Pathological gambling in a person includes the inability to control his gambling addiction resulting in psychological, financial, professional, and legal problems. Gambling can activate the brain's reward system, like any other addiction, which makes it very difficult for an addict to quit. However, you can overcome this addiction by acknowledging the problem, addressing the problem, and seeking help and support.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Admit Your Addiction
Step 1. Acknowledge your behavior for what it is
Recognition is the first step in overcoming a problem. If you recognize the symptoms of a problem you have, you can learn to change your current behavior.
- Signs and symptoms of gambling addiction include: the sensation of taking risks gambling, increasing gambling risk over time, preoccupation with gambling, fond of reminiscing about past gambling successes (through imagination or stories), using gambling as a means of escape from problems or negative feelings, feeling of guilt or remorse after gambling, and repeated failure to stop gambling.
- Additional social problems associated with gambling include: reducing time from work or with family to gamble, trying to cover up or lying about gambling, and borrowing money or stealing to gamble.
Step 2. Accept the consequences of gambling
Gambling excessively can cause many problems, including: strained relationships, financial problems, legal problems, potential job loss, drug use, and mental health problems (such as depression).
- Do you reduce working time to gamble? Do you use your rent, mortgage, or other bills to gamble? Do you use a credit card to gamble? Are you keeping the money gone for gambling a secret?
- Make a list of the consequences encountered by gambling. In addition, identify the people affected by your gambling addiction, such as family or friends.
Step 3. Understand the risks of gambling
Gamblers will consider the consequences that can occur before starting to gamble if they know the risks that arise as a result of gambling.
- Gambling excessively will lead to depression, anxiety, aggression, increased risk of suicide, strained relationships and stress-related illnesses.
- Gambling will also increase stress levels (due to the hormone cortisol) and your heart rate so that health risks also increase.
- Addiction and pathological gambling can lead to a reduced ability to make decisions and evaluate the consequences of your actions.
Step 4. Be honest about your gambling
Don't keep gambling a secret. Be honest with yourself and others about the amount of money spent on gambling.
- When the funds are owned, immediately pay your bills immediately.
- Accumulate your losses and see how much money is spent. By looking at the total loss due to gambling, list the items that can be purchased with the money, or debts that can be paid.
- Admit to yourself and others that you have gambled.
Method 2 of 3: Managing Gambling Triggers
Step 1. Identify your triggers and try to overcome them
By knowing the triggers of gambling addiction behavior, you can better deal with your gambling impulses. These triggers can be thoughts, situations, and behaviors that make a person want to gamble. For example, making friends with people who like gambling is a strong trigger for many gamblers.
- Identify your triggers and write them in a thought journal. When you feel the urge to gamble, stop right away and write down your thoughts (perhaps the thought of gambling is your trigger), your feelings (perhaps the gambling trigger is boredom), and ways to work around that trigger.
- Do negative emotions such as stress or sadness trigger the desire to gamble? If so, you should learn how to manage those feelings.
- Do you often gamble for fun? If true, boredom can be a trigger for you. You may need to keep yourself busy or engage in an interesting (and safe) activity to deal with boredom.
- Try listening to music. Music may be calming and relaxing to reduce impulses and desire to gamble.
Step 2. Don't put yourself into gambling
A person who is addicted to gambling will not gamble with common sense because his addiction is related to the adrenaline rush. It is difficult to control the mind if it is preoccupied with the feelings that arise from the activity.
- If a friend asks you to go to the casino, be honest with yourself and others that for you, gambling is more than just fun. Offer other activities that are more interesting than gambling.
- In the early stages of recovery, stay away from gambling sites.
- Avoid places that encourage gambling. If all around you there is always a place to gamble, of course, it is very difficult to hold back.
Step 3. Change your mindset about gambling
Negative thinking habits, such as irrational beliefs, illusions of control, and gambler blunders can increase a person's gambling behavior. Reduce your negative thoughts by recognizing and changing them.
- The illusion of control is common among gamblers. This illusion makes one believe that one can control the outcome of a game. To overcome this thought, remind yourself that no strategy or trick can control the outcome of gambling. The outcome of gambling games (whether in card games, poker, betting on sports or horse racing, or on slot machines) occurs randomly.
- A gambler's blunder is when a person believes that an event will not happen again due to a previous event. For example, a person believes that he will win because he has previously lost. He believed, that the chances of losing twice in a row were very small. However, according to statistics, the odds have not changed at all.
- Superstitious thoughts are also often the habit of gamblers. This thought leads the gambler to believe that a random occurrence has a certain meaning. For example, if you gamble on horse racing, you are more likely to choose a horse with a certain name because of hockey. Remind yourself that superstitious thoughts arise because two random events occur together, and that something doesn't necessarily bring luck.
- Reduce risk-taking behavior by thinking logically about the consequences and outcomes of a situation. When you want to gamble, think about how much money has been and will be lost in vain.
Step 4. Prepare the words to say to yourself when you want to gamble
Plan what you will tell yourself when the urge to gamble arises. This will ensure that you have a strategy in place to limit or cancel your gambling cravings.
- You can start by saying “The risk of gambling is too great. I know if it starts, I won't be able to stop. I need to stay away from him altogether. " to yourself.
- Think of different words to say to yourself and choose the best one. You can write it down on a card so you don't forget. If the urge to gamble arises, take the card and read it aloud.
Step 5. Stay away from alcohol and drugs
Alcohol and drugs are known to increase gambling behavior. Alcohol and drugs will reduce inhibition and ability to think logically.
Avoid drinking alcohol. Getting drunk is a big risk in gambling. The ability to think well and control the urge to gamble will decrease drastically in a drunken state
Step 6. Improve your impulse control
Some gamblers have trouble controlling their impulses. Impulses are similar to cravings, they are both automatic urges to do something, such as gambling.
- When you have the urge to gamble, stop and take a breath instead of reflexive action.
- Step back and examine your thoughts and feelings. What are you thinking now? What are you feeling?
- Determine ways to deal with impulses or other activities to do.
Step 7. Manage your mood
Mood, especially depression and anxiety, can be direct triggers of gambling behavior. Learn how to better cope with negative emotions.
Try managing your emotions by writing them down in a book, expressing them through song or dance, or pouring your heart out to someone
Method 3 of 3: Getting Help and Support
Step 1. Get social support
Social support is an integral component in any effort to recover from gambling addiction.
- Tell your family about your problem if they don't already know. You can say, “I actually have a gambling addiction. This addiction is causing a lot of problems in my life and I want to stop. I beg you to help me overcome this addiction.”
- Tell your friends about this problem and keep them updated. Your friends can help you stay away from gambling triggers. You can say, “Hey, I just wanted to say that I am addicted to gambling and am trying to quit. I'd really appreciate it if you guys would help me deal with this problem." That way, they will understand and prevent you from going to gambling places like casinos.
Step 2. Join a support group
Support groups can provide a safe environment to discuss addiction issues. You may also feel more comfortable being surrounded by people who have similar problems and not feeling alone in the recovery process.
For example, there is a program called Gamblers Anonymous which is a 12-stage program to meet fellow addicts from various countries to overcome gambling addiction
Step 3. See a therapist
Your gambling addiction has crossed the line if: it affects your relationship, financial situation, work or school life, increases the amount of time and energy that is wasted on gambling, tries to steal or cheat to get money to gamble, or if you ask someone else to help pay off your debts. gamble. These problems will build up, and professional help can be used if needed.
- Contact health insurance for a referral to a therapist. If you don't have insurance, you can find an affordable or free mental health clinic in your area.
- Ask the therapist questions, for example: What is the best approach to dealing with my gambling addiction? Should I see a psychiatrist, psychologist, addiction counselor, or other mental health professional?
Step 4. Try different types of treatment
Knowing the types of treatment available can help you make an informed decision on the best type of treatment to take.
- Behavioral therapy is a common form of treatment for gambling addiction. This type of treatment uses systematic exposure to the behavior you want to get rid of (gambling) and teaches you to reduce the urge to gamble.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is another effective form of treatment that focuses on identifying unhealthy, irrational, and negative beliefs and replacing them with positive and healthy behaviors.
Step 5. Consider taking medication
Consumption of drugs is an option that is only taken if efforts to control the urge to gamble fail. Antidepressants and tranquilizers can help treat conditions that trigger gambling addiction, but do not treat gambling addiction itself.
