SOS, I am addicted to gambling - what to do?

[sanjabg]

Gambling can be highly addictive. My motto is when the fun is gone stop doing it, that way you will never end up loosing your head

[cocopop3011]

Gambling can be highly addictive. My motto is when the fun is gone stop doing it, that way you will never end up loosing your head

 

Yep I totally agree with that advice!

[James15]

Me too 

[Betinhell]

you have to remember that you are first and foremost Homo sapiens and therefore change your life

[cocopop3011]

you have to remember that you are first and foremost Homo sapiens and therefore change your life

 

What are Homo sapiens?

[James15]

Yeah ! awesome ! so much inform

[Azzthatch]

I find that deposit limits are a very good way of keeping my play in order. I am limited to only depositing a certain amount each week and if I do ever get the urge to change it, I have to wait a certain period of time for that change to come into effect anyway.... so I don't bother.

[Betinhell]

What are Homo sapiens?

Reasonable man))

[stupottaylor]

Take the first steps by admitting it. Second step just stop. Self exclude or time outs on all site. Tell friends and family friendly support.

[cocopop3011]

Take the first steps by admitting it. Second step just stop. Self exclude or time outs on all site. Tell friends and family friendly support.

 

Hello stupottaylor and welcome to the forum

 

Self excluding is a great start actually, I think "just stopping" is the hard part.

[SlotCop]

Awesome thread! Gambling "addicts" usually hide under denial. As a gambler, I got to admit that I'm extremely hooked up with playing casino games but I guess I haven't reached such level wherein I would need different sets of psychological therapy. I don't look forward to that but if that happens, I'd willingly seek professionals to help ease my addiction.

[LeoDubbed]

Awesome thread! Gambling "addicts" usually hide under denial. As a gambler, I got to admit that I'm extremely hooked up with playing casino games but I guess I haven't reached such level wherein I would need different sets of psychological therapy. I don't look forward to that but if that happens, I'd willingly seek professionals to help ease my addiction.

Indeed, the most common symptom is denial.

We all have been there you know, 'if I deposit one more time maybe I'll win my losses back' and sometimes you're lucky but most of the time you'll lose.

Gamble only with the money you can spare.

I wonder why there's a warning in the alcohol (beer and stuff) advertising like 'drink in moderation' but there's no warning in casino advertising?

[vinceangel]

Thank you for  this wonderful thread. Sure, gambling may have a bad rep, but there is such a thing called responsible gambling!

[ValDes]

Thank you for  this wonderful thread. Sure, gambling may have a bad rep, but there is such a thing called responsible gambling!

 

Thank you @vinceangel. Hope you will never face such a challenge as fighting a problem gambling. 

 

Welcome to AskGamblers though.

[davemerri]

It's really hard admitting to yourself that you have a problem. I've been like that too and had a lot of downs more than ups, but I finally admitted to myself that I do have that problem and now taking steps to curb this addiction to relatively normal, healthy levels. This is such a wonderful article. 

[ValDes]

It's really hard admitting to yourself that you have a problem. I've been like that too and had a lot of downs more than ups, but I finally admitted to myself that I do have that problem and now taking steps to curb this addiction to relatively normal, healthy levels. This is such a wonderful article. 

 

Glad you managed to pass successfully the biggest 'self-test' when it comes to gambling addiction and admitted it to yourself. That's quite a victory already! Hope you will manage to keep it now under a total control and bring back the fun from gambling.

 

Welcome to AskGamblers though.

[Mobcasinos]

This post has been very helpful to remind all of us to control our craziness in online casinos. We have to be always reminded that there is real life outside our online playing areas. I honestly admit, the contents of the guides were much related to my personal experiences. It really takes a lot of courage to write on this matter but still amaze everyone reading it.

[ValDes]

This post has been very helpful to remind all of us to control our craziness in online casinos. We have to be always reminded that there is real life outside our online playing areas. I honestly admit, the contents of the guides were much related to my personal experiences. It really takes a lot of courage to write on this matter but still amaze everyone reading it.

 

Thanks for appreciating my efforts so high, it really means a lot to me. 

 

You are totally right, it takes a lot of courage to write such a guide as it mostly comes from my personal experience and observations over problem gamblers over the years. It's written from a player and it's meant for players, perhaps this is the reason why it has been written almost 660K times so far.

[Willynelson]

I'll tell you how to fix a gambling problem... Win a bunch of money at Bovada and have them not pay you, You will never want to online gamble again... Problem solved.

[Afi4wins]

I'll tell you how to fix a gambling problem... Win a bunch of money at Bovada and have them not pay you, You will never want to online gamble again... Problem solved.

 

Hahaha...good suggestion there Willynelson, but I doubt if it'll work though.

 

That has happened to me at a few casinos many years ago...

but I'm right here waiting and playing and still on the go!

[cocopop3011]

I'll tell you how to fix a gambling problem... Win a bunch of money at Bovada and have them not pay you, You will never want to online gamble again... Problem solved.

 

  Haha! I've only just read this classic post!

[Cassiopeia]

I do not completely agree with bossman2013, i do think they have at least a bit of responsibility. Well, its always two sides of the medal.

[raverbabe]

This is a really great thread and I'm sure that it will help a lot of people who are perhaps wondering to themselves if they are gambling too much or if their gambling has become problematic.

Whilst I don't feel I have a "gambling problem", I will admit that reading the part titled "How do I know if I'm addicted" shook me up a little. The post suggests that agreeing with one or two of the statements listed indicates you are a "risk" gambler, but I think that all of us have frequent thoughts about our gambling experiences sometimes (the first point), the vast majority of us will have reversed a withdrawal in the past, often to chase losses (point five), and I don't personally think that it is all that wrong to view gambling as an escape or a way to improve my mood (point four) - it is a form of entertainment afterall. I also think that wanting to play larger bets is a common reaction to a large win at higher stakes (point two) although as a low-roller, that doesn't affect me so much, but my point is that there is likely many players who are not problem gamblers who might be familiar with several of the statements listed.

Of course there are many very serious issues pointed out too - personally I would say anybody who risks losing their job or relationship for a bet has a major problem on that basis alone, likewise those who will break the law to gamble, or has to borrow money to pay their rent because they gambled it away or anybody who feels the need to build a questionable narrative to family and friends to hide their gambling.

Nevertheless, I think that its important all these issues are listed together but it definitely highlights where the lesser problems can eventually lead, and as outrageous as the more serious ones sound to me right now, I've seen people go down that dark path in the past, people who I'd never, ever have suspected could fall victim to gambling addiction, so I know first hand how powerful it can be.

Gambling addiction really is extremely similar to substance addiction, and so clearly has the potential to be very dangerous - education and regulation are the best tools to fight this though, banning on-line gambling altogether like in the States is the nanny state gone mad in my opinion.

[vmlvadim]

To avoid being addicted is to bring someone like wife, friend with you to control your money

[Bikini007]

I'll tell you a little about my experience as a player:
I started playing 14 years ago, naturally in offline, then I was a student.
I started with video poker, well, you know what I'm about to catch the combination, then you lose it.
Then the pneumo-gun game on the Martingale system, first in plus, but of course in the end in the negative

Then the slot machines were of course big losers, but I also caught the jackpots .. But the result is as always one and you all know it perfectly.
Dismissed from University, t. I did not care at all, only interested in the game.. He recovered later, but did not quit playing ..
There were BIG problems with debts, banks, well, and on some crimes the game pushed, and in general the situation was criminal....Yes, it even came to this.

In the casino, too, went, but casino casino never put me) In short, I decided to tie it up again! It strains that as soon as a bad mood or drink, immediately climb to play slots.