips are easy-to-follow, and are doable action plans to help you in your journey to have better mental health.

Tip 1 - Try Planning Ahead

A major problem gambling has given to ex-compulsive gamblers is boredom. Now that you transition to a life free of compulsive gambling addiction, you must find ways to organize your schedules which would encourage you to avoid places of gambling/addiction like the casino.

There's even research to back up this claim. An individual may find help from other people, such as their friends and loved ones in forming a substantial and good schedule for them to observe.

Tip 2 - Go Back into Doing an Old Hobby/Discovering New Hobbies

One way to fight boredom and kill time when not gambling is to engage in hobbies or activities that you used to do before. It's the perfect way to remind you of the good, old days, as you transition to your new life. Familiarity also provides a sense of comfort to a recovering individual.

Whether it's writing, sports, reading, collecting, or baking, the possibilities are endless. There are even support groups that advocate this and help struggling people as they seek professional treatment in the process too.

Tip 3 - Find Ways to Combat Stress

The reason why some compulsive gamblers gamble casually is that gambling seems to be a great way for them to deal with their emotional pain and stress. As they seek professional help, they must find alternatives that avoid gambling altogether.

One of the excellent ways to fight stress is to practice deep breathing, mindfulness, meditation, and yoga. These activities are calming by nature and align the mind and the body too.

Tip 4 - Join a Support Group

Similar to organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, support groups on gambling help recovering individuals process their gambling issues much better as they have the company of kindred spirits.

The guidance of people who once struggled like them and were successful to postpone gambling and rising above a once-delicate situation will be enough reason to inspire them to get better and continue receiving treatment for their gambling disorders.

Tip - Identify Triggers

One great way to ensure that you avoid gambling is by understanding your triggers. As you look for professional help, the urge to gamble becomes more pronounced. Seeing what things or events may trigger you to act upon your instinct to gamble will help you stop or avoid gambling altogether successfully.

What Causes Gambling Addictions?

There is a huge discourse as to what exactly causes gambling to happen. However, most experts argue that the urge to gamble or the very development of gambling fixations can be rooted in a combination of factors such as biology, genetics, and the environment.

Though most people never develop a gambling issue, there are risk factors to consider that may influence them, similar to how substance use may occur in an individual. Here are a few of them:

• Mental health issues
• Sex
• Age
• Influence of loved ones
• Certain personality traits

Is There Recovery for Gambling Addiction?

While you may think gambling is a dead-end, the truth is there are still ways to help you have a better relationship with it or to help you stop gambling altogether. Here are some of the common treatment options you may encounter should you decide to push through with rehabilitation.

• Inpatient/outpatient mental health programs - This may involve a 3-month gambling recovery program devised by professionals and recovery experts.
• Behavioral therapy - Whether it's dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) or cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT), your relationship with gambling in general changes as your specialist explores and understands the basis for all of this. It also improves the way you view the word "gamble" or "gambling" altogether.
• Alternative therapy (Equine, Music, Art) - alternative forms of therapy are introduced to discourage gambling. It also involves the development of life skills that would help a recovering individuals once they finish their rehabilitation.
• Support group - Joining a support group as part of your professional helps you come to terms with your process addiction problem better as you talk it out with several people or members who have gone through the same predicaments as you did in life.

Does Transcend Recovery Community Help Compulsive Gamblers?

Transcend Recovery Community can provide ample support that compulsive gamblers need as they transition into a better version of themselves. Working with affiliate recovery partners and programs, Transcend focuses on providing supplemental support with other facets of rehabilitation, such as sober living.

As people gradually transition to their life outside rehabilitation, staying in a sober/recovery residence helps an individual process their experiences better. Luxury sober living, for instance, affords an individual a comfortable space for them to better recover in the course of their therapy program.

Curious to know how Transcend can better help you? Contact us today and our process addiction specialists can get you started on your recovery journey right away.

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