cool Galloway Caroline Smith

Caroline Smith

Gambling can seem like harmless fun at first, but for many, it becomes a serious issue that affects every part of life. Whether you’re betting on horses or rolling dice in a casino, gambling addiction can drain your bank account and strain your relationships.

Ever feel that sinking feeling after a bet goes wrong? That anxiety gnawing at your insides? Guilt and depression often follow when gambling becomes a compulsion, leaving you stuck in a cycle of despair. Do these feelings sound familiar? If so, you might be wrestling with more than just bad luck.

Lying, secrecy, shirking responsibilities are big red flags. Are you finding excuses to cover up a trip to the casino? Neglecting family dinners or missing deadlines at work? If your behaviour has changed, it’s time to take a closer look. These aren’t just quirks; they’re signs of a deeper problem.

Developing a Strategic Plan to Quit

the end of summer Caroline Smith

Caroline Smith

Goals give direction. Make them SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound). Instead of saying “I won’t gamble anymore,” try “I’ll save £50 each week,” or “I’ll attend three support meetings this month.” Clear goals can lead you to success.

Going it alone is tough. Consider therapy or counselling. Professionals understand addiction and can guide you through rough patches. Support groups like Gamblers Anonymous also offer a safe space to share experiences and find understanding.

GambleAware is the main site to help with addiction to gambling, and has a freephone phone number  (or live chat) for help. It recommends software to block gambling sites like GamBan or GamBlock (the modern equivalent of asking the bookie not to serve you, if your willpower slips).

The site also has information on self-exclusion (where with one phone call, you can nominate places not to serve you in the surrounding areas (betting shops, online bingo, arcades & casinos).

Gamblers Anonymous offers help for the addiction often only known by ‘the banker and the bookie’.

Don’t underestimate the power of your friends and family. They’re your cheerleaders. Talk to them. Let them help you stay accountable. A strong support network is crucial in staying on track.

Maintaining Long-Term Recovery

the shepherd's hut Caroline Smith

Caroline Smith

Be aware of what pushes your buttons. Is it that Friday night feeling? An ad for a new betting app? Knowing your triggers gives you the power to avoid them.

Reflect regularly on your progress. How are things going? Are there any slip-ups? What challenges are cropping up? Self-assessment keeps you grounded and lets you adjust your plan as needed.

Playing the lottery is also a form of gambling (a silly one at that). You’re more likely to get killed by lightning on the way to buying your ticket, than to win it. Quakers refuse lottery funding, saying it takes advantage of desperate people. And order for someone to win, another person has to loses.

Bingo may seem like a bit of harmless fun at the pub, and it probably is. But many people today have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on online Bingo.

This is not like the old ‘2 fat ladies, 88’ kind of Bingo that your grandma likely played at the community club to win a bottle of plonk, but more big companies advertising on TV, so vulnerable people ending up spending money they don’t have, to try to get themselves out of financially desperate situations.

Campaigners want a ban to all gambling ads on TV (even if they do add a caveat to ‘be sensible’). It helps also to use free ad-blocking software online.

Coalition Against Gambling Ads wants a complete ban on ads. Of course this won’t happen, as TV companies and the Internet make too much money from them. So it’s up to us as empowered adults to make the decision to not watch or take any notice of them. Especially when they try to entice with ‘free bets’ to get people to start gambling, who otherwise may never have been tempted.

Any time you offer a big prize for a small amount of money, you encourage stupid behaviour, on behalf of those you’re appealing to. Warren Buffet

Gambling is a tax on ignorance. People often gamble because they think they can win, they’re lucky, they have hunches. That sort of thing. Whereas in fact, they’re going to be remorselessly ground down over time. Edward Thorp

Implementing Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Find something that excites you just as much as gambling once did. Maybe it’s painting, hiking, or learning to play an instrument. Try something fresh. Rediscover the joy in activities that don’t risk your bank balance.

Stressed? Meditation and exercise can work wonders. Mindfulness helps keep those gambling urges at bay. A morning jog or a short meditation session can calm your mind and refocus your energy.

nup to the cup

It may help to look up welfare issues for greyhounds and racehorses, rather than just think of gambling in monetary terms.

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