A New Decade Resolution: Stop Gambling

Mental Health Tidbits and Tools

By Robert Meddaugh, MS, MFT, CPGC-NV

Happy New Year, 2020! This is not only the start of a New Year but also the beginning of a new decade. In January many people make resolutions to improve their lives going forward. People join gyms or they start a diet or do both at the same time. Why not use January 2020 as the time to stop all gambling behaviors? Use the month of January to cut up all of you player’s cards, call the casinos and tell them to remove you from all of the marketing information. Better yet, use January as the time to set-up self-banning or self-exclusion from all New Mexico casinos. The following web site provides information on how to self-ban from New Mexico casinos. https://www.nmgcb.org/self-exclusion.aspx.  (This self-ban will only apply to the licensed gaming facilities in the State of New Mexico.)

Joining a gym is a very positive step for a lot of people. One way to make a positive step in your life if you are struggling with a gambling addiction, is to start attend Gambling Anonymous (GA) meetings on a regular basis. Individuals who struggle with compulsive gambling behaviors will find understanding and support from other people who have also struggled with their own gambling addictions. This web site can help with finding GA meetings in New Mexico http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga/locations/

Other web sites that can also provide resources: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Gamblers-Anonymous-New-Mexico-1844863712221932/posts/ and https://find.mapmuse.com/details/ga/359438130/santa-fe-gamblers-anonymous

Making positive changes in January 2020, may also include examining how you spend your leisure time. That is, who do you spend time with when you want to go out for a fun evening. Are you spending time with friends or family members who like you, believe that going to the casino to gamble is an enjoyable event? When holidays give you a day off from work do your friends or family members suggest to you, “Hey, let’s go to the casino and gamble a little.” Or maybe they say, “Let’s go to buffet at the casino and then maybe a little gambling.” If you are trying to quit gambling, finding other activities that do that do not involve going to the casino is important to stopping gambling. The next time a friend or family member suggests going to a casino, offer another activity. If a friend or family member suggests going to the buffet at a casino, offer than an alternative restaurant not located in a casino.

Many individuals find that brainstorming in advance helps them to identify different activities to do, rather than just responding to, “Hey, let’s go to the casino and gamble a little.” This brainstorming in advance also works with finding restaurants not located in in a casino.  You do not have stop socializing with you friends or family members, just suggest alternatives to spending your free time at a casino. You may discover that your friends or family members are also interested in stopping gambling and will be happy that you have alternative social activities for  them as well.