According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, about 2.6% of the population (10 million people) have a gambling addiction and experience hardships from gambling. Gambling addictions can result from replacing and avoiding emotions associated with pain, stress, grief, and anxiety. They could also manifest to replace another addiction, such as substance use disorder. Understanding why your gambling addiction is interfering with your life is the first step to treating the addiction. You may have developed a gambling addiction to manage stress or even as a quick way to gain financial support. To know if you have a gambling addiction, you may lookout for signs such as:
- The need to gamble with large amounts of money
- Feelings of restlessness and irritability
- Lying to friends and loved ones to pursue gambling
When assessing your behaviors related to gambling, you want to be honest. However hard, sit with your emotions, explore these symptoms, and reach out to a loved one and ask their opinion on your gambling. Sometimes an outside perspective helps to bring clarity to your addiction.
Find Support
If you have been struggling with a gambling addiction, or are using it to replace another addiction, always reach out to support. Creating and maintaining a support system is essential in recovery. Support systems offer safe places with supportive people that will encourage you to talk through the fears and anxieties surrounding your addiction. Connecting with people helps to hold you accountable and keeps you motivated.
Find Alternatives
Avoiding triggers and finding ways to distract you from your addiction is a good idea. However, you will want to continue to build on this and seek healthy ways to combat your urges and impulses. Some of which may include:
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Connecting with friends
- Volunteering
- Hobbies
Gambling addictions can be severe. They may damage your mental and physical health and isolate you from friends and family. It could also lead to developing other addictions to cope. If your gambling has become severe, it is time to seek professional help. At Guest House, we provide care that will help teach you methods to overcome your addiction and sustain lasting recovery. Our approach includes both conventional and experiential therapies to meet your individual needs. We continue to provide quality care amid the pandemic, so there is never a wrong time to reach out. To learn more about Guest House, call us today at (855) 483-7800.