Gambling problems fit happen to anybody, no matter wetin dem dey do for life. Gambling fit start as something wey dey fun and harmless, but e go turn to bad obsession wey get serious consequences. Whether na sports betting, scratch cards, roulette, poker, or slot machines, whether for casino, race track, or online, gambling problem fit scatter your relationship, affect your work, and even lead to financial wahala. You fit begin do things wey you never imagine before, like carrying big debt or even thief money to gamble.
Gambling addiction, wey people dey also call “ludopathy,” “compulsive gambling,” or “gambling disorder,” na wahala wey dey affect how you fit control your impulses. If you be compulsive gambler, e go hard for you to control the urge to gamble, even when e dey spoil things for you and your loved ones. You go gamble whether you dey win or lose, broke or get money, and you no go stop even when you sabi say the odds dey against you or you no fit afford to lose.
Dr. Chidiebere Emmanuel Okechukwu’s review emphasizes the urgent need for a nationwide epidemiological study on gambling disorder (GD) in Nigeria, primarily caused by compulsive sports betting. The research highlights the prevalence of GD, its association with mental health issues, and the lack of adequate treatment facilities in Nigeria. Okechukwu advocates for better mental health care infrastructure, strict regulation of gambling activities, and public awareness to curb the rising trend of gambling addiction among Nigerian youths
Even if you no dey gamble out of control, gambling fit still be problem if e dey affect your life. If you dey think about gambling too much, dey spend plenty time and money on top am, dey chase losses, or dey gamble despite the serious consequences, then you get gambling problem.
Gambling addiction or problem dey usually follow other behavioral or mood disorders. Plenty gamblers wey get problem also dey suffer from substance abuse, uncontrolled ADHD, stress, depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. To overcome your gambling problem, you go need to face these underlying causes too.
Even if you feel say e go hard to stop gambling, plenty things dey wey you fit do to overcome the problem, repair your relationships and finances, and finally take back control of your life.
Gambling Problems Myths and Reality
● Myth: You must gamble every day to be a problem gambler.
Reality: Problem gambler fit gamble often or not too often. Gambling na problem if e dey cause wahala.
● Myth: Gambling problem no be real problem if the gambler fit afford am.
Reality: Gambling problem no dey only about money. Spending too much time gambling fit cause legal wahala, job loss, mental health issues like depression and anxiety, and even suicide.
● Myth: Gambling problem na because person no get willpower, na irresponsible, or no smart.
Reality: Gambling problems dey affect people of all intelligence levels and backgrounds. People wey responsible and get strong willpower fit still develop gambling problem like anybody else.
● Myth: The partners of problem gamblers dey push dem loved ones to gamble.
Reality: Problem gamblers dey often try rationalize their behavior. Blaming others na way to avoid taking responsibility for wetin dem do, including wetin dem need to do to overcome the problem.
● Myth: If problem gambler get debt, you suppose help am clear the debt.
Reality: Quick fixes fit look like the right thing. But, helping the problem gambler clear debt fit make things worse, as e go allow the gambling problem continue.
Signs and Symptoms of Gambling Addiction
Sometimes, people dey call gambling addiction “hidden sickness” because e no get obvious physical signs or symptoms like drug or alcohol addiction. Problem gamblers also dey often deny or downplay the problem, even to themselves. But, you fit get gambling problem if:
● You feel the need to hide gambling. You fit gamble secretly or lie about how much you gamble, thinking say others no go understand or you wan surprise them with big win.
● You dey struggle to control your gambling. Once you start to gamble, you fit stop? Or you feel say you must gamble until you spend your last kobo, raising the stakes in attempt to recover lost money?
● You dey gamble even when you no get money. You fit gamble until you spend your last kobo, then use money wey you no get: money for bills, credit cards, or things for your children. You fit feel pressured to borrow, sell, or even thief things to get money to gamble.
● Your family and friends dey worried about you. Denial dey fuel gambling problems. If your friends and family dey worried, listen well. Asking for help no mean you weak. Plenty problem gamblers, especially older ones, dey hesitate to talk to their adult children if dem don spend their inheritance, but e no too late to make changes and improve.
Self-Help for Gambling Problems
The biggest step to overcome gambling addiction na to realize say you get problem. E go take plenty strength and courage to admit am, especially if you don lose plenty money and relationships don suffer or scatter along the way. No lose hope and no try do am alone. Plenty people don dey where you dey, and dem fit break the habit and rebuild their lives. You fit do am too.
Tips to Stay Away from Gambling
● Learn to handle bad feelings in healthier ways. You dey gamble when you dey feel lonely or bored? Or after stressful day for work or after argument with your partner? Gambling fit be way to calm bad feelings, relax or socialize, but better ways dey to manage mood and fight boredom, like exercise, spending time with friends wey no gamble, getting new hobbies, or practicing relaxation techniques.
● Strengthen your support network. E go hard to fight addiction without support, so lean on your friends and family. If your support network dey limited, you fit always find new friends without going to casinos or gambling online. Try connect with coworkers, join sports team or book club, enroll for class or volunteer for good cause.
● Join support group. Gamblers Anonymous na 12-step recovery program wey follow Alcoholics Anonymous model. One key part of the program na to find sponsor, former problem gambler wey don get experience in breaking the addiction, and wey fit give you guidance and support wey go help you well.
How to Quit Gambling for Good
For many problem gamblers, the hardest thing no be to stop gambling, but to stay in recovery and commit to not gambling again. The internet don make gambling more accessible, and so e don become harder to avoid for recovering addicts.
Online casinos and betting sites dey open 24/7 for anybody wey get smartphone or access to computer. But to stay in recovery from gambling addiction or problem gambling still dey possible if you surround yourself with people wey go hold you accountable, avoid tempting environments and websites, give up control of your finances (at least at first), and find healthier activities to replace gambling in your life.
How to Seek Alternatives to Gambling
Staying in recovery from gambling addiction dey depend well on finding alternative behaviors to replace gambling. Some examples include:
● For excitement and adrenaline rush: Try sports or challenging hobbies like mountain biking, rock climbing, or go-kart racing.
● To be more social, overcome shyness or isolation: Go therapy, enroll for public speaking course, join social group, reconnect with family and friends, volunteer, or make new friends.
● To relieve bad feelings and forget about problems: Try therapy or use HelpGuide’s free emotional intelligence toolkit.
● Boredom or loneliness: Find something you enjoy, like art, music, sports, or books, and then find others who share your interests.
● To relax after stressful day: Just 15 minutes a day of exercise can release stress, or try deep breathing, meditation, or massage.
● To solve money problems: The odds always dey against you, so better to seek help with debt from credit counselor.
How to Handle Gambling Urges
Feeling the urge to gamble dey normal, but as you dey accumulate healthier decisions and stronger support network, e go dey easier to resist temptation. When you feel the urge to gamble:
● Avoid isolation. Call trusted family member, meet friend for coffee, or attend Gamblers Anonymous meeting.
● Postpone gambling. Tell yourself say you go wait five minutes, fifteen minutes, or one hour. As you dey wait, the urge to gamble fit pass or reduce enough make you fit resist.
● Visualize what go happen if you give in to the urge to gamble. Think about how you go feel after you don lose all your money and don disappoint yourself and your family, again.
● Distract yourself with another activity, like going to gym, watching movie, or practicing some relaxation exercise to fight the urge to gamble.
How to Handle Relapses
If you no fit resist the urge to gamble, no too hard on yourself or use am as excuse to give up. Overcoming gambling addiction na tough process. You fit relapse from time to time, but the important thing na to learn from your mistakes and keep working towards recovery.
Treatment for Gambling Addiction
Overcoming gambling problem no easy, and seeking professional treatment no mean say you weak or no fit handle your problems. But e dey important to remember say every gambler dey unique, so you need recovery program wey dey tailor-made to your needs and situation. Talk to your doctor or mental health professional about different treatment options, including:
● Inpatient or residential treatment and rehab programs. These ones na for people with severe gambling addiction, wey no fit avoid gambling without ongoing support.
● Treatment for underlying conditions wey dey contribute to compulsive gambling, like substance abuse or mental health problems like depression, anxiety, OCD, or ADHD. This one fit involve therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Sometimes, gambling problem fit be symptom of bipolar disorder, so your doctor or therapist go need to rule that one out before diagnosing.
● Cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for gambling addiction dey focus on changing unhealthy gambling behaviors and thoughts, like rationalizations and false beliefs. E go also teach you how to fight the urge to gamble and solve financial, work, and relationship problems caused by gambling problem. Therapy fit give you tools to handle your addiction, wey go last your lifetime.
● Family therapy, marriage counseling, career counseling, and credit counseling. These services fit help you address specific issues wey gambling problem cause and also lay the foundation to repair your relationships and financial situation.
