Sleepless nights, panic and anxiety: this is what happens when you stop gambling
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28 Jan 2026 •
Reading time: 2 minutes The urge is gone, but peace does not return. People who quit gambling often come up against a wall of emotions and physical symptoms. The withdrawal is real – even without drugs or alcohol.
Gambling addiction leaves traces you don’t see, but you feel.
The brain craves dopamine and becomes unbalanced
Gambling gives the brain a huge rush of dopamine. Anyone who suddenly stops takes away in one fell swoop the stimulus that kept the system going. The result: insomnia, restlessness, sweating, palpitations. The brain desperately searches for a replacement signal.
The symptoms sometimes resemble those of depression or anxiety disorders. And that makes it extra difficult. People struggling with gambling addiction often do not know that their panic, sadness or headaches are a direct result of quitting themselves.
Anxiety and gloom are not weakness, but signals of recovery
Anxiety is part of withdrawal. The body thinks something is wrong, now that the constant reward is missing. Everything in the body cries out for action: back to the casino, back to control. But that feeling is misleading. It is the system trying to recalibrate itself.
Depressive feelings often come on top of this. People who gambled for years lose not only money, but also confidence – in themselves, in others, in the future. And yet, that too is a sign of progress: it shows that someone is feeling again.
Therapists see this time and again. Those who are depressed after quitting are not lost. That one is processing.
The body also protests
It is not only the mind that sputters. The body also reports back. Abdominal pain, trembling, nausea, cramps – these are typical signs of a brain that needs to let go of its habit.
Unlike alcohol or drug withdrawal, the physical effect of gambling is usually less intense, but certainly no less real. The symptoms are sharp and persistent. And often misunderstood.
Rehab only succeeds with support and structure
Stopping without help? It happens, but is rare. Most people need guidance. Therapy, a safe environment, blocking gambling sites: these are essential steps to avoid relapse.
This is where openness helps. Telling where it went wrong, why you want to go back, what you miss. Only then is there room to build something new. Without blame, but with awareness.