If you have been struggling with pathological gambling, you probably want people to help you professionally. No one consciously walks down the path of pain and destruction except through ignorance. When the urge to gamble becomes unquenchable and takes topmost priority in your life, its at that point, you accept the needed steps to put an end to it. If you are already making moves to quit gambling for good and you are ready to make more commitments, joining Gamblers Anonymous would be ideal.
Introduction
What is ‘Gamblers Anonymous’ all about? It’s a program run in the community by other recovering gambling addicts to offering communal support to gambler addicts. You need not pay any fee to join, and if you are skeptical about affiliations and sects, Gamblers Anonymous has no affiliation to any sect, political parties, institution, companies, or denomination.
Quite similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, where people come together to listen, share stories, and admitting helplessness over the progressive illness of substance addiction, Gambling Anonymous highlighted the fact that no gambling addict ever really regains control of their gaming. Even when it feels like you are regaining control and want to show the people around you how true that is, you are, in fact, falling deeper into the tunnel of a never-ending illusion that this is possible, to begin with.
The benefits of Gamblers Anonymous
Gamblers Anonymous benefits compulsive gamblers who know they have a gambling problem, and that’s important. You need to first bring yourself out from that denial phase before recording any form of recovery success. In this group, you find people who admit their inability to assert control over their gambling habits. So, most of the people you’ll find in this group are individuals who accept the vulnerability and have a desire to quit gambling and regain control of their lives.
Do you have lofty goals? Do you also need to score that one big win to get what you need? We recommend getting gambling addiction treatment. It is not out of place for problem gamblers to have dream worlds in which they are able to achieve and get many things, but in reality, the inability to turn these dreams into real-time achievements turns a healthy life into one filled with pain.
How Gamblers Anonymous can help with addiction.
- With the help of Gamblers Anonymous, a compulsive gambler can stop gambling through:
- They teach you how to offer your services to others. That’s a good thing because now, you aren’t just focused on yourself. Offering your services to others is the right way to go, and Gamblers Anonymous can show you how.
- At this point, you’ve accepted your flaws; you understand that you’ve got a problem with gambling and have the willpower to quit it.
- They’ll show you how to work the steps.
- Show you that gambling addiction is not the end of the world.
How does Gamblers Anonymous work?
Gamblers Anonymous program is not complicated. By meeting regularly with others in the group and holding each other accountable, people have been found to less likely to relapse during gambling withdrawal. There are Gamblers everywhere, and you’ll find one in your area.
What if that’s not enough?
Of course, when it comes to gambling withdrawal, it’s the perfect combination of effective treatments, and Gamblers Anonymous is just one of the things you need to double-check during your retreat.
More often than not, someone struggling with compulsive gambling needs more than just the weekly meeting with peers who have the same withdrawal goals. To really work through the behavioral process addiction caused by gambling, you need more than that. As we all know that there are stages to gambling, and people who are on the verge of losing everything through their addiction can search for gambling specific rehabilitation programs available in their region. Enter a rehabilitation program for gambling addicts. It is one of the effective ways to quitting compulsive gambling for good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be able to gamble again?
You don’t want to go back to that thing that brought you here in the first place?. Nobody ever recovers from gambling addiction and turns to ‘normal’ gambling. According to Gamblers Anonymous, it is not possible for those who identify as problem gamblers to ever gamble without falling back to the same old problem – the same pattern of pathological gambling.
Should I be worried about attending a Gamblers Anonymous meeting?
No, you shouldn’t. Gamblers Anonymous are welcoming. These are people battling with the same issues. They will genuinely listen because they understand how you feel. Most of these groups practice an open-door policy because they are not cult groups but people that are like-minds. When you listen to others, share their experiences, you will be relieved.
What happens at these meetings?
At a Gamblers Anonymous meeting, you get to listen to others who’ve lost everything while going to casinos and through online gambling. You will also learn things like practical steps to overcoming the temptation during the withdrawal phase. In these types of groups, you will be introduced to a sponsor, an experienced recoveree who will show you the entire process while trying to stabilize your life.
Can a recovering gambler participate in a lottery?
That’s just like asking if it’s possible for someone who’s in his alcoholic withdrawal stage to go to the bar for casual drinks. As a recovering gambler, you can’t participate in any gambling activity, including playing a lottery. Some Gamblers Anonymous Group advocate that there is nothing like ‘normal’ gambling and lotteries when you join.
Conclusion.
People who struggle with gambling addiction feel that they are morally corrupt. This is absolutely false. We are humans, and addiction shouldn’t overshadow our morality. Interestingly, most, if not all, humans struggle with one form of addiction. It turns out our brain can be addicted to anything. What you should avoid at this point is being too hard on yourself.