Gambling. Throwing away your money? People who take part in excessive gambling are addicted and greedy. Gambling (when legal) should only be done in small amounts, but also be done very rarely. Although fun, too many people think of themselves as “the lucky one” who is destined to win the jackpot. If it was that easy to win money, wouldn’t everyone be doing it? How do casinos earn money? These are all things to take into account when you feel the rush coming on. Here are some tips on how to control your addiction and pull yourself out of the hole.
Do something else.
When you feel the urge to gamble, go and do something – it doesn’t have to be productive. Do something that engages your attention so you won’t think about gambling. Activities such as watching television, surfing the net, or even going outside and doing some exercise. Once you take some other perspective on how to spend your time, your “need” to gamble will be diluted, and you’ll have saved yourself a lot of money. Most times, your actions can be changed within 30 seconds of clear thinking. Additionally, if you are still having a hard time to control yourself, it is advisable to take its slowly. For example, you will continue playing but only through poker online where the chance of you losing your money is low.
Take a look at your finances.
People addicted to gambling have no money. Take a look at your personal finances, and see if you have enough to pay the bills and live comfortably. Most likely, the money you are going to use to gamble could be put to much better use such as saving for retirement or buying new clothes or food. People who have a healthy view of gambling often do it in extremely small doses, and they have enough money to cover their bills and take care of their family. Only very few people make it by playing poker professionally, and most likely you aren’t one of them.
If you constantly think about “doubling up” your money in order to pay the bills or buy something, you’re not really thinking straight. The word “gambling” is distinguished from “earning” for a reason. Only afford to gamble the amount you are willing to lose. Because that’s usually what happens.
Think about your friends and family.
Most likely, if you’re addicted to gambling you’ve lost your money and you’re borrowing the rest from your friends or family. Think about what they are going through, seeing someone they know stoop so low in order to lose even more money. Borrowing money from family and friends is looked down upon even if it wasn’t for gambling, so the fact that you’re borrowing money for gambling purposes makes it even lower.
Also, your friends and family have probably already tried to sit you down and talk to you about your problems. If you truly care about them, sit down and think about what you are about to do. They care about you and all you care about is yourself.
Swallow your ego.
Most gamblers know that they have some sort of problem, they just don’t want to admit it, whether it be for pride or for the rush. Understand that you have done something wrong, and that it’s never too late to stop.
People who recover from gambling understood that they were at their darkest hour, and that they would have to spill out everything in order to remake themselves into who they were before. You can’t hide anything if you’re addicted to gambling. You may think you’re being clever and sneaking around cautiously, but everyone knows where your money is going. Don’t think that you can still protect your dignity and quit your addiction. Re-evaluate yourself and rebuild. You’ll become much stronger later.
Stay away from poker, gambling, and casinos.
If you’re trying to make a run from your addiction, the last thing you need is the World Series of Poker (WSOP) on ESPN glaring straight back at you. You’ll see them playing cards and you’ll want to join in.
Stay away from ANYTHING that involves gambling. In the first steps towards recovery, a person’s psyche is extremely fragile, so fragile that the relapse is almost inevitable. Many people start a quitting process multiple times before actually quitting. The main way to heal a gambling problem is with restrictions, rules, and time. If you stay away from gambling for a long time, the urge to do it will slowly fade away. But never totally.
Remember that gambling is an addiction, and as people say, once a gambler, always a gambler. Even if you bring yourself out of the hole that you have dug for yourself, you will always live with the regret and the pain that comes with your memories. It’s best to never fall into the addiction in the first place, so make sure you use your judgment when dealing with things such as gambling. There’s more to life than throwing away your money. Into a trash can.
