How can I stop gambling?
Well done, it is a brave decision
to stop gambling.
Every day is progress;
the cravings will lessen;
and you will have a better future.
Take it from me - my last bet was in 2007.
So how can I stop gambling?
We suggest two main things:
- Make it easy and automatic to stay stopped, through the triangle of Time, Money, and Opportunity
2. Tell a loved one
Read on for more details!
Make it easy and automatic
Willpower is finite, so you need to make it easy and automatic for you to succeed.
Gambling is fuelled by 3 things, a bit like the “fire triangle”. These 3 things are:
- Money
- Time
- Opportunity
The triangle of Money, Time, and Opportunity
Money
Time
Opportunity
The more of this triangle you can address,
the less likely you are to start gambling again
The triangle: Money
Think of how you will stop gambling stealing your money. Write out 3 things personal to your situation, here’s an example:
1. | Turn on the gambling block on my bank (90% of banks do this) |
2. | Set up a savings account where I can’t access it quickly |
3. | Show my partner my bank statements regularly |
The triangle: Time
Think of how you will stop gambling using up your time. Write out 3 things personal to your situation, here’s an example:
1. | Take the kids to the park for a quick bike ride or play with them before the bed time routine. |
2. | Take up woodwork again and volunteer for the Repair Shop |
3. | Do gardening on Saturday afternoons |
Examples of how you could use time
Household: Cleaning, cooking, gardening etc
Exercise & sport: Run, Walk, Swim, squash, football etc
Crafts: Work on a car, Knit, embroidery, woodwork, build something
Music: Sing, play music, dance
Social: Invite a friend out for a drink, attend a social club, go to a party
Watch: Film, a specific series on TV
Play games: Board games, chess, computer games
Arts: Write poetry, draw, take photographs, sculpture, start a journal or blog
Outdoors: Hike, go cycling, go bird watching
Read: Read a fiction or non-fiction book
Learn: Register for a course
Volunteer: In a local homeless shelter, food bank, old people’s home, church
The triangle: Opportunity
Think of how you will prevent opportunities for you to gamble. Write out 3 things personal to your situation, here’s an example:
1. | Change my ad settings on social media |
2. | Install a blocking software like Gamban on my phone |
3. | Get internet filters set on my home wifi, with my wife setting the password |
Tell a loved one
Gambling is so "in your face" and everyone loves a winner. No-one wants to admit to losing - habitually - and not being able to stop gambling.
You may be worried about telling them, but family and friends are often relieved that such problems are out in the open. Often they know something is “off”.
Tell a loved one
Keeping your gambling problem a secret is tiring and stressful. When you think you are alone, your situation can feel worse.
Hidden behaviours seem to have a power over us – telling someone disables that power immediately.
Your loved one can help keep you accountable.
How can I tell someone?
How can you do it? Watch Dan’s 2 minute video and:
- Pick a good time
- Do it face to face
- Practise what you’ll say
- Don’t bottle out
- Start with a good phrase like “You may have noticed that...”
A recap:
- Make it easy and automatic to stay stopped, through the triangle of Time, Money, and Opportunity - write your actions now.
2. Tell a loved one who can support you along the way.
In addition to this, do get in touch with us. We can support you through a chat in person or on Teams, and we can also pray with you if you want.