How to Stop Gambling

If you’ve been a victim of gambling addiction, there are many ways to stop. The first step is to stop gambling completely. Once you get the urge, you must resist it. If you’re not able to stop, you can’t stop the gambling. Your credit cards are an easy way to get tempted, so it’s important to limit them and find someone to manage them. You can also have the bank set up automatic payments, close online betting accounts, and only keep a small amount of cash on you at all times.

Adolescents exhibit pathological gambling

Adolescents aren’t necessarily different from adults when it comes to pathological gambling. While adult pathological gamblers will often lie to their spouses or miss school or work in order to participate in their gambling, adolescents may be more likely to wager their pocket money or even their favorite video game player. These behaviors can be harmful to a person’s mental and emotional health, as well as their relationships.

Despite the numerous risks of pathological gambling, there is no one cause for it. Several factors can influence gambling, including family connection, perceived social support, and learning disability. Gambling also reduces the number of quality, long-lasting friendships and relationships. Unfortunately, only a minority of pathological gamblers actually recognize that they have a problem. The fact that most gamblers don’t seek professional help suggests that it may be easier than you think to recognize the signs of pathological gambling than it is to treat the problem.

Adults lie to their spouse about their gambling

Finding out that an adult is having a gambling problem can be incredibly distressing for a partner and can lead to additional problems. Other research has revealed similar results. Participants expressed emotional distress and suffering from discovering their partner’s problem. At first, all of them experienced shock and did not understand their partner’s gambling. The subsequent frankness and dishonesty caused many partners to lose trust. And so, the cycle continues.

If you suspect your spouse is having a problem with gambling, it is important to know what signs you should look for. If your spouse suddenly becomes distant and uncommunicative, this could be a sign that he or she has a gambling problem. Often, spouses who suspect their partner of having a gambling problem will try to downplay their involvement. If your suspicions are based on facts, however, you can work to confirm your suspicions.

Adolescents lie to their parents about their gambling

Gambling is an activity in which people place wagers on uncertain outcomes for money or other valuables. Adolescents are not as capable as adults to resist this urge to gamble. Problem gambling among adolescents can be traced back to early involvement in the gambling habit. While adults may lose jobs and school as a result of problem gambling, adolescents often use pocket money and items such as video games and iPods to support their addiction.

In a recent study, researchers in Cyprus surveyed the prevalence of problem gambling among adolescents in nine European countries. They analyzed data from the 2011 ESPAD study to identify the number of adolescents with gambling problems. Cyprus’ sample size was 4,243 adolescents, and the prevalence of probable problem gambling was 4.4% based on the Lie/Bet Scale. These numbers are consistent with other studies. Adolescents lying to their parents is a sign of an unhealthy gambling culture.

Treatments for problem gambling

Various methods are used for treating problem gambling. Motivational enhancement strategies (MESs) are brief therapeutic strategies that are designed to increase a client’s motivation to change. MESs are used to increase the therapeutic alliance, enhance the quality of the intervention, and create a context that resonates with a client’s mixed motivations. Typically used alongside other interventions, MEs can be used alone. They have clinically meaningful effects on gambling behaviors and can be very effective for reducing ambivalence towards change.

Many people have difficulty contacting their doctors for help. However, if a loved one is concerned about the person’s gambling, they can offer support and guidance. The most accessible intervention is Gamblers Anonymous meetings. Other forms of self-help intervention include bibliotherapy and self-directed computer interventions. Self-help approaches for gambling are effective, but are not without potential risks. It’s important to know your options and to find out which type of treatment will best suit your needs.