I Got A Gambling Problem
- Absolutely, Gamblers become literally “brain washed” by their own chemical reactions. This is due to the Dopamine Addiction that the gambling stimulates and persists. The Cocktail of Drugs inside a Gambler’s Brain Here is a visual representation of the different chemical interactions and the jobs they perform.
- Maybe you are looking for some extra strategies to stay away from gambling. This section will give you some of the tools for quitting. Wanting to stop. Deciding to stop doing something you enjoy can be challenging, there may be times when it feels impossible but remember lots of people have quit gambling and we can help you.
Oct 08, 2020 Signs and symptoms of a gambling problem include: getting a thrill from taking gambling risks, taking increasingly bigger gambling risks over time, a preoccupation with gambling, reliving past gambling experiences (through imagination or telling stories), using gambling as a way to escape problems or negative feelings, feeling guilt or remorse after gambling, and repeated failed efforts to cut back on gambling. It isn't difficult to determine if a person has a gambling problem. The signs of a gambling addiction or gambling problem are likely apparent to significant others surrounding the person with a gambling addiction. But to the gambling addict who's enmeshed in the world of betting, it's often difficult to see things clearly.
Decided to quit but not quite sure where to start? Maybe you are looking for some extra strategies to stay away from gambling. This section will give you some of the tools for quitting.
Wanting to stop
Deciding to stop doing something you enjoy can be challenging, there may be times when it feels impossible but remember lots of people have quit gambling and we can help you.
Do your best to stay away from gambling, the ideal outcome is that you stay away. However if you do revert to gambling don’t get down on yourself. You can always get back on track and use the experience to learn how to stop next time.
It is helpful to know lapses are normal and can happen at any time when you are trying to quit.
When lapses occur, becoming aware of the triggers that lead you to gamble can help you manage urges more effectively in future situations.
To give yourself the best chance of sticking to your new path, try some of our strategies for change.
The urge to gamble
As with quitting smoking, people who stop gambling experience urges to gamble. Urges are an inevitable part of stopping gambling and a natural part of the process of regaining control.
Every time you overcome an urge, you are gaining more and more control.
While you can restrict your exposure to gambling triggers, you will not be able to avoid them completely, which is why it is important to learn ways of managing the urges.
Below are a few different strategies you can try:
Delaying the decision
Delaying the decision to gamble allows time for the urge to pass and for you to feel more in control of the decision. This is different to urge surfing as the focus is on the person using distraction from the urge to gamble rather than letting it pass without distraction.
Distraction takes the focus temporarily away from the urge and can give you time to rethink your decision to gamble.
Try the following next time you have the urge to gamble:
- Relax and focus on staying calm.
- Take some deep breaths to slow yourself down and refocus on what you can do now.
- Try to distract yourself with an activity to keep calm, such as a shower or a bath. Or you may read a book, cook or watch a TV show to stop thinking about gambling. Find an activity that suits you.
- Say to yourself 'maybe I won't go, I will see how I feel in an hour' and then go and do something else.
Remember you may find the urge returns when you stop the other activity. If this happens, perhaps try the urge surfing technique as above.
Set a goal that you can achieve if you stop gambling or develop a list of reasons why you made the decision. For example:
- I will have more money to put towards a holiday.
- I will be able to hold my head up high.
- My family will be proud.
- I will be able to pay my bills.
- As my savings begin to grow money will have value once again.
Staying quit
Remember urges do not usually last longer than one hour.
DELAY
+
DISTRACT
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STAYING STOPPED
Once you have decided to delay the decision to gamble, shift your attention to what you might like to do. It might be something you used to do before gambling became a problem or something you've always wanted to try.
Many people find engaging in sport fulfilling; this could be anything that gets you moving. From a daily walk or run to joining a gym or team sport.
When you feel an urge, do something else immediately and keep the following in mind:
- Limit access to money
- Surf the urge
- Distract from the urge
- Seek support from someone you feel you can trust. You don't have to call someone to talk to them about experiencing an urge. You might just want to ring and talk about something completely unrelated to gambling.
Not sure about what activities you can do when dealing with an urge? Maintaining change and our healthy hobbies blog have some useful tips.
The first time you experiencing an urge subside, without gambling, will be a powerful experience.
People who have slowly overcome the urge to gamble say that their thinking becomes clearer and that they are more confident with each urge they conquer, setting them up to beat the next one.
You can learn to manage urges by being aware of an increased desire to gamble, some people say
an urge is like an adrenaline rush. It can be so exciting and difficult to resist.
Learning to cope with urges when they arise is a crucial component to staying quit.
Think of an urge as being like a wave. Urges can start off as nothing, perhaps a gentle ripple out to sea but as they come closer to shore they get bigger and bigger, until they break.
To stay in control, you need to learn to ride that wave into shore rather than get dumped.
I Got A Gambling Problem Finding
If you are trying to surf the urge it’s helpful to remember:
- It is important to stay with the urge until it passes by itself; this may take up to an hour the first time.
- Each time you resist gambling and the urge subsides it loses its power.
- The more you resist, the stronger you can become. If you give into the urge and gamble that urge takes control again, but you can take control of it next time.
It is important to limit your access to any cash when you begin the process of surfing the urge as money makes the urges more difficult to resist.
If you do experience an urge and would like assistance, you can contact an online counsellor for more information and support.
For some people gambling can change from being an entertaining and pleasurable activity and become a problem. When that happens, gambling becomes too important in a person’s life and hurt their social and financial well-being, excluding him/herself from their family and their friends to focus on gambling. Spending too much think about gambling and how to beat the odds. We offer a Self Check Quiz that will allow you to determine whether you have a gambling problem.
Click HereA big thank you to the NRGP, for their unremitting support since 2014. When compulsive gambling brought me to my knees, the NRGP was there to assist with treatment expenses, which I otherwise would not have been able to afford. Their continued support, since, has included unlimited counsel by way of psychiatric and psychology care, both of which have included professional, yet nurturing guidance. I experience peace-of-mind knowing that the NRGP commits itself to making available these critical resources precisely because they avail themselves to an investment into my well-being. All this has afforded me a supportive recovery from an otherwise deadly compulsion.
Hi. I am a single mom of two kids . About 10 yrs ago i began gambling with friends and over the years my addiction progressed to an out of control stage. I gambled my rent money,my fuel for work and only saw to the basic needs of my kids. I started to make loans and my life became one big lie. At the end of July 2017, i couldn’t carry on any longer, it felt like my life came to a crossroads I was physically,mentally and emotionally drained. I saw Dr Heidi Sinclair and was booked into Ixande clinic for 30 days. With the help of counselors and following the 12 step programme, i admitted that i was powerless against my addiction and my recovery started with intensive therapy. I believe that i would not have been 7 months clean now,without the help that i received through the Gambling support programme. I still attend group sessions every alternate Saturdays which also help me with my day to day adjustments. I will always be grateful to the programme for all their support. Thank you
The assistance and support I have received from the South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) has been invaluable . The programme has given me insight and clear understanding of my gambling addiction. It has provided essential professional guidance , counselling and rehabilitation opportunity for which I am most grateful. I encourage those in need of help to approach the SARGF . My thanks to the SARGF and all staff for this very vital service they provide.
I Got A Gambling Problem Involving
I had my gambling under control, or so I thought. It started off as entertainment, for months it was fun until I slowly started sinking in debt’s. It was no longer fun, it became an obsession. I would go to the casino with borrowed money, hoping that it would be my lucky day. Things became worse, then one morning I hit a R20 000 jackpot. I became an aggressive gambler, didn’t even care when I would lose my salary. Three months in a row I lost my salary, lived on money from loan sharks. I ended with a lot of enemies because I couldn’t pay them back. One morning I sat at a machine with the hope of winning but instead lost R5 000 in 2 hours. That’s when I decided enough is enough. I had no one to turn to, my family had found out about my gambling and they didn’t want anything to do with me. I had to decide to turn my life around to get back the trust and dignity from all those I’ve hurt. I got the numbers for the SA gambling programme at the exit of the casino. I called them, and the person I spoke to was such a good listener. He spoke to me in a way that I just saw hope again. I was booked for sessions with a very professional social worker. It wasn’t easy but I am grateful that I took that decision. I have not set my foot in any casino in 25months. I’m very grateful to Dr Heidi and the gambling programme team.
Industry Support and Mentorship Programme
I Got A Gambling Problem Meaning
The mentorship service includes: Direct telephone support by the NRGP’s Mentorship Programme Manager during a crisis and debriefing after traumatic events. An email and telephone
Read morePrevention Programmes
The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation offers the following free prevention programmes to gambling industry Operators and regulators Prevention Programmes – Level 1 Course Course
Read moreTreatment Programme
Our Counselling line operates 24 hours and 7 seven days a week. We provide free support, information, assessment and referral for face- to- face
Read moreWho We Are
The South African Responsible Gambling Foundation (SARGF) provides Free and Confidential Treatment and Counselling to those affected by Problem Gambling and their immediate family members. For the past 18 Years The SARGF has treated more than 18, 500 people. We also educate South Africans about the potential harmful effect of problem gambling and responsible gambling.
Find out more about questions that you might have or you could contact us on or toll FREE counselling line, 0800 006 008 Or WhatsApp/SMS HELP To 076 675 0710 or email to helpline@responsiblegambling.org.za or call our International Number: +27 21 674 5830
Click HereContact Us
Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the SARGF Counselors offer professional counselling services over the phone, as well as referrals for face-to-face treatment throughout the SARGF country-wide treatment professional network – absolutely FREE of charge.
TRAINING REQUEST
If you would like to book for Responsible Gambling Training, please CLICK HERE.
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