Coping With Urges to Gamble

Many compulsive gamblers, especially those in early stages of recovery, experience urges to gamble, some even believe that after coming into recovery, we can learn to gamble socially ......

Repetition of the gambling behavior over a relatively long period of time, combined with thoughts of gambling and associated pleasurable feelings, causes the compulsive gambler to experience cravings, and trying to stop these desires would caused one to experience post acute withdrawal ......

Sometimes these urges to bet are so intense and overpowering that they cause the gambler to relapse ..... and gambling addiction has such overpowering effect over oneself ...... So slips and relapse do happen often in recovery.....

..... Changes takes time and it takes alot of practise .....

BUT most importantly "WE" have to continue this recovery journey eventhough it's painful and at times very frustrating, especially when our love ones don't understand ..... We have to learn from each slip, relapse so that we can't learn more coping skills and put more safety nets for ourselves to prevent us from going back to our full destructive gambling lifestyle .....

Here are some suggestions to cope with urges to gamble

1) Attends regular GA meetings

2) Pick up the phone to call a fellow GA members to talk, someone that you trust

3) Read and re-read GA materials to re-inforeced the importance of staying away from betting

4) Work your 12 steps recovery program on a consistence and regular basis

5) Don't go in or near gambling establishments

6) Avoid looking at things which will trigger your gambling thoughts

7) Avoid being caught up in gambling discussion or analysis

8) Keep away from your gambling associates

9) Get someone to control your daily allowance... if not possible, carry only the bare minimum of money you need for the day

10) Start changing your attitude ..... there's alot of difference between "I HAVE TO STOP GAMBLING" and "I WANT TO STOP GAMBLING"

11) Change Behavior ... most difficult task ..... but it's needed to prevent a return to your previous life destructive patterns

12) Acknowledge the urges, and don't fight against it. Be aware of it - don't denied

13) Delay your bets, putting it off again and again..... urges too shall pass

14) Change the thoughts in your mind ... change the slide

15) Accept the fact that you cannot gamble safely

16) Keep saying the serenity prayers

...... KEEP YOURSELF SAFE ......