The Very First Step to Overcoming Gambling Addiction

[AVE5]

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?

Advices alone doesn't cure that mental state of gamblers especially when they're working for the money they're spending on the games by themselves because, their mentality will always be that you don't have the right to advice them and those that the addiction is running in their veins will also find your therapy concerns as disturbance.
Of course advices helps a lot because in such situations victims are very hardly to recollect how destructive their mode of gambling is contributing to their lives including their funds and relationships. So they really need someone with professional skills to combat gambling addiction to talk senses into them.
In conclusion, the willingness of the addicted victims matters more while some addicted don't need anyone to straighten them up instead they later on tell themselves the truth.

[livingfree]

In conclusion, the willingness of the addicted victims matters more while some addicted don't need anyone to straighten them up instead they later on tell themselves the truth.

I agree because if they're not willing to address the issue of their addiction, they won't even help themselves.

But they have to admit that they're having a problem and they have to solve their gambling addiction.

If they have that, I guess that it will be easy for them to adjust and get some help first with their family or closest friends.

[JoyMarsha]

2.Stop talking about gambling to anyone;

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

This is the one I believe in, to stop talking about gambling to anyone. This is a way of cutting off access to whatever that reminds of gambling. Something like disconnecting ourselves from those friends who talks or remind us of gambling. Blocking and deleting those gambling apps will do a lot better to save ourselves from gambling addiction

What can keep us stock to gambling addiction is seeing or having what that reminds of gambling. If we can make up our mind to disconnect or delete all that, our gambling addiction will fade away over time

[Questat]

That first step is actually quite expensive. I haven’t tried it myself, though I’ve experienced being addicted to gambling before. I just want to ask anyone here who has experience visiting a professional, how much do they usually charge for the whole process?

I’m asking because maybe in the future, if I have a friend, or even if I myself need help, I’ll already have an idea of how much to prepare, I mean for me or for my family.

[Versatile_choice]

I know how many times we keep bringing steps as to which addicted gamblers can overcome it, but it seems that all this steps aren't working because ever since we started saying this the rate of addicted gamblers still remains the same and even though surely there are some people who have overcome gambling addiction but I think the rate of people who are becoming addicted to it is high compare to the ones that is overcoming it, and those who are outside their may not know this steps that is why the rate of gambling addiction is not dropping significantly.

[Rockstarguy]

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?

The best way to go about every addiction is to go through a professional because they understand the solution to the problem. Professionals always have the remedy to this problem, and another thing that needs to be considered is to be ready to accept and to stick by your own decisions.

Discipline plays a vital role in addiction, and if you allow the urge of addiction to ride you, you will always find yourself in gambling. Every gambler going through addiction needs to understand that there is a role that one needs to play. If you put everything in the hands of the professional who is trying to solve the problem, this is where one is making a serious mistake.

[Odogwu-Blockchain]

These advise are for new gamblers who hasn't gotten to the stage of addiction, they are the ones who could be learn from the advise and stick to it along their gambling journey. But for those had surpassed the addictive level, you can't tell them to stop visiting online gambling or talking about it, that's a waste of energy and time.

For highly addictive gambler, a forceful arrest should be done on the gambler to a rehabilitation center for treatment, because such gambler couldn't help himself enough. An external help is needed at that point.

[Botnake]

1.Go to a professional;

I prefer this one and consider it the best option. These professionals have studied, trained, and developed the right formula for a person to get out of addiction; they are not just advising, they customize and devise a plan based on the behavior and past of their client.
It may be costly, but it's guaranteed to work.

Couldn't agree more. They are the only experts when it comes to battling gambling addiction, so it would be best if the addict immediately seek for professional help because if he can't help on his own, then these people are the best to go. They can offer professional diagnoses, evidence-based therapies and medical management of co-occurring conditions.

However, success still greatly relies if the addict itself will accept the help and cooperate, because its still a two-way job both for the medical practitioner and the person concerned.

[Maslate]

For me, the very first step is that the gambler should admit first his current condition and accept the fact that he's deeply addicted to gambling and he needs someone to overcome what he's going through. From that, the idea of seeking for professional help will then enter to assess the gambler's current condition and provides expert assistance and skilled attention or care.

Its easy to enter gambling and become attached to it, but when you're already in the state of gambling addiction, its hard then to get out from that gambling problem. That 's why we need people who have specialized skills and treatments towards gambling addiction.

[tread93]

Definitely always good to bring about more awareness on the dangers of becomming addicted to gambling. I feel like being addicted to gambling today and 50 years ago is an insanely stark shift in industry and population habits. I wish I could watch a documentary on the evolution of gambling in the age of bitcoin. That would be pretty epic lil film dude!

[yhiaali3]

Of course, everyone agrees that visiting a specialist is the best way to get rid of addiction, but in my opinion, whether visiting a specialist or not, the first factor in getting rid of addiction is the will of the gambler himself. If he does not have the strong will to get rid of addiction, he will not succeed no matter what he does.

There are many ways to help an addict get rid of his addiction, but all results depend on his will and his real desire to get rid of the addiction. When he has this will, he will inevitably succeed, otherwise all his attempts will fail.

[Rubuchi]

I know how many times we keep bringing steps as to which addicted gamblers can overcome it, but it seems that all this steps aren't working because ever since we started saying this the rate of addicted gamblers still remains the same and even though surely there are some people who have overcome gambling addiction but I think the rate of people who are becoming addicted to it is high compare to the ones that is overcoming it, and those who are outside their may not know this steps that is why the rate of gambling addiction is not dropping significantly.

if the root cause of a problem has not been properly addressed, the problem is bound to arise again and again persistently, that’s what’s happening with gambling addiction despite the discussions about it every single day. It is not all this discussions that will stop it or reduce its numbers, these discussions are only a reminder for anyone who cares to listen and take a decision about it.
Already gambling addiction is a disease that is plaques the individual who is affected and has a mental effect on such persons, in worse cases addicted gamblers do undergo mental treatment through counseling and therapy to be able to quit finally despite how financially crippling it is for them. So like I mentioned above, let’s all address the issues from its root causes, identify them properly and find lasting solutions to it from our individual experiences.

[jcojci]

Reducing your gambling time and doing more positive activities so you can distract gambling and by doing so many positive activities, your minds will thinks how to finish the activities. You will busy and not thinks about gambling so you can reduce your time to think gambling.

You must have a strong mind to stop gambling. That is a must so you can stay discipline following your plan or reducing your gambling activities. Maybe that is hard at the first but if he consistent and still busy with his activities, slowly he will see the changes.

The other thing could be asking for a help from others to always remind them if they almost break their rules. Overcoming gambling addiction will work only if that person wants to solve his gambling problem.

[Zadicar]

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.

1. This would be only the last resort if your own self discipline and support from your loved ones doesnt work.
2. When you are on that middle of recovery then this would be the best approach on which getting rid of people who do talk about gambling or could poke up your interest or urge again.
3. Easy to say but it would be the hardest thing of all on which trying to avoid yourself into these platforms.
4. Definitely one of the main rules on which you shouldnt be that playing into the amount that you cant afford to lose specially taking up some loans because it is just suicide.

Addiction is something that would really be that so hard to get out once you've been that shackled with it and thats why its really that important that you do really know on what you've been doing and on how much you've been spending because it would be that dangerous or risky on the time or moment that you cant be able to stop along the way.

[SFR10]

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

For those who are single, finding new hobbies with a potential partner could do the trick as well ^{[assuming that involves disconnecting from the net for at least half a day to shift your focus to things that actually should matter]}.

[iv4n]

The Very First Step to Overcoming Gambling Addiction

Well, the very first step is actually wanting to stop. Without that, everything else is just fooling around and lying to yourself & others. So you either want to stop, or your mind is still in the game.

All other steps can help, but they don't solve much... After wanting to quit, you need to move your mind to other things... You need to focus on something other than gambling. It can be hard at first, but day by day, and if the desire to quit is real, you will start making different decisions naturally.

[Charcol]

I think 1 and 3 are more effective in overcoming a person's gambling addiction. If a person gets professional help and advice, there is a possibility of getting out of the addiction. I once read somewhere that two of the most notable reasons for gambling addiction are trying to recover losses and mental stress from thinking about the money lost. If the addicted person is helped to forget his lost money with advice, he will be able to get out of the addiction to a great extent. Even when a person can stay away from gambling sites for 2/3 weeks or more, it may still be possible to gradually get out of the addiction.

[Marvelockg]

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.

How many gambler will be willing to visit a professional for help if they discover that they are slowly getting addicted? Once a gambler sees that he's getting addicted, the first thing they do is to isolate themselves and not allow people know that they are struggling to put an end to their gambling exceces. Except you discover it and call their attention to it, most addicted gambler will never admit that they are even addicted.

As regards trying not to visit a gambling shop for a week, I think that works but then, not all have that ability to start with a week. Even if it's taking it a day at a time or two days at a time, it's still safer that way and in the long run, the gambler can get full control of his gambling routine and start to gamble in a more responsible way...

[Somegory]

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.

Few of your points are wrong.

1. Going to a professional and ready to listen to one is everything, I don't think that anything else should be add than this, but of course not all gamblers are ready to go to a professional or follow the steps of a professional.

2. Talking about gambling will possibly fuel to the desire to gamble even more, it's very possible.

3. Restricting yourself not to visit a online casino for a week won't do anything, because I always take that long at time to gamble, I have other important things to monitor in my life but when I feel like gambling I will always be back.

4. No gambler starts his gambling journey using a borrowed money, they always start with their own money and they lost it all, but the believe that they will make it back is where looking for any means to get money comes in play.

Risking what you can't afford to lose is where the idea of borrowing money comes in, if you are comfortable with every penny you lost in a gambling house there won't be need to borrow any money.

[TedMosby]

-snip-

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.

I'm curious whenever I see "go to professional" become the first step to overcoming gambling addiction. What would a professional tell you about overcoming that addiction? Or do they do screening, since people's reasons for gambling, environment, habits, etc. are different?

If you guys have experience getting help from a professional in this case, please share it here.

In my experience, having an activity that needs focus can help with overcoming the addiction. The activity should also be within the scope of the gambler’s interests. It happened to my father, who loves gambling. I introduced him to the Roobet Art Contest. Even though he's not an artist, he really likes crafting figures and dioramas. At that time, the contest only allowed participants to send 1 artwork. So I let him craft the artwork, even though in the end my artwork would be submitted. I did it for a good reason.

Btw, I am also not sure if my father's gambling activity counts as addiction or just obsession. These probably need different approaches.