Most people have been through tough times at some point in their lives. Whether it is failing an exam, going through a break-up, or losing a loved one. A common reaction is to use various coping strategies to deal with the situation and manage negative emotions.

What coping strategies people tend to use depend on the specific situation and personal characteristics. Some people will be more inclined to seek comfort in others by talking about their problems, while others will tend to distract themselves by engaging in other activities.

Not all coping strategies are equal. Some will result in a positive long-term effect, whereas others only provide short-term relief and potentially negative long-term consequences. As an example, exercising to cope with stress may improve physical and mental well-being.

When Gambling Becomes A Coping Strategy 

Research has demonstrated that some individuals use gambling as an escape-based coping strategy. Gambling may seem like an attractive coping strategy because it can provide easy access to sufficient levels of excitement needed to distract oneself from a challenging situation or negative emotions.

However, once the person stops gambling, they are again faced with their problems and difficult emotions. This may prompt further gambling as an easy alternative to dealing with the source of the issues. While gambling can provide an easy way to escape unpleasant emotions, it’s not a sustainable coping strategy.

Researchers have demonstrated that people who use gambling as a coping strategy are more at risk of experiencing gambling-related harms. In general, gambling is an unsustainable coping strategy because:  

• It only provides temporary relief. 

• It does not fix the problem. 

• Relying on gambling as a coping strategy can lead to excessive gambling and addiction.

As a person who gambles, you should reflect on your motivation to gamble. Ask yourself, am I using gambling as a coping strategy? If you realise that you are using gambling in this way, you might benefit from taking a break from gambling.

Alternative Coping Strategies

Below you will find some ideas for healthy coping strategies. You can use these to manage difficulties in life. You may need to try out different options before finding the ones that work for you and your situation.  

• Exercise. 

• Ask for help.

• Spend time on a hobby or engage in a creative project. 

• Try to remove yourself from the problematic situation. 

• Perform meditation or mindfulness exercises.

• Work on fixing the situation.

• Spend time with friends or family.

• Try to reframe the situation in your mind.

If you need to talk with someone about your gambling behaviour, you can reach out to GambleAware. Talking with a professional about your gambling behaviour can help you get a better understanding of your gambling tendencies. They can also recommend relevant actions and tools that you can take to reduce your risk of experiencing harm due to gambling.