It should go without saying that one of the keys to overcoming any kind of addiction is to change your habits. For many of us, we gambled on a somewhat daily basis trying to hide from what life threw at us. Over time it became second nature to our daily lives. So much so that when we try to quit, we cannot because we felt comfortable and felt we did not need to change. Over the course of the last 4 months, I have full changed my daily habits by incorporating much healthier choices in life. The biggest change I made as many have is physical exercise. While in our addiction if we were not chasing losses, we were chasing something else that would try to make us happy, dopamine. Physical exercise is an excellent way to get that dopamine boost we wanted from gambling. Regular physical exercise not only promotes overall well-being but also helps release endorphins, which can improve mood and reduce the urge to gamble. Over the course of the last 4 months, I have gone from ~240 to 205 as of writing this blog! If you do not like to work out, just find an activity you like that will get you up and moving. As per usual with any kind of habit, consistency is key!
Another healthy habit change is meditation. Meditation is about training in awareness and a healthier sense of perspective. You are not trying to turn off feelings or thoughts, you are learning to observe them without judgement. While meditating, you might be able to learn why you gambled in the first place. Meditation is a great way to reduce stress, increase calmness and promote happiness. Stress for many isolated/escape gamblers was a trigger for their gambling. By practicing meditation, you can channel your inner thoughts and prolong the urges to gamble. According to Sean Oulashin (@SeanOulashin on IG, creator of Antidote: Digital distraction to Peak Productivity in 30 days) the only wrong way to meditate, is to not meditate. The duration of meditation does not matter. The only thing that does matter is that you partake in the activity consistently. If you do not know where to start, there are many guided meditation apps and videos on YouTube available to help you start.
Having a positive outlook and thinking can influence behavior and aid in leading a sustainable recovery from any addiction. Practicing gratitude daily in recovery can help people become more optimistic and have control in their lives. One way we can practice gratitude daily is by keeping a gratitude journal. In your journal, jot down some times throughout the day you felt happy or grateful and include people, places, objects, moments and successes. Focus on what is most important, concentrate on the people around you and your relationships is key to long lasting happiness. Another way is to give back.
One thing I personally started doing this past month was volunteering at a non-profit called “Feed My Starving Children” . Is a Christian non-profit, dedicated to seeing every child whole in body and spirit. They work with food distributing partners throughout 100 different third world countries. According to a recent data 1 in 9 children die daily from causes related to malnutrition. I started volunteering with this organization because it makes me feel grateful for all that I have: a roof over my head, access to food, clean water, clean clothes, and shoes on my feet daily. At the end they show how many boxes, meals, children fed and the cost to produce all those meals for a year. When they show that, I get that rush of dopamine that I once got from gambling. Only this time, its much more healthier. If this seems to be something you are interested in, find a local soup kitchen or food pantry in your area, and start slow. For this non-profit in particular there is only 8 locations through four states (Arizona- 1, Illinois 3, Minnesota- 3 and Texas -1).
Life gets better. One day at a time.
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