Gambling: How to Regain Control?

You may find that your gambling habits are impacting your finances, health, and relationships. What can you do if you feel that gambling is becoming a problem for you? It can be challenging to regain control. There are certain steps you can take that will help to break the cycle.

Understand the problem

Accepting that you are struggling is the very first step towards regaining control. Playing games using a casino games app can be very entertaining. The problem for some individuals is that it turns from entertainment into a compulsion. Here are some signs that this is happening:

You gamble to escape negative circumstances.
You want to win so much that you aren’t having any fun.
You take unnecessary risks.
You crave to bet and find it difficult to stop once you start.
You lie about your gambling and will borrow or steal money to keep gambling.
You would rather gamble than do anything else.

Acknowledge the problem

If you acknowledge your problem and ask for help, you can turn the situation around. It can be hard to admit that you have an issue. You probably feel shame and guilt about what’s happening. Self-blame can increase your stress and cause you to want to gamble even more as a way to escape. Talking to a trustworthy individual who isn’t going to judge you can help. It is usually best to seek out a counselor who knows how to deal with problem gambling.

Avoid high-risk situations

You may have to resort to measures such as canceling your credit cards and never carrying large amounts of cash when you go to casinos. Try to avoid the people, places, and activities that you associate with gambling. If you don’t keep track of time when gambling, you will often find yourself in risky situations where you tend to make impulsive decisions rather than thinking things through.

Pinpoint your triggers

If you want to overcome any addiction, understanding your triggers is part of the process of regaining control. Your triggers may be thoughts, situations, or feelings. For example, friends with the same bad habits as you can be a bad influence on you. Being under the influence could lower your inhibitions and lead to risky gambling. If you feel the need to gamble when you’re angry or depressed, you need to find other healthier ways to express your emotions.