How Technology Can Help You Overcome Your Gambling Addiction

How Technology Can Help You Overcome Your Gambling Addiction
DJ Miller
1/29/2015
Updated:
4/23/2016

We all have our weaknesses, and for a small percentage of the population, this is gambling. Whether it’s a bitcoin casino website that you just can’t seem to pull yourself away from or you just love going into the betting shop and trying your luck with the latest horse races or sports games, most gamblers could do with cutting down on the amount of money than they gamble away. You might want to save up for a holiday and find that your gambling addiction is holding you back. Whatever your downfalls and whatever your reasons are for wanting to quit, there are many ways in which technology can help you to achieve this goal.

 

  1. Online chat sites

There are online chat sites available which are specifically dedicated to helping people overcome addictions. The great thing about these chat rooms is that you can speak to people who are going through similar situations to you, and having some support from people who can empathise will really help you to achieve what you want. You can choose sites which are specifically for gambling addictions or you can go to more general addiction chat sites. The general sites will give you more insight into what other people are going through too, and just because they’re addicted to a different thing doesn’t mean that you can’t talk through your problems and try to figure things out together.

 

  1. Apps

Believe it or not, you can actually download apps that can help you to stop gambling. One of the most popular app which helps people to do this is Cost2Play, a clever application which helps users to work out how much money they’re wasting over a year through gambling. This method is more effective for some people than for others, but in general, it hits home for most people when they see a figure of how much money is being gambled away. It’s one thing knowing that you’re gambling a few dollars here and there, but over the long term, you could be spending thousands. Apps such as Stop Gambling can also help you to give up by giving you useful tips and information. It’s useful to know that normal apps such as games or puzzles have been able to stop people gambling in the past, since your spare time is spent trying to beat the latest high score or beating your opponent rather than logging into your usual gambling websites and paying more money to have some fun.

 

  1. Gambling addiction forums

These are very similar to chat sites, but a lot of them will have experts and doctors on the forums too. This means that apart from getting some moral support from other gambling addicts and people who have managed to overcome an addiction, you can also get some help and support from experts in this field. You'll be able to ask all your questions to those who are qualified in this field and have had experience for many years working with people who have been through similar situations to yours. You can also pick up tips and tricks for what to do to help yourself stop gambling, and if you have any useful advice, share it with other members of the forum.

 

  1. Find a therapist

Talking to a therapist can be a real help, especially if you speak to one who is specialised in addictions. You might even be able to find a therapist who used to be a gambling addict – just listening to a story of how they pulled through tough times can be a real inspiration to you. In order to find a therapist who will really suit you, search the internet on your smartphone, tablet or computer and find therapists in your area. If you search specifically for gambling therapists, you‘ll get a more targeted set of results, and you’ll be able to find the perfect person to help you. Therapists can only help you to give up gambling – they can’t do it for you. It’s important to remember that at the end of the day, it’s mainly up to do to take the plunge and use all your willpower to quit.

 

 

DJ Miller is a graduate student at the University of Tampa. He's an avid gadget geek and spends most of his time reading or writing. He is a huge fantasy sports fan and even runs his own advice site for Fantasy Help.