Urges
are normal for a person who is reducing the amount that they gamble.
Urges are often very difficult to deal with, but with practice you
will be able to let these feelings pass without giving in to them.
You might notice that, after stopping or cutting back your gambling, you get more urges to gamble than you did before.
This is normal. What’s important is that you recognize that
these urges are temporary and they will pass.
Here are a few suggestions:
Focus on doing other things. Replace the
things in your life that you associate with gambling with other activities
that will help to keep your mind off gambling. Find new enjoyable
ways to spend your time. Most importantly, think about the things
that you liked to do before gambling became a part of your life.
Make a list of those things you enjoyed before gambling became a part
of your life.
If your urge is so great that you cannot focus on your new way of
thinking or an activity on your list, say, “Okay, maybe I’ll
gamble in 10 minutes.” Then wait 10 minutes. If the urge is
still there, keep telling yourself to just wait 10 minutes. Find other
things to do from the list you made for each 10-minute interval. The
urge to gamble will pass with time.
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| Recognize
Urges |
If
you do feel an urge to gamble, it is important to acknowledge the
urge—do not ignore it. Think, “I am having an urge to
gamble right now. But I know it will pass and I don’t have to
act
on it.” When this happens, do something from your list of activities
as soon as possible. |
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