Topic: Gambling Addiction Can Seriously Diminish The Quality Of Your Life. (Read 7297 times)

Any addiction is destructive to physical or mental health! And it certainly has a big impact on quality of life... If you are addicted to gambling, you will simply begin to lose your money and you can slide to the social bottom!
But if you are a professional gambler, then you must keep your head in order and don't give in to addiction!

Yes indeed, it really diminished not only diminish but it really destroyed your life. Many gamblers nowadays did not notice that they are addicted on gambling because when they play gambling it gives them happiness and entertainment so that they not noticed earlier that they are addicted on gambling.  If an once gambler loss in his/her game it could change their mood like getting mad on everywhere they encounter because they didn’t accept they’re lose so that their attitude was changed and it effects their lifestyle.

The article that you given to us are so much helpful among gamblers because it will guide us our daily lifestyle to prevent of being addicted onto gambling.
Because as we play gambling everyday we don't noticed that little by little our life was changing until we don't know that we are addicted on it, and there are so much changes that happen that's why many gamblers are changing their attitudes. This post also help to all newbie and addicted gamblers. Thank you for the effort.

A wise man will always make his money valuable and prioritize it to a more necessary things and not in gambling.

It is true that when you are already addicted, it is hard to escape by only yourself. You really need to seek help from other people that will really help you to overcome addiction in gambling. But at first, before being addicted to it, you should hinder yourself to reach that point so that you will have less problems in gambling. Like a moderate gambler, they are not that problematic and greedy in gambling because they know their limitations so that they will not experience being addicted in gambling. A wise man will always prioritize himself before he can influence other people.

Good motive but wont still be useless because gamblers in mind specially to those who do think on making money will surely find a way to gamble not with fun token but with real money.
We cant deny that its entirely different when we do gamble real money than a fake one.So its still unstoppable completely but this kind of way will surely reduce the risk on having those
gamblers that wrecked up their lives.

Each country do have its own stance when it comes to gambling.Therefore, it will either just be accepted nor prohibited.One thing here is that as a gambler
we should know our limitations.

Yes, it is individual's responsibility to protect themselves regardless of their country's regulations or banned state of gambling. After the introduction of online gambling, I guess the quality of life of gamblers got heavily diminished because regardless of their country's stand on gambling, they are able to access it and destroying their life slowly. I believe no country's governance cannot be targeted here.

If I were a dictator of a country, I will introduce fun tokens for gambling purposes and I will supply those tokens to every gambler for free of cost; this way I believe at least we could save gambler's life. But, it will definitely impact in per capita of entire nation as people may opt for gambling instead of going for work. Just a quick thought on saving gambler's life.

Yup, gambling is an easy life, but we can choose what we should do and not use gambling to make money. Maybe we heard about many people's life ruin because of gambling, and they hard to build and rise again because they don't have anything. Gambling can make us poor if we cannot control our money, and in the end, our life will be destroyed too. So if we can stop gambling at this time, we need to use it to save our life before it's too late to realize.

This is why some countries are banning gambling and imposed stiff penalties, but there are countries that allow it and only imposed regulations, but in the case of online casinos they can allow access without restrictions, so when it comes to gambling online it's on the individual, on how to keep his sanity and to realized that gambling can deteriorate your life.

Addicted people are unable to balance life, they are already engaged and they always wanted to keep playing without any targets. Most addicted gamblers only pay attention to how they will find ways to keep playing not minding the outcome and how it reflected both from their financial status and health.
It should all be balance if you wanted to still enjoy and be entertained.

I want to say that any kind of addiction worsens the quality of life. Even if this does not affect the financial situation, it will certainly affect the mental health.

The thread wascreated way back in 2013 I wonder how many people had been saved because of this tips and how many people really take this seriously.
This thread is really helpful for all of us gambler to know if we really have a problem as a gambler and if we really need some help.
Each and every gambler could quit but it wouldn't be easy we just need some help and motivation to do it.

For people who are addicted to gambling, just cannot resists without it and longer the time one continues to play higher the chances that bets placed would be ending on a loss and not in profits. This means financially one will also lose money, it will hamper the health as well and also in relationship it would be a barrier as you would not be able to give your time.

Not many people can win a lot in gambling games, but many people lose a lot of money in gambling. When you have addicting to gambling, your life becomes worst, and if you don't realize how to solve the addicting, you will difficult to rise. We will lose everything we have, not just money, but we will lose our family and even career because we can not stop playing gambling. There are many examples of being addicting to gambling, so we need to know how to prevent addiction.

Indeed, gambling can really destroy your life. Yes, there are people who win a lot and earn profit in gambling but, mostly it is the opposite where they lose big and end up poor and wasted. There are known superstars in our country that have become poor at the end because they become a gambling addict which costs their career and money. Gambling is an easy life, you lose and win sometimes but, you must always consider and focus on more important things than gambling.

Yes this is so very true but tell me can you make a alcoholic not take his last sip of alcohol??   You try to do that and tell me how it turns out
For the gambling addict he can gamble only sometimes and not make it some part of his every day real life
He will find ways to gamble

Bro, the entire thread is talking about gambling addiction, the word addiction implies a lack of self-control.

If you're addicted to gambling, then you shouldn't be gambling at ALL.

Some people simply aren't designed to be able to pull themselves out of the game, these people tend to develop addictions and get ruined in life, not just through gambling.

The vast majority of people are able to control their impulses, restrict their losses and playtime etc. It's only the small minority that have addictive personalities.

I fully disagree into that disrespect thing and same as you said this would vary on each place on how they do foreseen about gambling activity.Sad to say that there are really some places whom
do really discriminate too much for those people who do tied up with gambling activities which isnt really good or fair at all.

Life quality would really mess up if you do let addiction do overcome you but it doesnt mean that you should stop gambling at all because we know that this thing is just
really for fun and if you engage with it on moderation i dont really see a mistake or wrong on doing it.

Yeah it can, from bring depression to bringing debts, takes away the peace of a life of simplicity and makes life extremely hard to live everyday when you think how much you have lost and could have avoided it. It can also hamper academics of a student and working capabilities of a person when they are struggling to pay off their debts.

It will diminish the quality of your life if you do not know how to control it and you spend a lot of time gambling, imagine lost of time to your family and your work if you exceed the time you spend gambling, it should only be on weekend if it's offline casino or two hours if it's online casinos, and your family should know how many hours are you spending.

Indeed, gambling addiction reduces the quality of life ... Therefore, you should always be able to stop on time!
The same applies to regular trading ...

thats not true .  depend only if what kind of addict you are and if what kind of people judging you    . if your are raging due to addiction and you are harming the environment well you cant get respect but if your only silent with your hobby no one will get angry with you  .



pro gamblers are different from the gamblers that spend all the time in a gambling arena because pro gamblers have  adequate time of resting and they dont bust thier own money but they have sponsorships  .  but it also takes alot of practice to develop a gambling skill , is it necisary for you to spend the whole day and night on a gambling arena ,  just to become good   . 

It's not true that gamblers don't get respect, every different place has different people with different opinions. Some prefer that you shouldn't gamble, if you hide your activities at such places then there's no harm to your respect but if one knows, he/she will spread this in the society and then you may be seen as a "not-to-hangout-with" type of a person. And yeah, nobody in this world can master gambling (except if they are too good on a specific game and have great knowledge about it), so thinking about yourself to be the master of gambling will make you lose big in the end.

Gambling addicts will not get respect from the surrounding environment..  I am a gambler but I can still manage the time (when to stop and continue) the person who spends all his time in gambling will never be a king or master of gambling because the master of gambling is only a fiction (I say this because there are still many gamblers out there who think if they spend time in gambling then they will become proficient or masters in the gambling).

What I have realized is the fact that when you are spending too much time for something and too much money on it, it has to be either a loved hobby by all the people around you or it is very dangerous. Lets assume you spend thousands of dollars into painting and you become a decent painter, not a good one, definitely not a horrible one since you will sink it hours and hours upon it, however just a mediocre one that could maybe sell your paintings for 100 dollars and that is if you are lucky, NOBODY would mind it.

However, if you spend exactly the same time and same amount of money into gambling, that will be both damaging to your relations around you and also not going to get any respect from anyone. So gambling could very well be literally the same time/money in your life but it will still be hated.

Before engaging in gambling you should know first the pros and cons of gambling. For me, it can bring 30% profit and 70% losses to your money so if you want to gamble, you should understand that it will make you enjoy playing and at the same time accept losses if you're not lucky. But if you have luck, I guarantee you that it will be worth it. Addiction is a person's choice and not someone's mistake because at first you should know the effect of it to your life. Self-discipline is a key for you not to become addicted to gambling and also minimize your losses so that stress will not come into your mind

Right, I just saw someone bumped an old topic but the value never gets old no matter how many times it has been read or how old it is. But, I won't call Kayley who bumped this thread as newbie because she seems to share a serious matter here, she realized her husband has some serious issue and she needs to act, huge respect for Kaley and a legend in real life if even she's a newbie here.

Hopefully since this gambling discussion section is just above the gambling one, hopefully some guys will float around here and find some help, no matter how many guys contribute if even we can save some guys from the gambling disaster that is still great.

exactly what i am pointing in my top post mate,because Gambling is like mental problem in which you are killing also other people that relying on you,there are some addict that even let their family starve while they are enjoying losing their money in betting.

but you are correct this thread is worth Bumping because the points in OP are very well imposed about what gamblers need to prevent and follow to keep safe in gambling.

Haha,,, yeah, some threads do deserve to be bumped every now and then. It really gives us some perspective sometimes that some lessons never change. Provably fair gambling and crypto casinos gave us freedom and transparency,,, but it does not change the fact that addiction is something we forget to discuss and talk about as adults. May we always protect each other.

This is an old but hold thread. This summarizes myths and facts about addiction and being a problem gambler. One of my aunts is a gambling addict and she is not actually contented having her friends go to her house to gamble, she lets a group of her friends go to her home to play all day. Then there are days she ia not contented and goes to the casino to play. That is the moment I believe that no jackpot or anount of money can make a problem gambler stop. She even won a jackpot in the casino worth almost $30,000 in pur money and this only made her to crave more rather than to stop.

Now she is struggling even some of properties are sold and even jewelries that were left by my late uncle were now sold because of financial problem.


This is true in the case of my aunt.

I think it will depend on themselves whether they want to be helped or not, and we cannot force them to quit gambling if they don't want. It needs an open mind to accept other people's suggestions so we can help them to quit gambling. But if that person doesn't have a good attitude and doesn't have an effort to stop, I think that will waste our time because they will deny our advice. We can let them the choice of what they want and related to gambling, we can to let them know the risk.

Guess there are different between "gambling addiction" and "problem gambling". Problem gambling could also include people who gambled excessively in their first time they ever gamble. Such people will likely not gamble for a long time if they are not pleased with their losses but some could still come back to gamble despite their losses, either to "have fun" or try their luck again. I think the fun seeking gamblers could end up getting addicted if the gambling is more fun to them than any other activity outside gambling.
I guess the words (problem gambling) concern all problems associated with gambling, which includes addiction. Casinos should probably be made less addictive, people should be taught  to gamble safely before they gamble, people that are vulnerable to addiction (especially children)  should not be allowed to gamble. It's also important to "solve the real cause of addiction"... like depression, sadness, etc

Gambling addiction could not be observed in the beginning days so an addicted gambler may look like normal and they might be sleeping like any normal persons. But over the time of continuing gambling, their psychological level may turn upside down which will lead to less sleeping hours and other mental disorders. So, it doesn't mean a gambler is not harming anyone that is not an addicted one.

Most of the cases addiction toward gambling is being discovered only in the later stages. Until then most gamblers are capable of hiding it from their family members and friends circle. So close watching is helpful also being irregular to gambling may delay addictions.

as long as he dont harm his self and others and as long as he think he is still normal and can think properly  , why not  ?  i know a couple of friend who are also degen when it comes to gambling but they can still do other things like sleeping . infact my friend sleeps alot everyday  but he confess to me that he is a degen  . also , this thread is not for the gamblers that dont care of what others are saying about them but this is for gamblers that seeks help because they do want to get out of thier addiction  .

You can't help someone who does not want to be helped, so enjoy your gambling, what else can we say.

It is the bad sides of addiction where you do gambling where you do not have control in yourself anymore and you also have different vices. I became addicted in gambling both online and in real life, yes it became one of the hardest challenges in my life but now I'm here where I overcome the addiction. It can really diminish your life if you have doesn't control anymore in your emotions and feelings. For those who still stuck in addiction, seeking professional advices may help.

That's what the OP has mentioned although it is old thread being bumped by someone who felt they should share their own story and while I am not a fan of bumping old threads but this thread is actually worth bumping as more and more gamblers who are slowly falling in trap of gambling will find help from the mentioned facts in the OP.


I must say gambling addiction has to be among the top 5 most dangerous addictions because unlike other addictions it does not affect you physically and you feel like you are doing good and your family would never notice any difference but gambling addiction actually destroys you internally and you go through a sea of emotions and obviously hurts you financially as well.

I can actually relate to your situation as I will share a story of my own. So, basically my neighbor was into gambling not bitcoins but just gambling in real life like betting with people, drinking alcohol and getting late to the house and abusing her wife. We as neighbors knew what was going on but none of us actually cared too much because of this abrasive and rough behavior.

Now, the lady his wife decided she had too much and she actually left him once forever, the guy got even bigger in debts and almost got to begging for money. Somehow his brother who was living in other city came and got him to a rehab center and you won't believe he now lives with his wife (the old one came back and he is much happier now.

Moral : Some addictions needs to be treated properly and professionally.

One of my friends had encountered it too to the point that gambling addiction affects his health because he's not eating and sleeping on the right time. I watch him lose some weight and it makes me feel like it ruined his life, that's why I decided to make an action by making him realize that his life will end up miserable if he doesn't know how to control himself. I make him look into his situation wherein his money is gone and his health is not in a good condition. It slaps the reality inside him and felt sorry because of what he have done but I told him that its okay as long as you learn from your mistakes. Maybe gambling is entertaining but you have to realize that it can also make a huge negative impact on your life, not only in your funds but even on your health. Self-discipline is a must, its your responsibility as a gambler and besides being addicted depends on how you manage yourself so if you don't want to end up feeling remorse then you should know your own limitation because at the end of the day you are the only person who will suffer the consequences of your actions.

Damnn, this is an old thread and some newbie necrobump it but, this is still relevant and I enjoy reading it. Thankyou to the newbie that bump this, LOL

This one hit's me hard:


I am gambling maybe one day a week or one day a month, but every time that I lose, I feel miserable and thinking that I shouldn't bet considering that I am always losing. Every time I gamble, I will have a good start and can't control my greed to go big, and it is always ending up miserable. I am always feeling bad every time I lose. Gambling is a problem if you feel bad every time you play and still playing even though you know that you are going to lose.

I shared my story in the hope someone will understand it is realluy possible to overcome addiction.
Speaking about the name of the clinic, I edited my post and added a link there.

It is easier to advice others rather than following them in own life. This is what exactly happening here on this discussion board and in most gambler's life. They can easily spot addiction nature in other gambler's habit but may fail to control their own addictions toward gambling. I may not be an exception here. I guess I am not an addicted gambler but who knows, only other people may find how good I am at my gambling and preventing its addictions.

I support having this kind of discussion because at least it may save one gambler's life one day or other. See, this topic is getting life after long time still it is good to read and to discussion and I too believe it may bring changes to some gambler's activities too.

yeah and i can relate on what OP is telling us because becing a former addict?i can feel it.
gamblers use to have this pride that even if they already knew missing something yet continuing the mistakes they are doing.
gamblers may read but realization?thats the question mate because how can one admit being addicted when he is just starting to enjoy his stupidity?

There are pros and cons when it comes to gambling. I have friends who got their lives ruined because of gambling addiction. Gamblers should know how to control their emotions of having too much eagerness to win or else their emotions would control them which might result in uncertain losses in the future. We all know that there's no guarantee of winning in gambling and I believe that it's still a matter of luck. We can't put all our assets at risk and entrust all our necessities in gambling. We should think of the possible consequences of choosing  gambling over our family. Gambling is actually made for fun and entertainment so we should know how to deal with it appropriately.

I just wonder that OP made a such good post on dangers of gambling addictions in 2013 itself and some newbie bumping it after 4 years still OP's points are good and useful to this community.

We already had 100s of discussion on gambling addictions but people contribute to those discussion at significant levels but it seems they are not making us of those discussion into their life when seeing how miserably some people are sharing about their loses  in gambling.

It is a good read what OP had contributed here but I am not sure how many gamblers will find time to reading it and realizing it along with their gambling life. I mean most of the gamblers here are toward gambling urge and they will not listen to any such advice which makes such good topics lifeless.

every addiction can make our life miserable mate and that is already given,there are too many news and happenings where a gambling addict murder others,cut off his own life,leave His family to starve,and many more.

like other addiction like Alcohol,womanizer,smoking and others will bring our life to nothing but hatreds.
that is why we are only encourage to Gamble with amount tolerable for you to lose and not to Put your whole life playing this.

Thats bad for him. Honestly the only thing he needs is self control and have other hobbies to do like playing basketball ,chess etc.
This things  only making him as addiction because he is enjoying playing it and they can also win big for playing it.
Rehab can help but hopefully after he realeae from there he will not go back to what he is doing before.

It's an old thread but it's still a relevant topic, I don't know he stumble an old topic but maybe he Google it because sometimes old topics always come out in the search engine depends on the kind of keywords that he uses he found it and uses that to share her experiences about her husband.

Not sure why you felt the need to bump a four year old thread in order to post this.

If your husband had an issue, then it's not his fault you guys had no money to buy food, he should never have been allowed to access your money in the first place.

What's the name of the free rehab clinic though? A huge people need that service around here.

My husband had this addiction for 5+ years. He killed our account or bills too many times. Awful to think of it now. Like all addicts, he didn't realize he had a problem and refused to get help. But when he lost all our money and I couldn't even buy enough food, I understood that it was enough. I asked our family and friends for help. We all persuaded my husband to enter a rehab center program https://addictionresource.com/drug-rehab/free-rehabs/. Many addiction treatment programs are expensive, but we found a free one. It will be about 2 years soon since he overcame gambling addiction. I hope will never return to it again. And I feel sorry for people who have to go through this every day.

It looks like you're new to the gambling so still think the strategies will work in gambling and one can make profits out of it on a regular basis. But that is not true because no strategies will work in gambling in the long run. You should learn how to earn money by working hard and smart but not by short cut method. Good luck to you.

Yes, i also think that it is copy paste, but it is really helpful for us. Because in this way mostly people who say that gambling is so much addictive thing it make help for those people, and also we know that what is the site-affect of the gambling.
I m a gambler but never accept that gambling is a addictive thing, i believe if you feel you are lucky man than must try it, and you should play gambling with your brain than definitely we will win.

My Dad is also plays a lot and his online casino is my nightmare - I often see these characters: http://casinonsvenska.eu/ . May be I'll save our family from crashing down with your tips and help of professional

This is a great post.
It is always undesirable to gamble (same for investment indeed) more than you can afford to lose.

Quitting gambling is easy. I quit gambling... every night when I go to bed.

Nice post, luckily I'm a short time and diligent gambler.
I always set a stop loss and can follow it without losing control, if I lose all the capital, the game is over and I won't recharge the account.

I gamble only when Im able to do it. I gamble for passion and not for addiction. I can stop anytime with it,
You know why? There are moments where I feel involved 100% in it,there are Times that even if I have the money to gamble some Im completely uninterested.

Since I'm kinda new to this bitcoin thing I been gathering tiny percentages of a bitcoin in order to gamble and been doing this constantly for over 7 months ended up winning and losing 3btc. Now I'm in the position that I'm broke and thinking how gambling is comparable to any addiction. Finding that life is better than to be 24/7 constantly thinking about bitcoin. Hope this makes sense 

Because of the easy access and availability of casinos, many people are now addicted to gamble. The costs of being a gambling addict are not only financial. This issue is a serious problem. Though the habit is fine in moderation and when done for fun, it can also be harmful to themselves and to others. Here is the article:  Gambling Addiction.

He posted his story here:

https://bitcointalk.org/?topic=429331

Posting the link since it's relevant to this thread.

KingOfSports would be able to vouch on such an experience.

craps and 3 dice cee-lo.
we ran in middle school.
In high school we played craps, smoked weed in the pool area and banged chics in the locker room.
dad blew the private school money. LMAO
I'm from the hood or "a heavily gentrified and sadly impoverished urban warzone known as Chi-Raq". (Chicago for the Superfluous grammar nazis and better-thans)
We are savages but I am one the trained ones.~Not domesticated though.

I wish I could say the same thing
Damn, I am loving all honesty from everyione here, it's a beautiful thing

to each hisx
Sarcastic is probably not a word you want to learn, say what you mean and mean what you say otherwise is just leads to confusion, especially online.  

Depends on what your gambling on, if your gambling on dice sites there is no "strategy" which you will continuously have a +EV unless of course the house has a negative edge. If your talking about something like poker/sports betting making more information and experiences will help you to make a more informed decision. But fundamentally gambling is gambling, there is always risk despite what some might think.

Yeah if that's whats most important to you than do it

It wouldn't be an addiction if you were winning. Is gambling addiction really just another way of saying piss poor gambling strategy? I think it is. Learn how to gamble...learn how to EARN money. 

When I was a kid, we ran in Gym...
And what do you mean "Shooting Dice"? Is that Craps?

my dad blew 100k @ a casino when I was 14. Freshman year of high school I started shooting dice in gym class.
WON BIG. got hooked. Then 2 weeks later I lost my whole wad WITH MY DICE.
I then realized that I too had a gambling addiction.
Since then I haven't even Played the lottery.
I should have risked all my money on btc like 2 years ago though.
GREAT POST.
+1
/BUMP

Lot's of people can manage gambling... Meth, well...

yep that's why meth and gambling are my hobbies

It's not addiction if you can manage it properly.. Right?

Forget which one? PD == Primedice.

I must add nice job on the responsible gaming links on PD, I feel that is very responsible.

Responsible gaming is very important! Always treat gambling as a form of entertainment and not as a mean of generating profit!

Copy paste notwithstanding, thanks

Needs to be highlighted more

No dude, I'm a walking mess and fucking proud of it.

Was this meant to be sarcastic?

Thank you so much!
Now I still need to get rid of my heroine addiction and I need to cut back on my drinking habits . Kingdom come!

Same here. This post helps me lot. I'm quitting gamble forever.

This is a total copy paste; why not just link it? Also, you run a gambling reviews site Almost as ironic as the casinos who have the gambling addiction flyers.

it helps a lot for me..

i ruin my life and family because of this shit gambling..
With this thread i will apply this as much as i could.

Thanks for the post.

to the people that don't like the thread then dont comment. lol

it helps specially for the newbie gamblers.

i fucking love gambling and i'm a degenerate so, i'm not sure what the point of this thread is

Nice copy paste. Let me summarize it: common sense.

Whether you bet on sports, scratch cards, roulette, poker, or slots—in a casino or online—problem gambling can strain relationships, interfere with work, and lead to financial catastrophe. You may even do things you never thought you would, like stealing money to gamble or pay your debts. You may think you can’t stop but, with the right help, you can overcome a gambling problem or addiction and regain control of your life. The first step is recognizing and acknowledging the problem.
In This Article:

Understanding gambling addiction and problem gambling

Gambling addiction, also known as compulsive gambling, is a type of impulse-control disorder. Compulsive gamblers can’t control the impulse to gamble, even when they know their gambling is hurting themselves or their loved ones. Gambling is all they can think about and all they want to do, no matter the consequences. Compulsive gamblers keep gambling whether they’re up or down, broke or flush, happy or depressed. Even when they know the odds are against them, even when they can’t afford to lose, people with a gambling addiction can’t “stay off the bet.”

Gamblers can have a problem, however, without being totally out of control. Problem gambling is any gambling behavior that disrupts your life. If you’re preoccupied with gambling, spending more and more time and money on it, chasing losses, or gambling despite serious consequences, you have a gambling problem.
Myths & Facts about Gambling Addiction and Problem Gambling

MYTH: You have to gamble every day to be a problem gambler.
FACT: A problem gambler may gamble frequently or infrequently. Gambling is a problem if it causes problems.

MYTH: Problem gambling is not really a problem if the gambler can afford it.
FACT: Problems caused by excessive gambling are not just financial. Too much time spent on gambling can lead to relationship breakdown and loss of important friendships.

MYTH: Partners of problem gamblers often drive problem gamblers to gamble.
FACT: Problem gamblers often rationalize their behavior. Blaming others is one way to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, including what is needed to overcome the problem.

MYTH: If a problem gambler builds up a debt, you should help them take care of it.
FACT: Quick fix solutions may appear to be the right thing to do. However, bailing the gambler out of debt may actually make matters worse by enabling gambling problems to continue.
Relieving unpleasant and overwhelming feelings without gambling

Unpleasant feelings such as stress, depression, loneliness, fear, and anxiety can trigger compulsive gambling or make it worse. After a stressful day at work, after an argument with your spouse or coworker, or to avoid more time spent on your own, an evening at the track or the casino can seem like a fun, exciting way to unwind and socialize. But there are healthier and far less expensive ways to keep unpleasant feelings in check. These may include exercising, meditating, spending time with friends, taking up new hobbies, or exploring relaxation techniques.

For many people, an important aspect of quitting gambling is to find alternate ways to handle these difficult feelings without gambling.  Even when gambling is no longer a part of your life, the painful and unpleasant feelings that may have prompted you to gamble in the past will still remain. So, it’s worth spending some time thinking about the different ways you intend to deal with stressful situations and the daily irritations that would normally trigger you to start gambling.
Signs and symptoms of problem gambling

Gambling addiction is sometimes referred to as the "hidden illness" because there are no obvious physical signs or symptoms like there are in drug or alcohol addiction. Problem gamblers typically deny or minimize the problem. They also go to great lengths to hide their gambling. For example, problem gamblers often withdraw from their loved ones, sneak around, and lie about where they’ve been and what they’ve been up to.

Do I have a gambling problem?

You may have a gambling problem if you:

-Feel the need to be secretive about your gambling. You might gamble in secret or lie about how much you gamble, feeling others won’t understand or that you will surprise them with a big win.

-Have trouble controlling your gambling. Once you start gambling, can you walk away? Or are you compelled to gamble until you’ve spent your last dollar, upping your bets in a bid to win lost money back?

-Gamble even when you don’t have the money. A red flag is when you are getting more and more desperate to recoup your losses. You may gamble until you’ve spent your last dollar, and then move on to money you don’t have- money to pay bills, credit cards, or things for your children. You may feel pushed to borrow, sell, or even steal things for gambling money. It’s a vicious cycle. You may sincerely believe that gambling more money is the only way to win lost money back. But it only puts you further and further in the hole.

-Family and friends are worried about you. Denial keeps problem gambling going. If friends and family are worried, listen to them carefully. Take a hard look at how gambling is affecting your life. It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help. Many older gamblers are reluctant to reach out to their adult children if they've gambled away their inheritance. But it's never too late to make changes for the better.

Treatment for problem gambling

Every gambler is unique and so needs a recovery program tailored specifically to him or her. What works for one gambler won’t necessarily work for you. The biggest step in treatment is realizing you have a problem with gambling. It takes tremendous strength and courage to own up to this, especially if you have lost a lot of money and strained or broken relationships along the way. Don’t despair, and don’t try to go it alone. Many others have been in your shoes and have been able to break the habit.

Overcoming a gambling addiction or problem is never easy. But recovery is possible if you stick with treatment and seek support. To find help in your area, see Resources and References below.
Group support for gambling addiction and problem gambling

Gamblers Anonymous is a twelve-step recovery program patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous. A key part of a 12-step program is choosing a sponsor. A sponsor is a former gambler who has time and experience remaining free from addiction, and can often provide invaluable guidance and support.

Therapy for problem gambling

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for problem gambling focuses on changing unhealthy gambling behaviors and thoughts, such as rationalizations and false beliefs. It also teaches problem gamblers how to fight gambling urges, deal with uncomfortable emotions rather than escape through gambling, and solve financial, work, and relationship problems caused by the addiction.

The goal of treatment is to “rewire” the addicted brain by thinking about gambling in a new way. A variation of cognitive behavioral therapy, called the Four Steps Program, has been used in treatment of compulsive gambling as well. The goal is to change your thoughts and beliefs about gambling in four steps; re-label, re attribute, refocus, and revalue. More comprehensive information about cognitive behavioral therapy and applying it to your situation is found below.

Seeing a therapist does not mean you are weak or can’t handle your problems. Therapy is for people who are smart enough to realize they need help. It can give you tools and support for reframing your thoughts that will last a lifetime.

Maintaining recovery for problem gambling and gambling addiction

As you may have noticed, quitting problem gambling is relatively easy. It’s staying in recovery- making a permanent commitment to stay away from gambling- that is such a challenge. Maintaining recovery for problem gambling and gambling addiction  is possible if you surround yourself with people to whom you’re accountable, avoid tempting environments, give up control of your finances (at least at first), and find exciting or enjoyable activities to replace gambling.

Changing your lifestyle and making healthier choices

One way to stop yourself from problem gambling is to analyze what is needed for gambling to occur, work on removing these elements from your life and replace them with healthier choices. The four elements needed for problem gambling to continue are:

A decision: Before gambling occurs, the decision to gamble has been made. If you have an urge to gamble: stop what you are doing and call someone, think about the consequences to your actions, tell yourself to stop thinking about gambling, and find something else to do immediately.

Money: Gambling cannot occur without money. Get rid of your credit cards, let someone else be in charge of your money, have the bank make automatic payments for you, and keep a limited amount of cash on you at all times.

Time: Gambling cannot occur if you don’t have the time. Schedule enjoyable recreational time for yourself that has nothing to do with gambling, find time for relaxation, and plan outings with your family.

A game: Without a game or activity to bet on there is no opportunity to gamble. Don’t put yourself in tempting environments or locations. Tell the gambling establishments you frequent that you have a gambling problem and ask them to restrict you from betting at their casinos and establishments. Block online gambling sites on your computer.

Maintaining recovery from problem gambling or gambling addiction depends a lot on the reasons why you were gambling in the first place. Once you’ve quit gambling, reasons such as depression, loneliness, or boredom will remain, so in order to maintain your recovery, you’ll need to address these problems. There are alternative behaviors you can substitute for gambling. Some examples include:
-Reason for Gambling
-Sample Substitute Behaviors
-To provide excitement, get a rush of adrenaline
-Sport or a challenging hobby, such as mountain biking, rock climbing, or Go Kart racing
-To be more social, overcome shyness or isolation
-Counseling, enroll in a public speaking class, join a social group, connect with family and friends, volunteer, find new friends
-To numb unpleasant feelings, not think about problems
   
Therapy, consult Helpguide’s Bring Your Life into Balance toolkit

Boredom or loneliness
   
Find something you’re passionate about such as art, music, sports, or books then find others with the same interests

To relax after a stressful day   

As little as 15 minutes of daily exercise can relieve stress.  Or deep breathing, meditation, or massage

To solve money problems
   
The odds are always stacked against you so it’s far better to seek help with debts from a credit counselor

Dealing with gambling cravings

Feeling the urge to gamble is normal, but that doesn’t make it any easier when you are struggling to make better choices. Remember, as you build healthier choices and a good support network, resisting cravings will be easier and easier. The following strategies can help

-Reach out for support. Call a trusted family member, meet a friend for coffee, or go to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting.
-Do something else. Distract yourself with another activity, such as cleaning your house, going to the gym, or watching a movie.
-Postpone gambling. Tell yourself that you’ll wait five minutes, fifteen minutes, or an hour — however long you think you can hold out. As you wait, the urge to gamble may pass or become weak enough to resist.
-Give yourself a reality check. Visualize what will happen if you give in to the urge to gamble. Think about how you’ll feel after all your money is gone and you’ve disappointed yourself and your family again.
-Avoid Isolation. If you gamble to socialize or be around other people, try healthier ways to build a social network. Volunteer, connect with old friends, make new friends.

If you aren’t able to resist the gambling craving, don’t be too hard on yourself or use it as an excuse to give up. Overcoming a gambling addiction is a tough process. You may slip from time to time; the important thing is to learn from your mistakes and continue working towards recovery.

Helping a family member with a gambling problem

Does my loved one have a gambling problem?

If your loved one has a gambling problem, he or she might:

Become increasingly defensive about his or her gambling. The more a problem gambler is in the hole, the more the need to defend gambling as a way to get money. Your loved one may get secretive, defensive or even blame you for the need to gamble, telling you that it is all for you and you need to trust in the “big win someday.”
Suddenly become secretive over money and finances. Your loved one might show a new desire to control household finances, or there might increasingly be a lack of money despite the same income and expenses. Savings and assets might mysteriously dwindle, or there may be unexplained loans or cash advances.
Become increasingly desperate for money to fund the gambling. Credit card bills may increase, or your loved one may ask friends and family for money. Jewelry or other items easily pawned for money may mysteriously disappear.

How to help with a gambling problem

Compulsive and problem gamblers often need the support of their family and friends to help them in their struggle to stop gambling. But the decision to quit has to be theirs. As much as you may want to, and as hard as it is seeing the effects, you cannot make someone stop gambling.

If your family member has a gambling problem, you may have many conflicting emotions. You may try to cover up for a loved one or spend a lot of time and energy trying to keep him or her from gambling. At the same time, you might be furious at your loved one for gambling again and tired of trying to keep up the charade. The gambler may also have borrowed (or even stolen) money from you with no way to pay it back. He or she may have sold family possessions or run up huge debts on joint credit cards. When faced with the consequences of their actions, a gambler can suffer a crushing drop in self-esteem. This is one reason why there is a high rate of suicide among problem gamblers.
Preventing suicide in problem gamblers

When gamblers are feeling hopeless, the risk of suicide is high. It’s very important to take any thoughts or talk of suicide seriously. If you or someone you care about is suicidal, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. For a suicide helpline outside the U.S., visit Befrienders Worldwide

Tools for family members of problem gamblers:

Start by helping yourself. You have a right to protect yourself emotionally and financially. Don’t blame yourself for the gambler’s problems. The right support can help you make positive choices for yourself, and balance encouraging your loved one to get help without losing yourself in the process.

Don’t go it alone. It can feel so overwhelming coping with a loved one’s problem gambling that it may seem easier to rationalize their requests and problems “this one last time”. Or you might feel ashamed, feeling like you are the only one who has problems like this. Reaching out for support will make you realize that many families have struggled with this problem. Or you might consider therapy to help sort out the complicated feelings that arise from coping with a problem gambler.

Set boundaries in managing money. If a loved one is serious about getting help for problem gambling, it may help if you take over the family finances to make sure the gambler stays accountable and to prevent relapse. However, this does not mean you are responsible for micromanaging the problem gamblers impulses to gamble. Your first responsibilities are to ensure that your own finances and credit are not at risk.

Consider how you will handle requests for money. Problem gamblers often become very good at asking for money, either directly or indirectly. They may use pleading, manipulation or even threats and blaming to get it. It takes time and practice to learn how you will respond to these requests to ensure you are not enabling the problem gambler and keeping your own dignity intact.

Do’s and Don'ts for Partners of Problem Gamblers

Do

-Seek the support of others with similar problems; attend a self-help group for families such as Gam-Anon.
-Explain problem gambling to the children.
-Recognize your partner’s good qualities.
-Remain calm when speaking to your partner about his or her gambling and its consequences.
-Let your partner know that you are seeking help for your own sake because of the way gambling affects you and the children.
-Understand the need for treatment of problem gambling despite the time it may involve.
-Take control of family finances; review bank and credit card statements.

Don’t

-Preach, lecture, or allow yourself to lose control of your anger.
-Make threats or issue ultimatums unless you intend to carry them out.
-Exclude the gambler from family life and activities.
-Expect immediate recovery, or that all problems will be resolved when the gambling stops.
-Bail out the gambler.
-Cover-up or deny the existence of the problem to yourself, the family, or others.

Source: Dept. of Mental Health & Addiction Services
Source 2: HelpGuide.Org