Abstinence

Recovery language

Definition

Not gambling at all. It is the goal most treatment programs and peer-support fellowships aim at, and for many people with a gambling disorder it is the only stable outcome — partly because gambling products are engineered to escalate.

Preferred phrasing

"abstinence" or "not gambling." Avoid "clean," which implies the alternative is dirty.

Source

https://www.recoveryanswers.org/addiction-ary/

Cite this

Betttr. "Abstinence." The Gambling Recovery Glossary. https://betttr.net/glossary/abstinence/ (accessed 2026-09-20).

Last updated: 2026-09-20.

Corrections: support@betttr.net