Gambling addiction can be a difficult challenge to overcome, but it is possible with the right mindset, support, and dedication. One effective way to quit gambling is to avoid exposure to gambling games and environments, as well as people who encourage gambling behaviors, and people who play it or talk about it. Additionally, there are various resources available, such as apps, support groups, and therapy, that can provide assistance and strategies for quitting it.
We should remember that quitting gambling is a process, it may require patience to take steps toward a healthier and more fulfilling life, and dedication to succeed.
The Following are 5 Steps on How We Can Quit Gambling
1. Admitting We Have a Problem
The first step to resolving any kind of problem is always to admit it first. When we acknowledge that we have a problem, we are taking responsibility, we are taking ownership of the situation, and we are giving ourselves the opportunity to find a solution and make positive changes in our life. This will help our minds to be motivated, to be able to see the problem with clarity, and take action to address it.
2. Find the Root Cause
Gambling addiction is just like a tree, where the only option to completely stop or end it is to take it from its root. Cutting a tree from its roots can cause significant damage to the tree, which will ultimately result in its death. This is because the roots provide the necessary support, nutrients, and water to keep the tree alive. Without its roots, the tree cannot survive.
To be able to find the root of our gambling addiction, we have to ask ourselves, several types of questions. Each individual gambles for a variety of reasons, but the following question can provide us all with the real roots of our gambling addiction.
We have to make sure that we are writing on paper or on a copybook all of our answers to the following questions, so we can keep on track our progress.
When was the first time I gamble in my life and what was happening at that time?
What triggers me to gamble? Is it because I'm bored, stressed, or have a need for excitement?
Have I tried to stop gambling before? If so, what happened?
How does gambling make me feel? Does it provide a temporary escape from my problems or add to them in the long run?
How frequently do I gamble and what severity of the problem?
What brings me back to gambling if I have stopped before?
Do I spend time with friends or relatives who gamble?
How positively does gambling affect me?
How negatively does gambling affect me?
How will I feel if I stop gambling now, knowing that I will never gamble anymore in my entire life?
3. The Impact of Gambling on Our Life
Gambling can have a devastating impact on our lives, it will impact our finance, our relationships, our mental health, and our physical health, and can even lead to legal problems.
The following are more details on how gambling can impact our lives:
A lot of people ignore the compact that gambling addiction can have on our life, so it is very important to know where it can lead us if we still continue gambling.
Financial Problems: Gambling can lead us to financial difficulties, such as debt, bankruptcy, and a loss of savings or assets which can lead to homelessness.
Relationship Problems: Gambling addiction can cause strain on relationships with family, friends, and other significant people in our lives. The secrecy and shame associated with gambling addiction can lead us to isolate ourselves because we don't want people to know what we are facing, or because we don't want people to know much much we have lost.
Emotional and Mental Health Issues: Gambling addiction can lead to depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Gambling will reduce our productivity, it will give us the hope that it is the only solution to our financial problems, and much more. Lastly, it can even lead us to suicide idea.
Legal Problems: Gambling can lead us to legal problems, such as criminal charges related to theft, fraud, and much more. All of that might be because we are looking for money we don't have to gamble with.
Work or School Problems: Gambling addiction can lead us to miss days at work or school, it will reduce our performance, and productivity, and can even lead to losing our job or failing at school.
Physical health issues: Gambling addiction can lead to neglect of self-care and physical health, including poor sleep, unhealthy eating habits, and other negative health consequences.
4. Learn About The Deceiving Hope
Gambling usually gives people this amazing, and absolute hope, thinking that they are going to win or get their money back after losing. In this stage, our mind gives us tonnes of reasons why we should continue gambling, and sometimes we might even win or get our money back also don't get me wrong, the trap is, we will likely continue gambling which will result again in the loss of everything we have won.
We have to understand that the more we play, the more money we lose. Most of people lose more money than winning. If we verify also people who won the lottery most of them end up being broke again or even end up being more broke than before. The reason is actually pretty simple, we have no attachment to that money, we gain it without any strong effort. We may have heard this quote," easy come, easy go", it actually applied in this case.
The only way to free ourselves from this trap is to learn to let go. If we have lost a lot of money, it is okay, we can make more money by building more sources of income, and forget everything about gambling. We should never be back to gambling again even when we have built more streams of income knowing we can lose our bet, and get money from our streams of income. We have to stop that mindset and start thinking about how our money can help to improve other people's lives and help our families to live amazing life(traveling around the world, helping others, and more).
5. The Impact of Gambling on Our Life
There are many ways that we can solve our gambling addiction. We can overcome it by limiting or stopping being exposed to any sort of gambling. We can use apps that can help us to block our access to any gambling website that we may try to log into, we can find help through therapy, or seek support from our family member or friend, and seek help from a financial advisor.
The following are more details resolutions on how we can quit gambling:
Note: Action is required to find good results. All of this is based on my personal experience, as it has worked for me and might also for you also.
Stop Being Exposed to Gambling: A lot of people gamble because they are exposed to a gambling audience. For example, we may have a friend or family member who won a certain amount of money through gambling, and they are telling us how easily we can win also. Or if we know someone who gambles a lot, and talks about it all the time we are with them. Or on the news, seeing someone who won the lottery. It is important to tell the person who talks about gambling a lot when we are with them, to stop doing that, or we can stop spending time with them also, to limit our exposure to gambling.
Resisting: Sometimes we ignore our power to resist against anything that is warmful toward ourselves. We have to remember that we have the willpower to say no to any addiction. We have to power to decide that we are going to stop gambling. We have to say it loud to ourselves and believe it. Quitting any addiction is a process, meaning it will take some time to completely quit it. We have to believe to ourselves that we will quit it, and have the conviction it will happen.
Never Say Anything Negative to Ourselves When We gamble Again: Sometimes we fall into the trap of putting ourselves down or saying some negative words toward ourselves when we are falling back into our gambling habit after quitting for a certain time. Remember quitting is a process, we have to stay positive that we are going to quit no matter what happens. Instead of saying negative words toward ourselves, we should use that energy to find a different solution to help us to quit, and build our conviction of never gambling again. Our word has the power to destroy or to create, we have to stay positive no matter what to create a positive result. Lastly, we should never say anything negative to ourselves because it will create a negative result.
Exercising: As ridiculous as it may sound, exercising will help us quit gambling. The reason is actually pretty simple, exercising will increase our willpower, and help us to fight any negative emotions. Exercising will help us to become active, and more productive which may lead to creating many sources of income for ourselves instead wasting time gambling.
Seek Help: If we have tried the above method on our own multiple times, and are still not able to quit gambling, we should consider finding help from the following: therapy, a pastor, a financial advisor, blocking gambling website apps, or group community who offer help on the matter.
Do What is Productive For our Life: Thinking about doing what is productive for our lives, will help us to change our focus from gambling to what matters the most in our lives. If we want more income, we can build many sources of income. If we want something we can spend our time with when we are free, we can do sports, read books, learn new things that will increase our value on the market, visit friends and family, travel around the world, and more.
I hope this article was valuable to you. If you want to build a lot of streams of income, you should consider reading two other articles we have:
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