Clinicians have different ideas about what gambling addiction is. In general, though, it can be seen as a behavior in which a person can’t resist the urge to gamble, which can have serious negative personal or social effects.It can be very hard to stop problem gambling, but once you do, the challenge is to stay stopped. It’s very hard for people who used to have gambling problems to gamble for fun again.
Most problem gamblers, if not all, need a recovery plan that is based on abstinence in order to live a full and healthy life. To stay sober, it’s important to have an effective recovery program in place to keep you from going back to using.
What is an Addiction to Gambling and What is Problem Gambling?
Anyone from any background can have trouble gambling. Your gambling goes from being a fun, harmless way to pass the time to a serious, unhealthy addiction. Whether you bet on sports, scratch cards, roulette, poker, or slots in a casino, at the track, or online, a gambling problem can hurt your relationships, make it hard to do your job, and ruin your finances. You might even do things you never thought you would, like run up huge debts or even steal money to gamble.
Gambling addiction is a problem with being able to control your impulses. It is also called pathological gambling, compulsive gambling, or gambling disorder. If you’re a compulsive gambler, you can’t stop the urge to gamble, even if it hurts you or the people you care about. You’ll gamble whether you’re rich or poor, broke or flush, and you’ll keep doing it no matter what, even if the odds are against you or you can’t afford to lose.
You can have a gambling problem even if you’re not completely out of control. Problem gambling is any kind of gambling that makes your life hard.
You have a gambling problem if you can’t stop thinking about gambling, spend more and more time and money on it, chase your losses, or keep gambling even though it’s hurting your life.
A problem with or addiction to gambling is often linked to other mood or behavior disorders. Many people with gambling problems also have problems with drugs, ADHD that isn’t under control, stress, depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. You’ll also need to deal with these and any other underlying problems if you want to stop gambling.
Even though you may feel like you can’t stop gambling, there are many things you can do to deal with the problem, fix your relationships and finances, and finally get your life back under your control.
Signs and Symptoms of a Gambling Addiction
People sometimes call gambling addiction a “hidden illness” because there aren’t any clear physical signs or symptoms like there are with drug or alcohol addiction. Problem gamblers also tend to deny or downplay the problem, sometimes even to themselves. But you may have a problem with gambling if:
Don’t feel like you have to hide the fact that you gamble. You might gamble in secret or lie about how much you do it because you think people won’t understand or because you think a big win will shock them.
Have a hard time keeping your gambling in check. Can you stop gambling once you’ve started? Or do you feel compelled to gamble until you’ve lost all your money, increasing your bets to try to get it back?
Even if you don’t have the money, gamble. You could gamble until your last dollar is gone and then use the money you don’t have to pay bills, credit cards, or buy things for your kids. For gambling money, you might feel like you have to borrow, sell, or even steal things.
Have people who care about you worry about you. Denial keeps problem gambling going. If your friends and family seem worried, pay close attention to what they say. Many older gamblers are afraid to talk to their grown children if they’ve lost their inheritance, but it’s never too late to make positive changes.
Self-help for Gambling Problems
The most important step in getting over a gambling problem is realizing that you have one. It takes a lot of courage and strength to admit this, especially if you’ve lost a lot of money and hurt or broken up with people along the way. Don’t give up, and don’t try to handle things on your own. Many people have been in your situation and have been able to quit and start over. You too can.
1. Find healthier ways to get rid of bad feelings.
When you’re lonely or bored, do you gamble? Or when you’ve had a stressful day at work or a fight with your partner? Gambling can be a way to deal with bad feelings, have fun, or meet new people. But there are better and healthier ways to deal with your moods and get rid of boredom, like going to the gym, hanging out with friends who don’t gamble, trying out new hobbies, or learning how to relax.
2. Get more people to help you.
Without help, it’s hard to fight any kind of addiction, so talk to your friends and family. If you don’t have a lot of friends, you can still meet new people without going to casinos or gambling online. Try reaching out to coworkers, joining a sports team or book club, taking a class, or helping a good cause by volunteering.
3. Join a group
For example, Gamblers Anonymous is a 12-step recovery program that is based on Alcoholics Anonymous. A key part of the program is finding a sponsor, who is a former gambler who has stayed clean from addiction and can give you advice and support that will help you a lot.
4. Seek help for underlying mood disorders.
Depression, stress, drug use, or anxiety can all lead to gambling problems, and compulsive gambling can make these problems worse. Even if you stop gambling, these problems will still be there, so it’s important to deal with them.
How to Never Gamble Again?
For many problem gamblers, the hardest part isn’t to stop gambling, but to stay in recovery, which means making a permanent decision to stay away from gambling. The Internet has made it much easier to gamble, which makes it harder for recovering addicts to stay clean. Online casinos and sportsbooks are always available to anyone with a computer or smartphone.
But it is still possible to stay clean from gambling addiction or problem gambling if you surround yourself with people you have to answer to, stay away from tempting places and websites, give up control of your finances (at least at first), and find better things to do with your time instead of gambling.
Making Better Decisions
One way to stop gambling is to get rid of the things that make it possible for you to gamble and replace them with better things. Four things are needed for gambling to keep going:
1. A choice: You have to choose to gamble in order for it to happen. If you have an urge: stop what you are doing and call someone, think about the consequences of your actions, tell yourself to stop thinking about gambling, and find something else to do immediately.
2. Money: Without money, you can’t gamble. Get rid of your credit cards, let someone else handle your money, set up automatic payments with your bank, stop betting online, and only carry a small amount of cash.
3. Time: You can’t gamble online or anywhere else if you don’t have the time. Set aside time for fun things to do that have nothing to do with gambling. If you gamble on your phone, you should find other things to do when you have free time.
4. A game: You can’t gamble if you don’t have a game or other activity to bet on. Don’t put yourself in places where you might be tempted. Tell the places you go to gamble that you have a gambling problem and ask them to stop letting you in. Take away any apps or sites that let you gamble from your phone and computer.
Dealing With the Urge to Gamble
It’s normal to want to gamble, but as you make healthier choices and build a strong support network, it will get easier to fight those urges. When the urge to gamble hits:
a. Try not to be alone. Call a trusted family member, grab coffee with a friend, or go to a meeting of Gamblers Anonymous.
b. Postpone gambling. Say to yourself, “I’ll wait 5 minutes, 15 minutes, or an hour.” As you wait, the urge to gamble might go away or get weak enough that you can fight it.
c. Think about what will happen if you give in and gamble. Think about how you’ll feel when you’ve lost all your money and let yourself and your family down again.
d. Try doing something else, like going to the gym, watching a movie, or doing a relaxation exercise when you want to gamble.
Getting Over Mistakes
Don’t be too hard on yourself or use it as an excuse to give up if you can’t resist the urge to gamble. It is hard to get over gambling addiction. You may slip up now and then, but what’s important is to learn from your mistakes and keep working on getting better.
Treatment for Gambling Addiction
It’s never easy to get over a gambling problem, and going to a professional doesn’t mean you’re weak or can’t handle your problems. But it’s important to keep in mind that every gambler is different, so you need a program that fits your needs and situation. Talk to your doctor or a professional in mental health about your treatment options, such as:
- Inpatient or live-in treatment and rehab programs.
These are for people who are so addicted to gambling that they can’t stop without help around the clock. - Treatment for underlying problems.
drug abuse or mental health issues like depression, anxiety, OCD, or ADHD, that are making you gamble too much. This could mean therapy, taking medicine, or making changes to the way you live. Problem gambling can sometimes be a sign 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, like making excuses and believing things that aren’t true. It can also teach you how to fight gambling urges and fix money, work, and relationship problems that are caused by problem gambling. Therapy can give you tools that will help you deal with your addiction for the rest of your life. - Family counseling, as well as career, credit, and marriage counseling.
These can help you deal with the specific problems that your problem gambling has caused and lay the groundwork for fixing your relationships and finances.
How to Stop a Person From Gambling?
If someone you care about has a gambling problem, you may feel a lot of different things. You may have spent a lot of time and energy trying to stop a loved one from gambling or having to pay for them. At the same time, you might be angry at your loved one for gambling again and tired of trying to keep up the act. Your friend or family member may have borrowed or even stolen money that they can’t pay back. They may have sold things that belonged to the family or run up huge credit card debts.
Even though compulsive and problem gamblers need the help of their family and friends to stop gambling, they have to make the choice to stop on their own. You can’t make someone stop gambling, no matter how much you want to or how hard it is to see the effects. But you can encourage them to get help, help them in their efforts, keep yourself safe, and take suicide seriously if they talk about it.
FAQs
Can I Quit Gambling on My Own?
We know that the process is hard and takes a lot of work, but the good news is that you are not alone. There are many reasons to stop gambling, and we’re happy to help you do it at your own pace.
What is the Main Cause of Gambling Addiction?
No one really knows what makes someone want to gamble all the time. Like a lot of other problems, gambling addiction may be caused by a mix of biological, genetic, and environmental factors.
Is Gambling a Mental Disorder?
Two-thirds of gamblers who were questioned said that their gambling hurt their mental health. (Nash and others, 2018) In fact, most people with a gambling disorder have had a mental illness at some point in their lives. Besides having trouble with gambling:
Over 60% also have a personality disorder, over 49% have a mood disorder, and over 41% have an anxiety disorder. Nearly 37% of those with a gambling problem and 50% of those with disordered gambling have had suicidal thoughts. Over 17% of these people have tried to kill themselves.
Problem gambling doesn’t just hurt the person who has it; it also hurts the people who care about that person.
Do Gambling Urges go Away?
Some people who have a problem with gambling may have “remissions,” or times when they gamble less or don’t gamble at all. But if the patient doesn’t get treatment, the urge usually comes back.