A gambling problem can not only destroy a family, but it could leave a person desperate without money, a home, and a support group of people. Addiction isn’t just linked to alcohol and drugs: If your thoughts and actions are consumed with gambling, and if you feel as if you have to hide it, then chances are that you have a problem you need to work out before you lose everything important to you.

Stay Away From Places Where You Can Gamble

The first step to getting rid of a gambling problem is to stay away from the issue: places where you could gamble. This doesn’t just mean to stay away from casinos, but from anywhere with a betting atmosphere. This includes everything from bars where people take public bets to card games with friends to Internet websites. You want to remove gambling from your mind and to keep it away from your day-to-day routine. You may think you can move from the slot machines to your friends’ basement, but once you become addicted to gambling, it’s hard to stop. You could substitute one form of gambling for another.

Focus on Friends and Family

Focus on the people you love, and you will be one step closer to ridding yourself of your gambling issue. Try making a list of all of the events you have missed because of gambling. Then, once you see this list, think of events and activities you’d like to do in the future with your friends and family members. Gambling addiction can ruin the relationships you have with other people, and the first way to stay away from gambling is to reenter your relationships and show the people in your life that you care about them. Make both short-term and long-term plans with your friends and don’t be afraid to talk to them about the problem. This way, they can help you stay away from gambling and can be a shoulder to lean on.

Get a Hobby!

Another way to get ride of your gambling problem is to take up a hobby and stay as busy as you possibly can. Take on extra hours work, make plans with friends and family members, and keep your mind occupied on the future. You want to eliminate the mental cues for gambling, and this means keeping your mind off of it. Do good things for yourself: get a massage, go running, or take a hike in the woods. Think about setting up big projects like crocheting or woodworking. It may help to know you’re making things for other people. Additionally, consider volunteering at the local soup kitchen or some local project. This way, you’re getting out, staying busy, and doing something for your community.

Seek Professional Help for your Gambling Problem

If you think your gambling issue has gotten out of hand, try seeking professional help. There are many psychologists who are well-versed in treating addiction, and you can try many different kinds of therapy to help you through this difficult time. A psychologist can not only give you an outside ear, but they can give you expert advice on ways to battle this issue.

Group Therapy for Gambling Problems

Another step of the therapy process is to try group therapy. If you’re around other people who understand your addiction, it can make beating it easier, as you know the others understand where you’ve been and where you want to be. By listening to other people and their struggles, you can learn to see your own issue from an outsider’s point-of-view.

Medication to Curb your Gambling

Lastly, you can try using medicine to help curb your gambling issue. Many mental disorders influence or heighten gambling addiction: ADHD and depression are just two such disorders. Thus, being on medication can help your regulate the chemicals in your body and help ease you away from your gambling issues. Many anti-depressants, or SSRRs, have been known to work for gambling addiction, as have other kinds of drugs. Only your psychologist and psychiatrist can be sure of what medicine could be right for you, and you should be open to this option if it’s brought up.

If at First you Don’t Succeed…

Don’t think that you only have to try one of these steps and move on to the next if it doesn’t work. The best way to deal with gambling problems is to attack it from as many different angles as possible. Thus, try as much of the above suggestions as possible: take on a new hobby, stay away from gambling locations, make plans with friends, seek professional help, attend group therapy, and try medicine. Gambling problems can ruin a person’s life, and if you can stop yourself from hitting rock bottom, you should do it as soon as possible.