Gambling addiction disorder has been with us since the dawn of our species. But the ubiquitous nature of the internet makes an addiction to online gambling especially hard to beat. The internet’s usually all around us. It’s in your face, and an essential part of modern living. That makes changing your environment particularly challenging. But there are steps you can take to beat it.
May the odds be ever in your favor
- Step 1: Acceptance. Recognize that you have a problem and that it is unhealthy.
- Step 2: Open up to someone. People addicted to gambling often lead double lives, so it’s important to share your truth with someone you can trust.
- Step 3: Eliminate your access to gambling. Your confidant from step 2 might need to help here, but delete your accounts on websites–or if that’s not possible, change passwords and email addresses to ones you can’t access. Consider getting a flip phone that doesn’t have internet access.
- Step 4: Let someone you trust take control of your finances until you’ve recovered. Giving up control like this can be scary, but hand your cards over.
- Step 5: Create coping strategies to help you as you go through withdrawal. It may sound cliché, but the gym is great here. It’s a place where you can challenge yourself and push yourself further in a healthy way. It can distract you when you are really struggling.
- Step 6: Find support. It takes about four weeks for many people to feel like they’ve kicked the habit. For that month and beyond it’s beneficial to talk to a therapist as well as support groups. Finding people who have had a similar experience and can understand where you’re coming from helps a lot.
If you are experiencing an addiction to online gambling, please connect with our gambling addiction treatment center. Call today at (833) 596-3502.
