Quitting gambling can feel like a huge challenge for many people, but it is possible with the right tools and support. Remember, the road to recovery takes time and patience, but with effort you can take back control of your life.
Each tip is designed to give you practical advice and strategies that can be used in everyday life. Whether you're just recognizing your addiction or have already begun to take steps towards quitting, we hope these tips can support you in the process and increase your chances of success.
Specific tips that we hope will help you on your way to a gambling-free life
Accept the problem
The first step towards quitting gambling is to recognize that you have a problem with gambling. Reflect on how your gambling is negatively affecting your life. Questions to start with could be:
How are your finances? How is your social life? How do you sleep? What about stress and your mental health? Are you following up on your duties and responsibilities?
Remove temptations
When you've come so far that you've acknowledged your gambling addiction and are ready to make a change, we recommend removing temptations by blocking access to websites or apps that you usually play on. If the problem is a gaming addiction, we encourage you to contact us so that together we can find solutions that are adapted to the individual. We will also advise you to avoid situations and places that can trigger the urge to gamble.
Find alternatives
Quitting gambling frees up a lot of time that can be challenging to fill. This time can be good to spend on other things that are important to you, such as friends and family or finding new hobbies that can give you joy and mastery in everyday life.
Seek help and support
With the best of intentions, we would advise seeking professional help. Counselors and therapists who specialize in addiction can provide you with tools and strategies to manage your need to gamble.
Sharing your challenges and thoughts with someone you trust, a friend or family member can also be of great value to many.
Create a plan
Creating a daily schedule that keeps you busy and distracted from the urge to gamble can be very helpful. It can include time for work, leisure activities and socializing. In many cases, it
will also be valuable to have a plan for dealing with withdrawal symptoms. For example: call a friend, go for a walk, take a shower, or meditate. The aim is to take your mind off things.
Monitor your progress
Keeping a gambling diary and writing down when and why you felt the urge to gamble and how you dealt with it can give you insight into your patterns and help you on the road to becoming gambling-free.
Join a self-help group
In a support group, you will meet others who are going through similar challenges as yourself. The uniqueness of this is the understanding between the participants that provides support and motivation to continue on the path out of gambling addiction. In the groups, experiences and coping strategies are shared that can be useful to you. In addition, it is a safe arena where many people feel they can be themselves without fear of being judged. This provides a strong community that can have an impact on you and your mental health.
Be patient
To stop playing is a process that can take time. Be patient with yourself and understand that relapses can happen. The most important thing to remember is that you're not back at square one, but that you've learned lessons from the time you've left behind that will be useful on the road ahead. The most important thing is to not give up, but to continue and work towards your goal.
Do you have any questions or want to talk?
Feel free to contact us on the Helpline, via email or the contact form.
How to get help?
It can be difficult to know where to turn for help.
We've put together an overview of resources that we hope will help you.
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