Ep. 59 - Stop Yourself From Sliding Into a Relapse With Problem Gambling
When gambling gets out of control it takes you to some pretty low places. When this happens, it’s common to tell yourself, “I’m never gambling again.” However, it’s not uncommon to find yourself back at it. Maybe the next day or a couple of weeks later. Maybe you stay away for a year or more and then find yourself back in the hole with gambling. Sometimes you stop wagering money, but find yourself hooked into free gambling games or gaming.
When this happens, it can be tempting to think, “I’m never going to get away from gambling.” But don’t give up. It’s not a simple process to pull away from problem gambling or gaming. Each setback is an opportunity to see more clearly what you need to do differently going forward.
In episode 59 of our podcast, Fold em: Help for Gambling Problems, we help you to learn from your set backs (or relapses as many people call them). We’ll show you how to recognize signs that you are at risk to gamble again. We also share strategies for preventing this.
Listen now to this episode and hear:
Two personal stories of problem gambling relapse and what they’re doing differently to stop it from happening again
How to watch for signs of relapse
Strategies for managing gambling triggers and cravings
How to make a solid relapse prevention plan - including what to do if gambling gets out of control again
Listen now to episode 59 of Fold em by clicking on the green play button at the top of the blog.
If you prefer to tune in directly from Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, click on the red “Listen and Subscribe” button below.
It can feel like a quick slide back into gambling again
Watching out for signs that you are at risk to gamble and having a plan to address this, will help prevent relapses
Gambling Will Never Get Out of Control for Me Again. Why Should I Have a Relapse Plan?
In this episode of Fold em, we hear from Johnny and Alex about their experiences with gambling creeping back into their lives.
Johnny tells us that after losing too much to online gambling, he self excluded and his wife took control of their finances. He went to counselling and got back on track with exercising and playing sports. However, he was aware that thoughts of gambling were always in the background. With time, the self exclusion expired and he slowly had access to money again. Johnny says that he thought that he had fixed things with gambling. When his wife went away and he didn’t have much going on, he thought it would be okay to make a few bets. Initially it was fun, but when he started losing it got stressful pretty fast.
Alex shares a similar story. After going through a rough patch with being off work and struggling with depression, he found himself feeling more positive at the start of summer. He had been seeing a gambling counsellor and felt confident that it wouldn’t get out of control again. Similar to Johnny, a self exclusion had expired and he decided to not immediately renew it. With free time on his hands and feeling good, Alex says he started to think, “There isn’t much harm in rewarding myself with gambling … I’m feeling strong enough to control it.” But, it didn’t turn out that way and he found himself, “going down the rabbit hole” again with gambling.
What happened to Johnny and Alex can happen to others. If gambling has tripped you up in the past it may happen again. It can be a process of realizing that promises to stop and relying on your will power to stay away, often aren’t enough. But it doesn’t mean that relapses are inevitable. Getting support and learning how to put an effective relapse plan in place helps many people to stay away from problem gambling.
The Playground Slide: Making a Relapse Prevention Plan for Yourself
In this episode of Fold em, Manj Bath tells us that a gambling relapse is like sliding down a playground slide. Once you decide to gamble, gravity takes over and you quickly slip into gambling. At first, it may not be a problem but as the momentum takes over you find yourself sliding into a hole.
Manj encourages listeners to look back at their history with gambling, particularly those times when you told yourself you were going to stop and then found yourself gambling again. Looking back can help you see the signs that you were walking towards that playground slide (gambling). You can also learn to pay attention to what triggers you to think about gambling AND how to notice urges and cravings to gamble. When you know the signs that you are vulnerable to a gambling relapse, you can then have plans for how to handle these. Having a plan can help stop you from pulled down the slide into gambling.
YOUR THREE STEP PROBLEM GAMBLING RELAPSE PREVENTION PLAN
Imagine a slide on a playground with a path leading towards it. As you walk towards the slide, the risk to gamble increases. We invite you to think about three points where you can pause, be aware of your risk for gambling, and then do something to turn around and walk away from the slide.
On the Path Leading Towards the Playground Slide: Even before you have thoughts of gambling, certain thoughts/beliefs, actions and situations can make you vulnerable to getting pulled in when the conditions are right. For example, Johnny and Alex both talked about believing that they could “control gambling” and the problem was fixed. For others, they can’t let go of the need to win back money that had been lost. Or maybe they never really believed they had a gambling problem. They just need to play smarter, stick to their strategy better, or give up sports betting and go back to poker. Stress, grief, depression and chronic pain can also create a vulnerability for relapse, as can feeling better and positive. Ask yourself: What is already putting me on the path towards gambling again? What could put me at risk to gamble again? What more can I do to stay away from gambling and walk away from the playground slide?
At the Base of the Ladder for the Playground Slide: At the base of the ladder, you have encountered triggers to gamble. Triggers are situations, feelings and thoughts that activate a pull towards gambling. For example, Johnny and Alex both experienced their gambling self exclusion expiring (a common trigger for many people). In addition to having access to gambling again, they also had access to money and time to do it. Johnny said that his wife was away and he didn’t have much going on (another trigger). Other common triggers could be talking to someone about betting or getting invited to place a bet. Or, it could be something going on inside of you, e.g. feeling positive and excited and wanting to do something fun OR feeling down and anxious and wanting a break from your thoughts.
Ask yourself: What situations, people, feelings and thoughts have triggered the pull to gambling for you in the past? What can you do when triggered to resist the pull to gamble?
At the Top of the Playground Slide: When you starting thinking about gambling, your brain and nervous system are activated. It often follows that you experiences cravings and urges to gambling. You might feel excited and anxious and have a strong desire to gamble. You may start planning how to gamble or you might find yourself opening up a gambling app before you know it. This can be a difficult time to resist gambling, but not impossible. Being aware that you are having a craving and having a strategy that you commit to using, can help get you back down the ladder.
Ask yourself: What does it feel like when you are experiencing cravings and urges? What can you do when this is happening to pause, settle these down, and stop yourself from gambling?
If you would like to hear more about managing urges and cravings to gamble, listen to episodes 55 and 56 of Fold em.
Sometimes it’s hard to work on a relapse prevention plan on your own. Take these questions to someone you trust who knows about gambling issues and talk it through. Maybe ask someone who knows you well for their input. Often our loved ones can see signs that you are at risk for gambling when you can’t. Involve them in watching out for this.
The most important part is to try and catch a risk for gambling as early as possible. It’s easier to intervene when our brain and nervous system are not amped up with urges and cravings.
Want to Learn More About Strategies to Stop Yourself From Sliding Into a Gambling Relapse?
In this episode of Fold em, Johnny and Alex talk about what they have learned from their experiences with gambling relapse and, as a result, what they are doing differently now to stop it from happening again. Manj Bath also shares tips for managing triggers as well as urges and cravings to gamble.
To hear more about preventing a gambling relapse, click on the green play button at the top of this article or this link for Fold em. Look for episode 59.
What Support is Available to Help Me or a Loved One Prevent a Gambling Relapse?
For Residents of British Columbia:
Gambling Support BC
If you live in British Columbia, you can connect with Gambling Outreach Support anytime. To do so, click on the red “Connect with Support in BC” button below. Or, go to the Gambling Support BC website. You can also access these services through the Gambling Support Line. It is available 24/7 at 1-888-795-6111.
Gambling Support BC services are available to any British Columbia resident experiencing problems from gambling. You don’t need to stop or quit gambling or be self-excluded to access these free supports.
Our counselling and outreach services can help you figure out how to manage gambling concerns, including how to control or stop gambling. You decide what will work for you.
You can talk to an outreach support person about next steps for yourself if you aren’t wanting counselling. They can help you find self-help resources or local community resources and make a plan that meets you where you are at.
Outside of British Columbia
Canada: www.gamblingguidelines.ca/getting-help
United States: National Council on Problem Gambling
United Kingdom: GamCare
Australia: Gamblers’ Help
If you live outside of these countries, search online for “Gambling Help” in your country
Online Support and Meetings:
Gamblers Anonymous and GamAnon
GamTalk (online chat forum)
To learn more about gambling concerns and how to access resources and support, go to the home page of this website, click on the red “Learn More” button below, or connect with us through Facebook.
Fold em is funded by Gambling Support BC. We welcome your feedback and ideas for topics for upcoming episodes. Reach out through the Contact Us page on this website or through email at Foldempodcast@gmail.com.