Online gambling can provide an exhilarating and potentially profitable experience, yet can quickly become addictive. Recognising when gambling has become an issue and taking steps to address it are difficult processes requiring confronting shame and guilt that often accompany compulsive gambling habits – but seeking help for addiction should never be avoided, since its effects could harm other members of your life as well as yourself.
Gambling can be detrimental to both financial health and relationships, sometimes even leading to bankruptcy. Additionally, its impacts can cause mood swings, stress and strain within relationships that are hard to acknowledge but cause lasting damage to both self-esteem and confidence. Acknowledging you have a problem is the first step toward recovery; choosing to forgo gambling altogether may seem intimidating at first, but it is achievable with support. Changing lifestyle behaviors to include less risky pursuits will help in beating gambling addiction altogether.
Avoid High-Risk Situations: Gambling can be hard to avoid in environments with multiple triggers, like casinos and sportsbooks. Try to stay away from these environments as much as possible; for instance, if your route home passes a casino consider taking an alternative route or watching a movie instead of football; restricting online access through closing betting accounts, deleting betting apps, and only carrying a small amount of cash may also help.
Staying away from high-risk behaviors: Credit cards, loans and socializing in gaming venues are all high-risk behaviors to avoid when trying to overcome gambling addiction. Doing this will make breaking it much simpler.
Communicate: Hiding from friends or family may be one of the triggers to gambling addiction, but talking it through can help ease pain and relieve stress. By sharing struggles, others can also reduce feelings of shame or guilt associated with this habit.
Active Engagement: Engaging in physical activities can help elevate endorphin levels and combat depression and anxiety, both of which often accompany gambling addiction. Exercise and healthy eating habits may also boost self-esteem and confidence. Hobbies such as painting or taking up new sports may provide rewarding experiences which provide a sense of achievement not found with gambling alone.
Delay Gratification: When the urge to gamble arises, take at least an hour before acting on it. Use this time for reading, exercising or taking deep breaths as distraction. If the craving still arises after that period has elapsed, remind yourself that this craving will soon pass and risking your recovery in doing so would not be worth the risk.
Gambling addiction can ruin lives if left untreated, but resources exist to help overcome your addiction and lead a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle. If you are ready to make the change, book an appointment with Kindbridge Behavioral Health immediately – mention Men’s Health when booking to save 20% on therapy sessions; call 1-800-GAMBLER or click here now to arrange an appointment online!