How to help a friend or colleague quit playing

1. Recognizing Dependency Features

Talking frequently about betting and showing "success" or "wagering."
Secrecy and lies about time and money - finances disappear, debts appear.
Emotional jumps: irritation upon refusal to discuss the topic, anxiety, depression.

2. First conversation: how to approach the topic

1. Choose a calm moment.

No rush, in a private setting.
2. Use "I-messages."

"I have noticed that you have become more likely to stay up for bets, and that worries me."
3. Listen carefully.

Let me speak, do not interrupt, do not blame.
4. Avoid lectures.

Focus on facts and your feelings, not moralizing.

3. Offering specific assistance

Deleting applications and blocking:

• Help remove casino apps from your phone and put filters on your browser.
Transfer of control over finances:
• Offer to keep your card or password in trust with you or another loved one.
Joint Activity Replacement Plan:
• Make a list of "anti-spark" affairs and agree on joint activities (sports, cinema, walks).

4. Organization of the reporting system

1. Daily "check-ins."

Short meetings or calls: "How was the day without bets? ».
2. Failure tracker.

Enter a simple table of days without games and traction level (0-10); report in the evening.
3. Motivating reminders.

A reminder letter about the goals and reasons for refusal is to keep it in a prominent place.

5. Crisis support

Emergency algorithm "STOP":
• 1. Stop.
• 2. Take 5 deep breaths.
• 3. Determine the cause of cravings ("stress," "boredom").
• 4. Continue consciously - switch to replacement activity.
Contact Help Group:
• Suggest going to GA or SMART Recovery online chat together.
Helpline:
• Lifeline (13 11 14) or local hotlines.

6. Strengthening the social network

Involving other loved ones:
• Discuss the problem with your spouse or other friends to create a "support network."
Joint activities:
• Sports, volunteering, creative workshops - regular meetings without gambling content.
GA/SMART group meetings:
• Encourage participation in offline or online meetings where experiences can be shared.

7. Contacting professionals

1. Psychologist or addictologist:
• They will help you understand the motivation and teach you coping techniques.
2. Psychiatrist:
• If necessary, prescribe drug support (SSRIs, anxiolytics, naltrexone).
3. Rehabilitation centers:
• In severe cases - a stationary program with CBT and group sessions.

8. Save your own resources

Set personal boundaries.

Don't take emotional responsibility for every breakdown.
Rest regularly.

Maintain your resource: sports, hobbies, communication with other friends.
Feedback.

Exchange impressions of support with someone else so as not to "burn out."

Systemic assistance - a combination of honest conversation, technical barriers, a reporting system and the inclusion of professionals - gives a friend or colleague a real chance to abandon online casinos and return to a full life.