Rehabilitation

Recovering from a gambling addiction is not going to be easy and you will need to make drastic changes to your daily routine and lifestyle in order to kick the habit. Once you have received treatment it is important to keep up the good work and refrain from gambling, especially as you will face temptations on a daily basis.

Lifestyle changes:

  • Spend more time with family and friends
  • Focus on positive things
  • Take up new hobbies or fill your time with doing things you love to do
  • Keep track of your spending and start to save money and pay off debts

    • Self-help techniques include:

  • Removing yourself from potentially difficult scenarios, for example giving up the Saturday afternoon trip to the pub to watch the football because you’ll be tempted to put a bet on the results on the way
  • Cutting ties with people you usually gamble with
  • Taking different routes to work or town to avoid going past the betting shop
  • Destroying credit cards
  • Cancelling betting accounts
  • Handing over control of money to a loved one
  • Finding new hobbies to distract you from gambling
  • Think before you bet; analyse what you are about to do and decide whether it is actually worth it.

    • Dealing with cravings

    You will probably be faced with temptations all the time, especially in this day and age where the opportunity to gamble is huge. If you’re craving making a bet or playing a game to win money, try to distract yourself by doing something else and speak to a friend or loved one about your cravings. Try to analyse the situation and think about the positive work you have done so far. If you have a sudden urge to bet, try to delay it and think through what you are about to do. If you resist the immediate urge you will probably find that you lose interest, especially if you start doing something else instead. Think about the consequences of your actions before you decide to go ahead and gamble.