Best Way To Stop Compulsive Gambling

“How to Stop Gambling and Save Money?” That’s the million-dollar question often asked by those who find themselves spiraling down to the depths of gambling addiction. The funny thing is that the addiction creeps in without the gambler realizing it.

What starts off as an easy way of making some liquid money at the craps table (or online), can very quickly lead to bankruptcy, depression and in extreme cases, even suicide.

The last way a spouse can enable gambling is by becoming a direct or indirect participant in the problem. It’s not uncommon for the spouse of a gambler to develop a taste for gambling herself. When this happens, the gambler is usually quick to tap into this enthusiasm and use it in ways that compromise his wife and justify his own behavior. Why Gamblers Can't Just Stop. Nobody wakes up one day and decides to become a gambling addict. Gambling usually begins as a recreational activity - it's a way to spend time with friends while enjoying the game and the excitement of the chance to win a few bucks. Recreational gamblers generally stick to a time and money budget.

What makes gambling addiction even worse is you can’t smell it on someone’s breath. This makes it easier to hide or ignore until what first was just your beer money being on the line, turns into your life savings and missed mortgage payments.

We’ve all heard some awful gambling problem stories, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

If you’re wondering how to stop the gambling urge, then the following steps should help you get on the right track.

Contents

1. Make a Decision

It all begins with you. The first step on the road to dealing with gambling addition is admitting that, “I have a gambling problem” and that it needs to be fixed.

In the beginning, it’s common for gamblers to be in denial, which is probably one of the reasons why less than 3% of gambling addicts seek out help. While deciding to stop something you’ve enjoyed for so long can be challenging, it’s not impossible. This is also a good time to craft a financial plan that will help you save money.

2. What Type of Gambler are You

As it is with smoking or doing drugs, kicking the habit is easier said than done. Here’s where you need to ask yourself the question, “what type of gambler am I?”

There are different types of gamblers – there’s the casual social gambler, the escape gambler, the professional gambler and the compulsive gambler. If you are the first type of gambler, chances are, you’re not in a crisis because you just gamble occasionally, or during a trip to Vegas.

The escape gambler uses blackjack as an escape from the real world. The only problem is, the money you throw on “escape gambling” comes from the real world (this includes your savings or money that should be spent on important payments).

The only difference between a professional and compulsive gambler is that the former takes calculated risks by calculating odds, relying on statistics, and choosing mediums where the outcome does not solely depend on pure luck.

A professional gambler is also patient and more importantly, gambles as a means to make money. These individuals usually already have money to spare and don’t throw away their life savings.

On the other hand, the compulsive gambler is just the type of gambler that casinos (both online and off) count on. These gamblers care little about calculating odds or statistics and depend on luck or a “hunch” to win.

If you find that you’re prioritizing gambling above all other things, including your family and friends, then you have a problem.

Read more about gambling addiction: gambling addiction treatment plan, how to stop gambling forever, gambling addiction symptoms, gambling addiction signs, and gambling addiction causes.

3. Let Go of the “Win-Bias”

There’s an old wise saying, “The truth will set you free.” There’s an aphorism used by poker players, “If you can spot the sucker around the table, it’s you.”

Oftentimes, people who are struggling with how to stop gambling online get so caught up in the little wins that they forget about their many losses. The best way to deal with win bias is to write down all of your wins and losses.

This way you will know how much you have won and lost over time. It will also remind you of the fact that gambling sites and casinos are there to make a profit, and not the other way around.

In other words, while you might be looking to place a bet based on a really strong hunch, the casinos are using complex algorithms that have been programmed to a make bets work in their favor.

4. Dealing with the Urge to Gamble

Urges are an inevitable part of quitting any addiction. Deflecting those urges is the natural process towards regaining control.

If you’re wondering how to stop gambling on your own, the best way of dealing with the urge to gamble is to delay the urge. That’s because delaying the urge to gamble will allow the urge to pass.

“Urge surfing” is a technique that’s been attributed to the late psychologist, Alan Marlatt, Ph.D., who was a pioneer in the first of addictions treatment. According to Dr. Marlatt, urges for substances last for no longer than 30 minutes.

If one is able to take a step back and mindfully watch their urge play out in a distance, they will find that it soon fades and passes on, instead of developing into an inescapable craving.

5. Identify the Triggers

If you are a spouse and are wondering how to deal with a gambler husband, then the best place to start is to help him identify the triggers. In order to beat your gambling addiction, you need to identify these triggers and drag them out into the light.

Gambling is not a compulsion, but rather a coping mechanism. In other words, it’s a form of escapism. Whenever a person, who has been exposed to gambling in the past, feels bored, frustrated, disappointed or stressed out, he or she will turn to gambling.

You can also search online to find out more about these triggers so that they can be avoided. A good way of saving money is to hand over your money to your spouse, so you don’t spend money by giving into the triggers you identify.

6. Unsubscribe to Gambling Sites

One of the easiest ways to stop gambling addiction is to try to avoid the things that remind you of gambling.

From convenient stores selling lottery tickets to your email inbox being bombarded with online gambling ads, the urge to gamble is everywhere. All of these sources can be a powerful temptation to gamble.

Rather than allow environmental factors to weaken your resolve, do something about it. Avoid the stores that sell lottery tickets and unsubscribe to the newsletters and other marketing content you receive from gambling sites. Gambling websites charge for a monthly or yearly subscription, which means you can save money by unsubscribing to their service.

7. Don’t Wait till You Break Even

Many who find themselves addicted to gambling often think of breaking even so that they can make up for their losses before they quit. That’s a bad idea, especially if you have already lost a lot of money.

Continuing to gamble whether it’s on an online gambling site or at a casino can lead to you losing even more money, making it likely that this cycle is going to continue.

If you really want to know how to stop gambling forever, then don’t wait for tomorrow, or Monday, stop gambling right now.

8. Change Your Environment

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So, you avoid the stores that sell lottery tickets and have changed your route from work every day (you know, the one where you need to pass the casino on your way home). It doesn’t end there.

You will need to take a long hard look at the environment in which you live in. For example, if your friends gamble, you are going to need to make some new friends.

It’s not uncommon for past gambling addicts to replace just because they accompanied their friends to the casino or watched them playing on an online casino.

If you’ve known your friends for a long time and don’t want to hurt any feelings, come clean with your problem and why they should try to avoid the topic of gambling when you’re around.

9. Turn to Technology

Turns out, the same technology that played a part in getting you into gambling addiction can be used to get you out of it. Use software that blocks access to online gambling websites if you feel yourself logging into those websites on impulse.

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You can also try to use a stop gambling app for your phone since you are more likely to get the urge to gamble coming across gambling ads while browsing through social media posts.

10. Search for a Replacement

For many folks, gambling starts off as a hobby before turning into an addiction. This happens simply because some people have an addictive personality. These are the people who have a hard time keeping any hobby from turning into an addiction.

That said, being addicted to fishing or building a model train set is very different to gambling addiction. To help your mind deviate from thoughts of gambling, do other things that you like, such as, a hobby or spending time with family and friends.

The trick is to keep the mind busy so it doesn’t end up wondering to online betting sites. If you’ve been asking the question, “how can I stop gambling on my own?” Well, this is going to be your best bet.

At the end of the day, how to stop gambling on slot machines or at the casino all boils down to the decisions made by you.

Considering the negative impact that gambling can have on a person (both financially and psychologically) should be all the motivation you need to use these quit-gambling help tips and hit the jackpot of a better life.

Parents now realize if their teenager develops a compulsive gambling addiction their future course of action and time involvement is unknown. This isn’t something that is here today and gone tomorrow.

Compulsive teenagers with a gambling addiction have one or more of the following in common:

1. School grades drop

2. Social development decreases

3. Low self esteem

4. Self destructive behavior

5. Asking you why this happened to them?

6. Thinking suicide is the only way out.

7. Stealing

8. Pawning personal possessions

9. Negative Attitude

10. Cutting School

11. Disappearing for long periods of time

12. Blaming the parent because they gamble too.

13. Working a part time job to pay off debts

14. Stopped after school activities

15. Watched poker tournaments on cable and television

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16. I tried to stop but I couldn’t

Parents have been forced to educate themselves on the above when confronted with their teenager’s gambling addiction. From there they try to find answers instead they have more questions. They are not looking to point the finger but really to get help for their child. They also would like to help prevent another parent from having to deal with this addiction.

The following questions were raised by parents regarding the local school gambling event:

1. Has the school systems educated themselves to guarantee that gambling is equal to arts and crafts?

2. If one student develops a gambling addiction will the school system compensate the family for the negative affects on their teenager?

3. Will the school system cover all medical expenses if needed?

4. Should the post prom committee be legally responsible if just one student becomes addicted to gambling?

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5. What does the law state?

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6. What’s happening to our children’s future?

7. How I can tell my kid he can’t go when all his friends are going?

8. Is there something wrong with me, because I disagree with the school system?

9. How can I write a letter to the school board when my son may find out it was me objecting to the gambling event?

As a parent when you find out it’s your child who has the gambling addiction, what are you going to do? From a majority of the emails I receive, parents question and ask. “How did this happen to my teenager? I am a good parent.”

Just as you have to take the time to talk to your children about, protective sex, drugs and alcohol you now have to explain the effects of gambling.

Teenagers who grow up in a house where their parents are active gamblers are more likely to gamble too. A school event puts a stamp of approval on gambling.

Parents have asked for statistical proof that the upcoming post prom gambling party will have a negative effect on their teenagers. I gave the parent specific examples of real situations. This was not sufficient for the prom committee. They wanted to know what percentage? And how many students will be negatively affected by this event?

I haven’t been in high school for twenty years. I am amazed by the current events in our school systems.

The following was never heard of when I was in high school:

1. Teenage gambling addiction

2. Gambling at the post prom party

3. Teachers sleeping with students

4. Students shooting students on school grounds

5. Gambling on school grounds before and after class

6. Teenagers addicted to the Computer

7. Teenagers addicted to video games

8. Protective Sex

9. 911

Before I wrote this article I had fewer questions bandarq . The more you look into this subject matter more questions come up. Should gambling in schools be eliminated if the local law states no one under eighteen can gamble?

Gambling is the wagering or betting of money on games of chance. Even though most people believe it’s a form of recreation, it can become a psychologically addictive and harmful behavior in some people.

It’s very hard to track a teenager who has a gambling addiction. Once they graduate high school they are on their own start their life

If a teenager develops a gambling problem, in a majority of these situations parents are not going to openly admit their child has a gambling addiction. Once again we have limited statistics.

For the past few years teenage gambling has been increasing at an exponential rate. The increase in gambling can be contributed to family members who gamble, multiple television programs like poker tournaments and skillful advertising from the gambling establishments. It’s becoming an epidemic among our teenagers with no real solution being presented to the educators of our schools systems.

The new stream of commercials related to stop gambling has had very little affect. The commercials are geared towards helping people stop gambling but are not geared towards the individuals who have not experienced gambling at this point in time. The stop gambling commercials have not been able to reach the teenager with a compulsive gambling addiction. They however may reach the parents who may realize their child has a problem.

The only way to help our youth is to educate them in the classroom and at home. I remember years ago in health class they educated us on smoking and drinking. This was very effective on those individuals who never started. But the ones that were already addicted the educational programs were unable to reach them.

There following educational curriculums will be available to ship by August 2005 in order to give teachers the proper resource tools to deal with this growing problem:

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a) Helpful Resources for identifying teenagers who may have a compulsive gambling addiction.

b) Helping Teenagers identify their compulsive gambling addiction

Best Way To Stop Compulsive Gambling

c) Educating teenagers on compulsive gambling addiction. This one is my favorite because this has the best opportunity to prevent a teenager from gambling, helping teenagers identify the signs of compulsive gambling addiction and if the teenager has a problem with gambling.

d) Giving Teenagers the tools to identify others who may have a gambling addiction like their parents. This one has to be handled sensitively. I have received numerous emails from teenagers who did not know where to go, who to talk to in order to help a family member.

e) Educating Teenagers on the resources available to get help by giving them the local stop gambling telephone numbers and helpful stop gambling websites.

f) Understanding Compulsive Gambling Addiction

g) Practical exercises for teenagers with addictions to learn about self esteem, trust and more.

The above educational curriculums are to be used as a guide for professionals who want to educate the teenage population. The curriculums were based on real life situations. It’s their goal to reach these students at the age where gambling is most likely to affect their future and to help teenagers who have a compulsive gambling addiction.

More educational information can be found at the website [Teenagers that have been negatively affected by compulsive gambling addiction exhibit signs of self destructive behavior and an apathetic view towards school. By noticing the warning signs early, helps a teenager’s recovery to accelerate.

Our future is in our children. By giving them a good education and family foundation we will help them to survive in this world.