The Very First Step to Overcoming Gambling Addiction

[Agbamoni]

2.Stop talking about gambling to anyone;

This is the most important one for me. When a gambler notices some changes in their behaviour towards gambling, the very first mistake they make is speaking to someone who has no clue how to solve or help them with it. At times, that person becomes the one who shares the information with others, which will cause the gambler to not feel safe telling anyone anything in gambling anymore. The addiction discussion is meant to be discussed with a professional or someone who listens to you.

[Dr.Bitcoin_Strange]

Some persons would say they don't have money to pay a professional therapist and that's true because most of the cases that I see to be serious addiction, they were even in big debt and so do no have enough money to even pay for professional therapist. To stop gambling with borrowed funds is a valid option. Based on my experience, I would say, it's very important to have a gambling budget on a daily, weekly or monthly basics. For example, if you are paid $1k in a month, you can take out 5 or 10% for gambling and then split it to how you are going to be using it. If you spend it all in one day, then you should have the discipline not to gamble until the following month when you get paid again. That was an effective strategy for me, I don't gamble when I don't have any budgeted money for it.

[TheUltraElite]

Most people dont want to seek professional help because of a multitude of reasons, common ones being, lack of time, spouse might find out and about being judged.

All of these are excuses, because making time is always possible, spouse can be a support system and professionals are rarely judgemental if you allow them to help you.

Still for those who want self help, cutting down gambling budget and time is the first step to control. Cover that time with something else that you have previously loved to do. Keeping yourself engaged in activities that you enjoy - you will forget about gambling eventually. This takes time but it is possible for any addiction out there that does not have a physical dependence.

[JeffBrad12]

Honestly, i think the best step to stop our addiction is stop to pay our internet bill. It's one of most effective one. The reason is simple, no internet, no access to the gambling site. However, if we're still going over internet cafe after that. So we lose to our addiction.
Other than it we can also try to waste our money in something that can't be used to gamble such as buy the gold.

It's a common thing when we waste our money to go to therapist, then get no result. It will be far better if we're spending all of money for something useful. This slowly but surely not only let us to overcome our gambling addiction, but it helps us to change our habit too.

[Rruchi man]

Arguably, the very first step which comes before we can even start to going to a psychologist or a psychiatrist is recognizing there is something wrong with our gambling habits, something we cannot control any longer and it is affecting the way we manage our life.

There has to be acceptance and then a willingness to change because without acceptance of the habits and then a willingness/urgency to change, no professional help will be effective.

The professionals are only going to help you to help yourself, and if the professionals are helping you and you're not willing to help yourself, then the help they are offering to you will not work. This is why you find out that some people spend money on professionals without getting any good result.

Honestly, i think the best step to stop our addiction is stop to pay our internet bill. It's one of most effective one.

What if there are other things that the person does online? For instance, someone who works remotely, will you say that they should discontinue their internet subscription because they don't want to gamble? That will affect them. Your solution can't go for everyone.

[Akbarkoe]

until an addicted gambler made up his or her mind to stop gambling there is no amount of advise that is going to help him or her. The best thing for someone that wants to quit gambling is for them to reach a decision and then look for other activities that they  will occupy themselves with because most at times being idle can also be the reason why most people often gamble.
The first step to overcome addiction is to identify the negative effect of it by so doing the urge to stop gambling will be strong.

It's not laziness in my opinion but when we have a lot of free time we will easily think of gambling and at that moment start to play.
 
The point is that when we are busy with work during the day it will be easy for us to forget about gambling but when there is a lot of free time it will be easy to make us think about playing gambling.
 
So before going to a professional, try to be resolved by yourself and your family if you are still addicted then you must be taken to a professional for treatment.

[Slow death]

I had a relative who was addicted, and for many years, more than 10 years, all of us relatives had problems caused by him. Every time his name was mentioned, it was because there was some problem involving him. So I know that addiction is only cured with medical help, but only in a closed setting. That is, the addict must be admitted to a specialized medical clinic for addiction treatment, and the patient must be isolated from the world, without internet access. He must have other things in the real world to do to occupy all his time. Only by putting other things in his head will he forget the addiction.

[Davidvictorson]

There’s a lot of advice on this topic in various threads on the forum, but I thought it would be a good idea to gather it in one place. Of course, the very fist step should be going to a professional, I personally can say nothing against it, but what if someone doesn't want to? Should this person be left without an advice?

I will list my options.

1.Go to a professional;

One may not be able to afford professional help due to high fees, the cost of transporting to the office of the therapist, and even if there is a virtual option, technologically the individual may be at a disadvantage. So where this is not possible, there is always going to be a mature, and well respected person in the community to speak with who would listen without judgments and help.

[Orpichukwu]

Borrowing money to gamble with is also what I frown upon, and I advise every gambler who is not already addicted to stay away from it, as that is one soft way to ruin your life fast as a gambler.

Another thing too I could advise some gamblers to be doing is involving people around them to also be checking their gambling activity to see if they are still in control or if there is something that needs to be adjusted; it's better to be cautious on time than getting deep into it when it's too late.

[Rashlyowl]

Going to a professional should be the second step, what I know from overcoming a gambling addiction is realizing that we are addicted, that should be the first step. I don't know if I have the same observation as someone here, but I have some bros who went to professionals to cure them of their gambling addiction, the results were not so good, they even went back to gambling more aggressively. So, realizing that we are addicted is the first step, don't deny the situation.

[Bright0515]

For me I will say that if someone is struggling with gambling addiction they should seek help from professionals and they should also stop gamble for a while. If a gambler is struggling with gamble addiction, it's better for them not to continue gamble at that point in time because it will do more harm than good to them. Talking to others about their gamble addiction will help them receive advise from friends or other gamblers.

[Die_empty]

I personally prefer the last one, but your suggestions, guys, are welcome.

1. Maximizing the self-exclusion option in casinos could be helpful
2. Moving out of the location where you have influence to gamble. Some people surround themselves with gamblers. This would make it easier for them to gamble even when they truly want to abstain.
3. Some people with chronic gambling addiction go off-grid for some time. This might be a good means to avoid the temptation of using phones for online gambling. It could also help people avoid gambling ads that could lead them to gamble.

[abaeze]

There’s a lot of advice on this topic in various threads on the forum, but I thought it would be a good idea to gather it in one place. Of course, the very fist step should be going to a professional, I personally can say nothing against it, but what if someone doesn't want to? Should this person be left without an advice?

I will list my options.

1.Go to a professional;

2.Stop talking about gambling to anyone;

3.Try not to visit gambling sites for a week.

4. Stop gambling with borrowed money.

I personally prefer the last one, but your suggestions, guys, are welcome.

The thing I find most important is that those who truly want to quit gambling should first understand and realize it themselves. If someone does not want to stop on their own, then no one can stop them or any rule can keep them away from gambling. So first you need the willpower to keep yourself free from addiction and the next step is to try to implement this willpower as you mentioned. However, going to a professional is the most effective option. Because gambling is often not just about money, it is also associated with mental habits. However, not everyone will want to go, but in many cases, after being forced to go to a professional, they realize "it has happened too much, I have to stop now".

[Achalugo BTC]

I had a relative who was addicted, and for many years, more than 10 years, all of us relatives had problems caused by him. Every time his name was mentioned, it was because there was some problem involving him. So I know that addiction is only cured with medical help, but only in a closed setting. That is, the addict must be admitted to a specialized medical clinic for addiction treatment, and the patient must be isolated from the world, without internet access. He must have other things in the real world to do to occupy all his time. Only by putting other things in his head will he forget the addiction.

This is the first time I'm hearing that one is addicted for this long, which I'm just wondering how you guys cope with him, but its great that all efforts are not wasted and the method you people used is a very effective one and it will good for recommendation in case one finds themselves in such situations. However, players should be able to control their emotions because it will be of help to them and protect them from being in this kind situation.

[Somto9Light]

4. Stop gambling with borrowed money.

I personally prefer the last one, but your suggestions, guys, are welcome.

Gambling addiction isn't just about gambling with borrowed money you know. One may not take up loan to gamble and still be heavily soaked in addition, Overcoming gambling addiction is all about being disciplined, setting boundaries and being disciplined enough to respect those boundaries no matter the situation you find yourself, because certain situations would always wanna push you intomaking the wrong decision, but only discipline can prevent you from walking down that route.

[Alphakilo]

I personally prefer the last one, but your suggestions, guys, are welcome.

1. Maximizing the self-exclusion option in casinos could be helpful
2. Moving out of the location where you have influence to gamble. Some people surround themselves with gamblers. This would make it easier for them to gamble even when they truly want to abstain.
3. Some people with chronic gambling addiction go off-grid for some time. This might be a good means to avoid the temptation of using phones for online gambling. It could also help people avoid gambling ads that could lead them to gamble.

Self exclusion option was recently introduced if am right and although it can be very helpful, many older gamblers may find it difficult to use this feature because of lack of knowledge and guidance.
Another thing is that escaping the midst of fellow gamblers may become more difficult because they coul be close colleagues at work or family members or neighbors.

I just think one should delete the apps and avoid funding them as a first step in this case, and more attention should be diverted to other offline activities that make one limit their access to screen time mostly on their mobile device.

[bhadz]

There’s a lot of advice on this topic in various threads on the forum, but I thought it would be a good idea to gather it in one place. Of course, the very fist step should be going to a professional, I personally can say nothing against it, but what if someone doesn't want to? Should this person be left without an advice?

I will list my options.

1.Go to a professional;

2.Stop talking about gambling to anyone;

3.Try not to visit gambling sites for a week.

4. Stop gambling with borrowed money.

I personally prefer the last one, but your suggestions, guys, are welcome.

The last one is becoming a cancer in our society for real. I've got relatives who became addicted to online gambling and what they do is they're borrowing money and selling important stuff of theirs(which can be added to the list) just to gamble. They think that they're still fine but when they act, they're no longer the old them and their system is being eaten by their gambling addiction. Getting help to a professional might even not be ideal for them as their opinion is that the fee will be taken care of by them instead of paying the professional's help.

[Finestream]

I prefer the first one, seek for professional help especially if you no longer can control your emotions towards gambling. Other advices would still be helpful, but if not done consistently, you will still go back to your old self and gamble again without limitations.

But I think the best advice I can give is to enter rehabilitation center and get treated for months, depending how severe your addiction is. That way, you can surely avoid gambling again because you will have no access to your phone or whatsoever that would tempt you to gamble again.

[Judith87403]

1. Maximizing the self-exclusion option in casinos could be helpful
2. Moving out of the location where you have influence to gamble. Some people surround themselves with gamblers. This would make it easier for them to gamble even when they truly want to abstain.
3. Some people with chronic gambling addiction go off-grid for some time. This might be a good means to avoid the temptation of using phones for online gambling. It could also help people avoid gambling ads that could lead them to gamble.

All the points you have stated are all true and this will be a great relief, only if they are ready to do as they are instructed to do because some people might just decide to choose the one's they like or even do what their minds told them to do and this is why they do fall into pitfalls, all because they hearken to their own minds and it has been misleading them into making the wrong decision. That is why they need to build up the right mindset towards gambling and teach themselves on how to avoid the attitude of chasing after losses.

[STT]

Never start with borrowed money is the ideal cure for future ills.  I would pair that with consider the money you bet or gamble to be 'spent' and obviously you hope to win it back but if you have the attitude its expenditure then you aren't borrowing money just to spend it as nobody needs to play a game; its only leisure money that should be spent.  
  The idea being correct the mistakes in your thinking will be a part of any fix.