Tips on How to Manage Gambling Addiction an Open Discussion.

[Cryptock]

The will also depends on the persuasion of others, the advice of others or the advice of the family to be able to awaken the addicted gambler. Indeed, only himself can change the addiction, but there must be external encouragement as well. External encouragement in the form of advice about the right life, a meaningful life etc. Old habits will reappear if no one cares.
Actually gambling is not a problem, it can be entertainment for some people. It will be a problem if gamblers become addicted and lead to negative behavior.

Not a must but it can help the addicted gambler to think about what is wrong with him.
We also should realize that not all people are welcome to advises especially those who are in a big problem and some people may take advice as an offense so anyone should know the situation of the gambler before trying to advise.
The main key to overcome addiction is always in ourselves, even if someone get a help from professional but if he has no willing, then it will be useless.
Yes gambling is not the problem, but it can give some problems if we do not know how to gamble responsibly.

I want to mention one thing and that is excess of everything is bad. Be it gambling - alcohol or any other thing.
even gluttony too is very bad for health likewise sloth and lust. So for everything a balance is important.

[livingfree]

It's good to be vocal.

I agree and others have been doing it on the internet as they share their challenge and stories on this subreddit.

Some may not appreciate these forums and communities that are talking and helping each other struggle in fighting addiction.

But to those that are very vocal about it, they're really glad and happy that there are ears ready to listen to them even if it's just online, and understand what they're going through.

That's a problem that many don't want to share with others because they're shy and thinking that others whom they'll tell about it will ignore them or laugh at what they're going through.

There are also other reasons why others prefer to keep it to themselves but as long as it's shared in the right place like the subreddit I mentioned then they shouldn't worry about receiving bad reactions from other people.

That's right, the right avenue, the right people, when somebody shares their gambling problem, they'll have the share of light that they should have taken a long time ago.

Good thing that there are communities like that that have people willing to help strangers share their problems.

[michellee]

I believe addicted players know they are addicted, unless they suffer from a mental disorder which prevents them from having contact with reality, maybe for short periods of time. But when it's not the case and the person is conscious, they must realize they are problem gamblers, because it's not normal for someone to lose money in a daily, weekly or monthly basis that will be needed for purchasing basic goods or paying for the family's needs later. Third party's help is a great advantage in someone's recovery from addiction, but the initial desire to overcome the challenge must come from the individual himself.

Maybe they know that they have a gambling addiction but unfortunately, they don't have the initiative to find out how to overcome or cure the addiction. Or maybe they have the initiative to stop the addiction but they keep coming back to gambling again so that what they are doing doesn't work at all. This is why people who are addicted to gambling really need help from third parties, in this case, their families and friends around them to help them. So that if there are obstacles along the way, they can really help the problem gamblers to overcome them.

[kamvreto]

The will also depends on the persuasion of others, the advice of others or the advice of the family to be able to awaken the addicted gambler. Indeed, only himself can change the addiction, but there must be external encouragement as well. External encouragement in the form of advice about the right life, a meaningful life etc. Old habits will reappear if no one cares.
Actually gambling is not a problem, it can be entertainment for some people. It will be a problem if gamblers become addicted and lead to negative behavior.

Self-motivation and motivation from family/relatives will be able to change behavior to stop gambling addiction, they are the most important circle of life so we will need them to provide better support.
If you are a gambling addict it will be difficult to position gambling for entertainment, if it is better to leave the habit of gambling and change your life to be productive for a new lifestyle.

If it is difficult to become an addict, there will be no solution other than quitting gambling. But we can see from a different point of view, that for some people gambling is a place for them to benefit and at the same time a place of entertainment. We see a city that has a gambling place, of course he started from gambling and hopes to continue to win. Things that are too excessive will not be good, just as when gambling is too excessive, there is no self-control and there is no good financial management.

[kotajikikox]

I believe addicted players know they are addicted, unless they suffer from a mental disorder which prevents them from having contact with reality, maybe for short periods of time. But when it's not the case and the person is conscious, they must realize they are problem gamblers, because it's not normal for someone to lose money in a daily, weekly or monthly basis that will be needed for purchasing basic goods or paying for the family's needs later. Third party's help is a great advantage in someone's recovery from addiction, but the initial desire to overcome the challenge must come from the individual himself.

Maybe they know that they have a gambling addiction but unfortunately, they don't have the initiative to find out how to overcome or cure the addiction. Or maybe they have the initiative to stop the addiction but they keep coming back to gambling again so that what they are doing doesn't work at all. This is why people who are addicted to gambling really need help from third parties, in this case, their families and friends around them to help them. So that if there are obstacles along the way, they can really help the problem gamblers to overcome them.

acceptance is the key, because no matter or harder you do but you are not totally accepting the fact that you are addicted then everything will come to nothing because that is the best way to be cured and be away from gambling.
also try to limit your self for a while , better to let small amount be used in gambling in this way we will eventually control your gambling activities and maybe things will come to different ways and may bring you happiness and enjoyment in the future.

[abel1337]

I believe addicted players know they are addicted, unless they suffer from a mental disorder which prevents them from having contact with reality, maybe for short periods of time. But when it's not the case and the person is conscious, they must realize they are problem gamblers, because it's not normal for someone to lose money in a daily, weekly or monthly basis that will be needed for purchasing basic goods or paying for the family's needs later. Third party's help is a great advantage in someone's recovery from addiction, but the initial desire to overcome the challenge must come from the individual himself.

Maybe they know that they have a gambling addiction but unfortunately, they don't have the initiative to find out how to overcome or cure the addiction. Or maybe they have the initiative to stop the addiction but they keep coming back to gambling again so that what they are doing doesn't work at all. This is why people who are addicted to gambling really need help from third parties, in this case, their families and friends around them to help them. So that if there are obstacles along the way, they can really help the problem gamblers to overcome them.

acceptance is the key, because no matter or harder you do but you are not totally accepting the fact that you are addicted then everything will come to nothing because that is the best way to be cured and be away from gambling.
also try to limit your self for a while , better to let small amount be used in gambling in this way we will eventually control your gambling activities and maybe things will come to different ways and may bring you happiness and enjoyment in the future.

True, Accepting the own realization can greatly boost the resistance of the urge to play. In my experience, Acceptance and my willingness to change is the one that made me do things right. It's true that stopping instantly after realization is not effective, The urge of playing after instantly stopping is growing tenfold. This is why limiting yourself in playing gambling like you only have a limited time or limited/allocated money to spend is effective because you will not experience a shock from not playing. Over the time time, The limits will be reduced and soon after you will realize to yourself that gambling is just an entertainment and not a part of your life.

[Shamm]

We can not leave or forget our gambling addiction in one second or one hour it takes time to control ourselves to leave gambling.  We need to discipline ourselves first by time management if we want to leave in gambling we should manage our time if in the past we spent a lot of time in gambling after we decide to quit we must must lessen the time we spent. Also other thing to quit is we must have other source of happiness in order to prevent thinking again in gambling.

[BITCOIN4X]

We can not leave or forget our gambling addiction in one second or one hour it takes time to control ourselves to leave gambling.  We need to discipline ourselves first by time management if we want to leave in gambling we should manage our time if in the past we spent a lot of time in gambling after we decide to quit we must must lessen the time we spent. Also other thing to quit is we must have other source of happiness in order to prevent thinking again in gambling.

If I was fully aware that I was going to lose, then I wouldn't have spent hundreds of dollars gambling all night. But yes, it is a hoax because sometimes we feel curious and believe that it is a fortune that is a pity to miss.

Basically, gambling addiction is treatable. There are many ways and tips to cure him or maybe to reduce his addiction, but in the end only we can answer whether that is really what we want.

[mirakal]

When we're addicted we know that we're addicted. Majority won't accept this and say they're not. We know whether we are having control over our gambling activities. When we don't have control physically as well as mentally, then it is pure addiction. According to me, a gambling addict can recover only if his mind and his body make a strong decision to stay against the addiction.

It is part of the defensive mechanism of a human that they are part of the denial stage that they are already addicted to gambling because they know what are the possible thing might happen for sure a lot of different statements will occur about their gambling activity, the only one can help is themselves to prevent too much addicted having self-awareness and consciousness to every decision we made might bring is out to the too much addiction of gambling.

I think that is the most crucial part and the first step, it will literally take enough courage to admit that you're already addicted to gambling and most people will deny it as either they don't actually know it or are just afraid to embrace the truth that they had been deep enough. Learning to embrace the truth will make you open to more options in life and can definitely save you from future situations that you wouldn't probably want.

[BitcoinPanther]

One of the most effective methods here imo is finding a hobby. If you have the money, even taking a vacation somewhere for say 2 weeks to a month without any whatsoever access to the internet or anything related to gambling/casino, e.g a farming area/fishing location where you can put in your time doing those activities instead of anything else for an entire day in that 2-week break. It honestly amazes me how those 2 weeks of being away could be a HUGE help in trying to clear your mind.

Definitely!  Diverting attention away from gambling activities will greatly help a gambling addict's recovery.  So finding new stuff that can occupy our time and attention plus medication from medical experts can greatly improve the result of gambling addiction treatment.

If you don't have the money though, a hobby is the way to go. Let's say drawing, it may be said as a hobby but there's also a lot of studying and understanding involved that is going to take up a LOT of your time. Heck, it doesn't even need a hobby you can do, you can maybe start finding content creators on the internet to watch and sink your time in.

Cleaning the house. doing laundry and other households task as a hobby is also one way of diversion.  It sounds funny but it is an effective cost-cutting activities since you don't have to hire a housemaid anymore.

[Cryptock]

Cleaning the house. doing laundry and other households task as a hobby is also one way of diversion.  It sounds funny but it is an effective cost-cutting activities since you don't have to hire a housemaid anymore.

I agree that is very distracting activities - even gardening is very helpful in releasing the stress.
But cleaning gives a sense of achievement and so does other household activities.

[BitcoinPanther]

Here is another set of suggestions written in this article[1] that may help us Manage our Gambling Addiction.

Strategies for change
Keep a gambling diary

this will help you better understand your problem. Include the type of gambling, the time spent and the amount you gamble. Write down the thoughts, feelings and situations that occur before and during a gambling session, so you can start to understand the causes of gambling.

Set goals

setting short-term and long-term goals may help you to stay focused and clear about cutting down or giving up your gambling.

Avoid high-risk situations

such as the use of credit cards, taking out loans, carrying large amounts of money with you, using gaming venues for socialising, or gambling as a reaction to emotions. These behaviours will weaken your resolve to control or stop your gambling.

Be kind to yourself

acknowledge your positive achievements. Write them down to remind yourself of your strengths and attributes.

Find alternatives to gambling

many people continue gambling because they do not know what else to do with their spare time. Explore new activities and hobbies.

Voluntary self-exclusion

If you would like to stop yourself from gambling at a venue, you can take part in a program called ‘voluntary self-exclusion’. You select the venues that you want to be excluded from and sign an agreement not to enter or use the gambling areas in those venues. The agreement gives those venues the legal authority to remove you if you do enter. There are three of these programs available: for licensed hotels and clubs, for Crown Casino and for TABs. These programs are free.

You don’t have to do it alone

Get someone to help you. Don’t be put off by this. You can do it on your own, but a support person makes it easier, especially if you have serious problems caused by gambling. Talk about your gambling problems with somebody you trust who won’t judge you. This person might be a spouse, parent or friend. Many organisations offer professional counselling, advice and support. Opening up to someone can ease the stress and emotional pain that causes you to continue to gamble.

Gambler's Help

Gambler's Help is a free service for people who are affected by gambling. There are Gambler's Help services available throughout Victoria, which provide:
Free, professional, confidential counselling for people for whom gambling is an issue
Counselling for the family and friends of people for whom gambling is an issue
Financial counselling to help people with gambling-related money problems
Advice on self-exclusion programs and other support services
Community education to help communities reduce the negative effects of gambling.

Talk about lying

Many problem gamblers end up hiding their gambling from people around them. This is understandable as it is hard to explain to a partner, family member or friend some of the things that problem gamblers do to keep their gambling going, such as borrowing money from finance companies or taking cash from a child’s money box.

People who lie about gambling debts may try to gamble their way out of debt so they won’t have to ‘come clean’. This usually leads them further into debt. Coming clean about gambling with a trusted person can relieve pressure and provide the space to prepare a more thoughtful plan for recovery.

Lying is a hard habit to break. If it happens with your support person, it stops them being able to help you because they won’t trust what you say. You and your helper need to talk about this and plan out how to cope.

Relax and look after yourself

Giving up when you’ve spent hours each week gambling can make you feel tense and irritable. You may feel even worse when you go into the places where you gambled, or if you pass a TAB or the casino on your way to work.

Learning how to relax, getting plenty of rest and eating properly can help you stick to your goal of reducing or giving up gambling. A counsellor may be able to help you with your strategies, which may include:
Muscular relaxation training
Exercise
Sport
Yoga
Meditation

Setbacks and lapses

You can often predict when problem gambling will reappear. You are more likely to lose control when you have bad times in other parts of your life that make you sad, anxious, angry or depressed. You may feel an urge to borrow money and go back to the old habit.

A lapse doesn’t mean you have to continue to gamble. Instead, use the lapse to learn more about what triggers you to gamble. Examine what worked and what didn’t work with your plan, and make adjustments accordingly.

What to do if you feel like gambling

When you feel like you might gamble again, or if you do gamble again, helpful strategies include:
Talk to your support person.
Write your feelings and actions in your gambling diary. If you gambled, look at what happened and see if you can spot ways of stopping it next time. Look for the positives too. Did cash limits help? Did you find it easier to talk about it instead of lying about it? These are big steps forward. Next time it will be easier to cope.
Control your cash. See the Better Health Channel fact sheet ‘Gambling – financial issues’ for more information.
Fill in the gap that gambling has left with new things to do.
Practise your relaxation.

[1] https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/gambling-how-to-change-your-habits

[decodx]

Here is another set of suggestions written in this article[1] that may help us Manage our Gambling Addiction.

These are all very good suggestions. In spite of the fact that gambling may seem like a harmless personal vice, and for most gamblers it is exactly that, some people do not cope well when the addiction reaches extreme levels. In my case, I would recommend first and foremost to find someone you trust – a doctor, a therapist, or a close family member to talk to. It is good to have someone who you can turn to when things get tough or when you need help. Talk to the family and friends you feel closest to, so that they can help you deal with this addiction when you have hit rock bottom.

[LUCKMCFLY]

Cleaning the house. doing laundry and other households task as a hobby is also one way of diversion.  It sounds funny but it is an effective cost-cutting activities since you don't have to hire a housemaid anymore.

I agree that is very distracting activities - even gardening is very helpful in releasing the stress.
But cleaning gives a sense of achievement and so does other household activities.

Yes, what happens is that when you have to do all those things, sometimes it doesn't turn out to be so much fun because it usually takes a long time, and sometimes things don't go as planned, sometimes you have to clean too much, and you end up totally exhausted, although it's not bad because it's cleaning, at least I set aside a single day to do that, and during the week it's good to clean some things little by little to maintain the level of cleaning and effort that was made that day, of course It is something that can help a lot to forget an addict, but I think that aside from this it is very good that a person also does other types of events, like going to a movie, eating ice cream, playing sports, this helps a lot to a game addict.

[nullama]

To stop an addiction, like gambling for example, you need to think about how it triggers.

So, let's say you gamble every time you finish work for example.

You need to find another activity that makes you feel good at that time to replace gambling.

So, for example, you go out to exercise. Or go watch a movie, or whatever it is that makes you feel good, whenever that trigger appears.

Over time you'll reduce the gambling voices in your head and they will be replaced by the exercise or movie voices.

[Japinat]

To stop an addiction, like gambling for example, you need to think about how it triggers.

So, let's say you gamble every time you finish work for example.

You need to find another activity that makes you feel good at that time to replace gambling.

So, for example, you go out to exercise. Or go watch a movie, or whatever it is that makes you feel good, whenever that trigger appears.

Over time you'll reduce the gambling voices in your head and they will be replaced by the exercise or movie voices.

Easier said than done mate, it really takes enough amount of courage to outsmart your habits and sometimes, getting professional help will be needed if you're that already deep because that habit becomes an addiction that you cannot turn your back into as you're already so accustomed to gambling and you cannot weigh down the things which is right or wrong.

But you're also right, we just have to take that step in-order to leave those kind of things.

[Mahanton]

To stop an addiction, like gambling for example, you need to think about how it triggers.

So, let's say you gamble every time you finish work for example.

You need to find another activity that makes you feel good at that time to replace gambling.

So, for example, you go out to exercise. Or go watch a movie, or whatever it is that makes you feel good, whenever that trigger appears.

Over time you'll reduce the gambling voices in your head and they will be replaced by the exercise or movie voices.

Easier said than done mate, it really takes enough amount of courage to outsmart your habits and sometimes, getting professional help will be needed if you're that already deep because that habit becomes an addiction that you cannot turn your back into as you're already so accustomed to gambling and you cannot weigh down the things which is right or wrong.

But you're also right, we just have to take that step in-order to leave those kind of things.

When you do make yourself get addicted then it would really be that hard to get rid off things easy and its true that to those words saying that you should quit immediately are the ones who dont have that idea on how
hard it is on quitting or avoiding yourself in addiction because this isnt something that you could really get away specially when yourself is already get used to it or already making it up as a habit which it would really be
that hard for you to get out and neither you would really be quitting by yourself only or would really be needing some help from others and it would really be depending on the situation.
IF you do find yourself to be that impulsive towards gambling on early phase then you should consider on quitting immediately to avoid bigger problems.

[strunberg]

Cleaning the house. doing laundry and other households task as a hobby is also one way of diversion.  It sounds funny but it is an effective cost-cutting activities since you don't have to hire a housemaid anymore.

I agree that is very distracting activities - even gardening is very helpful in releasing the stress.
But cleaning gives a sense of achievement and so does other household activities.

we must do positive activities to forget about gambling for a while , we know its make us addicted and lose so much money so to avoid it , doing positive activity will help us. maybe playing sport or another hobbies will release our mind and make refresh for a while. more frequent we do it , we will easily forget about gambling.

[NicNacCoin]

The will also depends on the persuasion of others, the advice of others or the advice of the family to be able to awaken the addicted gambler. Indeed, only himself can change the addiction, but there must be external encouragement as well. External encouragement in the form of advice about the right life, a meaningful life etc. Old habits will reappear if no one cares.
Actually gambling is not a problem, it can be entertainment for some people. It will be a problem if gamblers become addicted and lead to negative behavior.

Self-motivation and motivation from family/relatives will be able to change behavior to stop gambling addiction, they are the most important circle of life so we will need them to provide better support.
If you are a gambling addict it will be difficult to position gambling for entertainment, if it is better to leave the habit of gambling and change your life to be productive for a new lifestyle.

If it is difficult to become an addict, there will be no solution other than quitting gambling. But we can see from a different point of view, that for some people gambling is a place for them to benefit and at the same time a place of entertainment. We see a city that has a gambling place, of course he started from gambling and hopes to continue to win. Things that are too excessive will not be good, just as when gambling is too excessive, there is no self-control and there is no good financial management.

Gambling is a game where once a person enters and becomes addicted to gambling, he cannot come out even if he wants to.I have seen a lot of people who have been gambling until today they have not been able to do anything for their family.He also destroyed his own life. I hate gambling so bad it's a really bad addiction.Although it is entertainment and gambling is entertainment, those who find it entertainment will find that gambling has ended their own lives.But those who are not yet into gambling and are not addicted will always try to avoid gambling.

[ChiBitCTy]

Really well write up you’ve created here and I certainly hope that anyone who is currently struggling with gambling addiction can take some time to read over this very well crafted post, and try and get the help that they need. I just hope those who are in this bad spot know that they are not alone !