How to Help You Stop Your Gambling Addiction From Destroying Your Life

Gambling addiction is a great destroyer of lives. Many people have lost their jobs, homes, financial security, and their families because of an untreated gambling addiction.

Gambling addiction has the highest suicide rate of all addictions because of the despair that gambling addiction causes.

Here are some tips to help stop your gambling addiction from truly destroying your life. If you have a gambling addiction, and you need help, the greatest step that you have taken now is that you are truly looking for help.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A desire to stop gambling addiction and find a better way to live.
• A commitment to changing behavior after finding help for a gambling addiction.

1. 
    
   Admit To Yourself That You Have A Gambling Addiction

   You must first recognize that you have a problem. If you are in denial of your gambling addiction, you will continue to gamble and destroy your life. You have to be honest with yourself that you do indeed have a problem. Admitting this to yourself is not easy, however, it is very freeing once you do this.

2. 
    
   Talk To A Trained Gambling Addiction Counselor

   Call and talk to a trained gambling addiction counselor on a hotline in your local area. When you talk to someone, they can give you referrals of providers in your area who can help you. You may also want to look into Gamblers Anonymous 12 Step meetings. You can go to www.gamblersanonymous.org
   for more information.

3. 
    
   Tell Yourself That You Will Not Gamble Each Morning You Wake Up

   Make a decision each morning that you wake up that you will not gamble on this particular day. Stopping an addiction is a "one day at a time" type thing. Do not promise yourself that you will never gamble again. Promise yourself each morning that you will not gamble on that given day.

4. 
    
   Join an Online Gambling Addiction Forum

   Join an online gambling help forum so you can have gambling addiction support right from the comfort of your own home. Safe Harbor is one particular forum and it is quite active.

5. 
    
   Gambling Addiction Self-Help Books Are Helpful.

   Look for gambling addiction self help books that can help you with your gambling addiction through writing, understanding, and education about your addiction. There are many self-help books on gambling addiction, however, you want to find one that is truly affordable and very comprehensive.

Tips & Warnings

• Read as much as you can on the topic of gambling addiction and gambling problems. The more educated you are, the better.
• Practice self-care and be kind and gentle with yourself. You have been through a lot.
• Remember that stopping any addiction takes time, practice, commitment, and support. This will be challenging, but you can do it!
• If you are depressed or suicidal, please get IMMEDIATE help.
• I will state this again. If you are extremely depressed or suicidal, you must get help IMMEDIATELY.
• Remember that gambling addiction is not a financial problem, but an emotional and spiritual problem.
• Gambling addiction progresses over time. Get help now, before things get really really bad.
• Gambling addiction and gambling problems do ruin the lives of individuals and families. I have seen this time and time again. Get help for your gambling addiction now!

Resources

• Help With Gambling Addiction

[FrazzledNanny]

on 1/30/2009 Thanks for the well written article. 5*

[michelletee]

on 1/18/2009 Yes.. thank God.. it can be arrested. It is an awful addiction, and life gets better when gambling is not part of it!

Thanks again for the comment. :)

[meacham01]

on 1/18/2009 Great tips . I would agree that this addiction is most dangerous but cureable

[michelletee]

on 1/18/2009 Thanks a lot. :) I appreciate the comment. Gambling addiction is a pretty serious illness and does ruin lives. Thanks again.

[JoyNmyHeart]

on 1/18/2009 Great article on gambling addiction