Strategies For Overcoming Your Pathological Gambling

Overcoming Your Pathological Gambling: Workbook is a hands-on workbooks which can help you take back control. It is written by researches who have spent over two decades studying the psychology of gambling. The excerpt below provides some strategies to help you on the road back towards control.

Here is a list of strategies that many people use to help control their gambling habits. Read them carefully and decide those that might work for you.

1. Strategies to avoid unwanted exposure to gambling.

• Avoid being near places were you can gamble outside your designated hours.
• Change your route to ensure that a gambling venue is not on your way.
• Avoid asking the staff or other clients how the slots are paying out, about lottery results, or about results from an other form of gambling.
• Avoid being alone in a gambling venue.

2. Strategies to improve your financial situation.

• Restrict your access to money (cash, credit, and ATMs).
• Temporarily assign the management of your finances to a significant other.
• Ask a significant other to manage your deposits and payments.
• Get help from a credit counselor or an agency that can help you with your budget.
• Learn how to develop a budget that fits your income and expenses.
• Make firm plans to pay off your debts (starting with the most urgent).
• Keep very little money on you (strict minimum).
• Cancel your credit cards.
• Cut up your debit cards.
• Designate a co-signer for your bank withdrawals.
• Give a clear message to friends and family not to give you personal loans.
• Arrange for an automatic deposit for your paycheck.
• Take someone with you when making bank deposits.
• Hand over your paychecks to someone you trust.
• Plan non-gambling activities around payday.
• Inform a significant other about incoming money (e.g., income tax refund).
• Ask someone else to get the mail in order to limit your access to checks and income.

3. Strategies to work out relationship with others.

• Identify a significant person (e.g., parent, work colleague) who has strong assertive and communication skills, and take the time to observe and learn from that person.
• Participate in Gamblers Anonymous (GA).
• Join a new leisure, educational, or recreational activity.

4. Strategies to control the effects of alcohol or drugs on your gambling.

• Drink only nonalcoholic beverages when you are in a gambling venue.
• Stay at home or at a friend’s when you want to drink alcohol.
• When you go to gambling venues, always go with someone who knows that your gambling problem is linked with alcohol and drug use.

5. Strategies to help with boredom.

• Find some new stimulating activities (off-road cycling, in-line skating).
• Do some volunteer work.
• Play games of skill (e.g., billiards [without gambling!], golf).
• Make a detailed schedule to help yourself with time management and with your activities.