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  While you may feel powerless to stop gambling, there are many things you can do to address the problem, improve your relationships and finances, and ultimately regain control of your life.

  Fact: The problems caused by excessive gambling are not just financial. Too much time spent gambling can also lead to relationship and legal problems, job loss, mental health problems including depression and anxiety, and even suicide.

  Fact: Gambling problems affect people of all intelligence levels and backgrounds. Previously responsible and strong-willed people are just as likely to develop a gambling problem as anyone else.

  Fact: Problem gamblers often try to rationalize their behavior. Blaming others is one way to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, including what it takes to overcome the problem.

  Fact: A quick fix may seem like the right thing to do. However, bailing out a gambler from debt can actually make matters worse by allowing their gambling problem to continue.

  Gambling addiction is sometimes called a “hidden disease” because it doesn’t have obvious physical signs or symptoms like drug or alcohol addiction. Problem gamblers also often deny or minimize the problem—even to themselves. However, you may have a gambling problem if you:

  Feel the need to keep your gambling secret. You may gamble in secret or lie about how much you gamble, feeling that others won't understand or that you'll surprise them with a big win.

  Having trouble controlling your gambling. Once you start gambling, can you stop? Or do you gamble until you have spent your last dollar, increasing your bets in an attempt to win back the money you lost?

  Gambling even when you don't have any money. You may gamble until you've spent your last dollar, and then turn to money you don't have—money to pay bills, credit cards, or things for your children. You may feel compelled to borrow, sell, or even steal things to get gambling money.

  Are family and friends worried about you? Denial perpetuates the problem. If friends and family are concerned, listen to them. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Many older gamblers are reluctant to contact their adult children if they have gambled away their inheritance, but it is never too late to make a change for the better.

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  The biggest step in overcoming a gambling addiction is to admit that you have a problem. It takes incredible strength and courage to admit this, especially if you have lost a lot of money and strained or damaged relationships along the way. Don’t give up hope, and don’t try to do it alone. Many others have been in your shoes and have been able to kick the habit and rebuild their lives. You can too.

  Learn to relieve unpleasant feelings in healthier ways. Do you gamble when you are lonely or bored? Or after a stressful day at work or after an argument with your partner? Gambling may be a way to relieve unpleasant emotions, unwind, or socialize. But there are healthier and more effective ways to regulate your mood and relieve boredom, such as exercising, spending time with friends who don’t gamble, taking up a new hobby, or practicing relaxation techniques.

  Strengthen your support network. It’s hard to fight any addiction without support, so reach out to friends and family. If your support network is limited, there are ways to make new friends without having to visit a casino or gamble online. Try reaching out to coworkers, joining a sports team or book club, enrolling in an educational class, or volunteering for a good cause.

  Join a peer support group. Gamblers Anonymous, for example, is a 12-step recovery program patterned after Alcoholics Anonymous. A key part of this program is finding a sponsor, a former gambler who has experience of being free from addiction and can provide invaluable guidance and support.

  Seek help for underlying mood disorders. Depression, stress, substance abuse, or anxiety can trigger gambling problems and be made worse by compulsive gambling. Even when gambling is no longer a part of your life, the problem will still be there, so it is important to address it.

  For many problem gamblers, the biggest challenge is not stopping gambling, but staying in recovery—making a permanent commitment to stay away from gambling. The Internet has made gambling much more accessible and, therefore, much harder for recovering addicts to avoid relapse. Online casinos and sportsbooks are open 24/7 to anyone with a smartphone or access to a computer. But maintaining recovery from a gambling addiction or gambling problem is still possible if you surround yourself with responsible people, avoid tempting environments and websites, let go of control of your finances (at least initially), and find healthier activities to replace gambling in your life.

  One way to stop gambling is to remove the elements that are necessary for gambling to occur in your life and replace them with healthier choices. The four elements that are necessary for gambling to continue are:

  Decision: For gambling to occur, you need to make a decision to gamble. If you have an urge: stop what you are doing and call someone, think about the consequences of your action, tell yourself to stop thinking about gambling, and immediately find something else to do.

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  Money: Gambling cannot happen without money. Put away your credit cards, let someone else be responsible for your money, have your bank make automatic payments for you, close online betting accounts, and keep a limited amount of cash on you.

  Time: Even online gambling can’t happen if you don’t have time. Schedule some fun, recreational time for yourself that has nothing to do with gambling. If you gamble on your smartphone, find other ways to fill quiet moments throughout your day.

  A game: Without a game or activity to bet on, there is no opportunity to gamble. Don’t put yourself in a tempting environment. Tell the gambling establishments you frequent that you have a gambling problem and ask them to ban you from entering. Delete gambling apps and block gambling sites on your smartphone and computer.

  Sustaining recovery from gambling addiction relies heavily on finding alternative behaviors that can replace gambling. Some examples include:

  It’s normal to feel the urge to gamble, but when you build healthier choices and a strong support network, resisting the urge becomes easier. When the urge to gamble strikes:

  Delay gambling. Tell yourself you will wait 5 minutes, fifteen minutes, or an hour. As you wait, the urge to gamble may go away or become weak enough to resist.

  Visualize what will happen if you give in to the urge to gamble. Think about how you will feel once all your money is gone and you have let yourself and your family down again.

  Distract yourself with other activities, such as going to the gym, watching a movie, or doing relaxation exercises to relieve the urge to gamble.

  If you find yourself unable to resist the urge to gamble, don’t be too hard on yourself or use it as an excuse to give up. Overcoming a gambling addiction is a difficult process. You may slip up from time to time; the important thing is to learn from your mistakes and continue working towards recovery.

  Dealing with a gambling problem is never easy and seeking professional treatment does not mean you are weak or incapable of dealing with your problem. However, it is important to remember that every gambler is unique and you will need a recovery program that is tailored specifically to your needs and situation. Talk to your doctor or mental health professional about treatment options, including:

  Inpatient or residential treatment and rehabilitation programs. These are for those with severe gambling addictions who cannot avoid gambling without full-time support.

  Treatment for underlying conditions that contribute to your compulsive gambling, including substance abuse or mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, OCD, or ADHD. This can include therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Problem gambling can sometimes be a symptom of bipolar disorder, so your doctor or therapist may need to rule this out before making a diagnosis.

  Cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT for gambling addiction focuses on changing unhealthy gambling behaviors and thoughts, such as rationalizations and false beliefs. It can also teach you how to resist gambling urges and resolve financial, work, and relationship problems caused by problem gambling. Therapy can give you tools to overcome your addiction that will last a lifetime.

  Family therapy and marriage, career, and credit counseling. These can help you address the specific issues your gambling problem has created and lay the groundwork for repairing your relationships and finances.

  If your loved one has a gambling problem, you likely have a lot of conflicting emotions. You may have spent a lot of time and energy trying to keep your loved one from gambling or having to cover the costs. At the same time, you may be angry at your loved one for gambling again and tired of trying to keep up the act. Your loved one may have borrowed or even stolen money with no way to pay it back. They may have sold family possessions or run up huge debts on joint credit cards.

  While compulsive and problem gamblers need support from their family and friends to help them in their struggle to stop gambling, the decision to stop should be theirs. As much as you want to, and as hard as it is to watch the effects, you can’t make someone stop gambling. However, you can encourage them to seek help, support their efforts, protect yourself, and take talk of suicide seriously.