Gambling is a form of recreation that many people enjoy, but it can also be addictive. It involves putting money at risk in hopes of winning big, and is often a way to escape boredom or stress. Some people develop gambling addictions when they have a mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression. Symptoms of gambling addiction can include an urge to gamble, loss of control over gambling, and increased gambling spending.
The benefits of quitting gambling are both immediate and long-term. The most important benefit is that stepping away from the habit can help you to rebuild your financial stability, improve budgeting and debt management skills, and regain confidence in your ability to make sound decisions regarding money. It can also allow you to save money that would have been spent on gambling and may even lead to better retirement planning.
However, the positive benefits of quitting gambling aren’t always easy to see. For some people, it can be difficult to admit that they have a problem, especially if they’ve lost a lot of money or strained relationships in the process. Nevertheless, recognizing that you have a gambling problem is an important first step in getting on the path to recovery.
Whether you’re addicted to online gambling or casino games, you can benefit from the following ways to break free of your addiction:
1. Recover from losses.
One of the biggest reasons that people gamble is to try to recover from previous losses. It’s possible to overcome this addiction by working with a therapist who can teach you strategies to manage your gambling and help you to develop healthy money habits. In addition, a therapist can offer cognitive behavioural therapy to help you explore the beliefs that drive your gambling behaviour.
2. Learn to cope with unpleasant feelings in healthier ways.
Many people use gambling as a way to self-soothe unpleasant emotions or to relieve boredom, such as after a stressful day at work or an argument with their spouse. It’s important to learn how to deal with these emotions in healthy ways, such as exercising, spending time with friends who don’t gamble, or practicing relaxation techniques.
3. Realize the social costs of gambling.
The social impacts of gambling have been observed at the individual, interpersonal, and community/societal levels. These social impacts include the monetary and non-monetary costs of gambling, as well as its negative effects on gamblers’ family members and other individuals in their lives.
These negative social impacts can have a long-term effect on an individual’s quality of life and can pass between generations. These long-term impacts can be measured using health-related quality of life (HRQL) weights, which are used to quantify per-person burdens on quality of life.
