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The Top Five Ways to Stop Being Addicted to Gambling

Hopeless drug addict holding his head

Do you know someone who is dealing with severe gambling problems? Well, if you are looking to help, this is just the right place to begin. We have published this blog post to help you explore the signs and symptoms of excessive gambling and learn the top five ways to curb this addiction.

Gambling-related problems can hit anyone in any walk of life. Gambling addiction, also known as Gambling Disorder, Pathological Gambling or Compulsive Gambling, can have severe negative consequences which, unfortunately, do not stop the person from gambling. Therefore, this addiction falls under the category of impulse-control disorder. Many people around the world are affected by this disease, some committed suicide others lost the fortune by playing at online casinos.

Let’s learn how we can defeat this problem and get life back on track. Gambling addiction can be stopped using these five methods:

1.   Practice Decision Delaying

One of the best ways to deal with gambling problems is to practice decision delaying. Delaying the decision to gamble will help the person get over the urge to gamble. Giving yourself time to rethink the decision to gamble by creating a distraction can help you take the focus away from the activity and the urge itself.

2.   Visit Support Groups

If you take some time out to do a quick online search on the nearest support groups for gambling addiction, you will find that there are many groups that are maintained by organizations and professionals. You can join the support groups and begin with your way out of gambling-related troubles.

3.   Take up Healthy Alternative to Gambling

We highly recommend trying this one out as it helps you undertake a constructive way out of the problem. Taking up a healthy alternative to gambling like meditation, traveling, volunteering, socializing, or practicing new hobbies can help the person replace all the instincts and behavior related to gambling with that of positive activities.

4.   Visualize the Consequences

Nothing can change people faster than the feeling as strong as guilt and shame. Every gambler knows the consequences of excessive gambling. If you make the person in the subject aware of the emotional pain that gambling causes to his or her family, the financial setbacks and the trauma the gambler’s action brings to the people around, it might motivate him to make a steady recovery.

5.   Seek Professional Treatment

There are many cases where the addiction turns severe and requires immediate professional help. Seeking help from professionals who know how to mitigate the consequences of excessive gambling can ensure a speedy recovery and the professional keeps track of the patient’s activities and behaviors. If none of the above-mentioned ways to curb gambling addiction work, do not think twice before seeking professional help.

Conclusion

Anything done in excess causes problems that amount over time and eventually leads to health and financial destruction. Gambling is one such activity that, when practiced in excess, can lead to severe addiction problems. We hope the above mentioned five ways can help you with understanding gambling addiction and prove beneficial in your quest to defeat the problem.

Are you looking to get rid of your gambling addiction?

Check these organizations:

GAMCARE
BEGAMBLEAWARE