Gambling is a form of entertainment that is enjoyed by many people around the world. Whether it is playing a game of poker, the lottery, or betting on a sporting event, there are an untold number of individuals who revel in the excitement of potentially winning, while simultaneously being fully aware of the possibility of losing. Unfortunately, for many, what starts as a recreational activity can quickly become an addiction – one that carries a litany of serious and often destructive consequences.
The National Council on Problem Gambling defines “problem gambling” as any gambling conduct that disrupts or damages a person’s life, or poses risk of such disruptions or damages. Problem gambling can affect people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds, and is more than just an issue of losing money. The temptation of gambling and its effects on daily life can vary greatly from individual to individual, depending on the severity of the addiction.
For those with compulsive or addictive tendencies towards gambling, there is a high likelihood of emotional and personal disruption. This is because a addicted gambler is likely to suffer from extreme stress and emotional highs and lows that accompany the uncertain outcomes of each bet, the inevitable losses, and the feelings of guilt associated with spending money that could have been used to support a family or pay bills. In more extreme scenarios, a gambler may develop an emotional dependency upon gambling and the emotions it can induce – often leading to anxiety and even depression when unable to gamble.
The financial consequences of gambling addiction can also be debilitating, and in some cases, even devastating. Addicted gamblers can quickly find themselves drowning in debt and may be forced to turn to desperate measures to continue gambling – such as borrowing money from family or friends, or even illegal activities. In addition to the emotional stress and financial strain, the inability to focus on other aspects of life can also result in poor work performance, decreased social relationships, and overall decrease in life satisfaction.
The effects of gambling on social life can also have a sweeping impact. As an addicted gambler spends more and more time gambling or thinking about gambling, he or she may slowly begin to neglect their obligations to family, friends, and work. In addition, gambling can be socially isolating – because of the nature of the activity, it forces gamblers to exclude themselves from social circles and activities. Social exclusion in turn leads to feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety.
There is hope for individuals who become addicted to gambling, however. Addiction and treatment professionals can offer guidance and support in understanding their issues and developing a plan to overcome them. With dedication, hard work, and resources, problem gambling can be addressed and managed. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, find help today before it’s too late.
Gambling is an activity enjoyed by many people, but for some, it can become an addiction that harms them in physical, psychological and financial ways. Gambling addiction, sometimes known as “problem gambling,” affects approximately seven million people in the United States alone. It is a severe and potentially life-threatening problem, yet many of those suffering with this addiction remain unaware of the risks or unable to get help. Knowing the signs of gambling addiction is the first step in dealing with the problem and getting those in need the help they need.
Gambling addicts often become so wrapped up in their activity of choice that it becomes their entire focus. They spend large amounts of time and money on gambling, often going to great lengths to try to win or make money. They may even find themselves in financial difficulty due to the amount of money they have spent. This could lead to feelings of guilt or shame, but the urge to gamble is so powerful that it often overrides these feelings. This can also lead to a disregard for other important areas of life, such as family and work.
Gambling addiction also comes with serious emotional consequences. Sufferers often experience anxiety, irritability, low self-esteem, depression, and guilt. They may avoid activities that used to bring them joy in order to use what little money they have for gambling. They may even attempt to deny the problem and attempt to hide the extent of their addiction from those around them.
Physical symptoms of gambling addiction can include exhaustion, poor eating habits, insomnia, and increased substance abuse. Medical problems such as high blood pressure, migraine, and heart problems can also be a result of this addiction, due to the amount of stress associated with compulsive gambling.
The long-term effects of gambling addiction can be devastating. It has been associated with relationship problems, suicidal thoughts, and even suicide. It can also lead to crime, including fraud, embezzlement, and theft, in order to fund the ongoing gambling practice.
Although gambling addiction can have serious consequences, there is help available to those suffering from this problem. The most important step is to recognize the problem and seek assistance. Therapy is an effective means of helping those with a gambling addiction to manage their symptoms and take back control of their lives.
It can also be beneficial for those suffering from gambling addiction to find other activities to take part in. Seeking the company of others with similar problems can also help, as sharing experiences and advice can be therapeutic. Gambling-free activities such as going for a walk, engaging in creative activities, or attending a support group are all positive ways to fill time and focus on something other than the urge to gamble.
Gambling addiction is a serious problem that can have significant physical, emotional and financial repercussions. If you or someone you know is suffering from this addiction, it is important to seek help as soon as possible. With the right help and support, it is possible to take back control and live a healthy, balanced life again.
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Every addiction is unique in its own right, and gambling is no exception. Gambling as an addiction has some qualities that set it apart from other addictions, such as what it takes for a gambler to achieve a high, the fact that it is a process addiction instead of a substance addiction, and the chemical award achieved through gambling is derived from an emotional state. There are those who would not even call compulsive gambling a legitimate addiction, but by every definition of the word addiction, compulsive gambling is indeed an addiction.
If a person is addicted to a substance, such as cocaine or alcohol, they probably would not understand the high that a compulsive gambler achieves from gambling. A substance addiction is entirely different from a process addiction. It relies on a chemically induced altered perception where as a process addiction relies on repetitive behaviors in order to achieve a high. Both processes ultimately achieve the much desired brain chemical dopamine for the addict, but they go about it in very different ways. Where as a substance addiction requires a chemical alteration to the body and the brain, a process addiction creates thrills for the addict through actions they take.
When the chemical reward of an addiction comes entirely from an emotional state, the addiction is not stronger or weaker than a substance addiction. It is merely different. Both types of addiction can be equal in the harm they do the addict and those who become involved in their addiction. Often, substance addictions are thought of as the more dangerous type of addiction because of the severe consequences of overdosing on or withdrawing from the substance. But in actuality, process addictions can have just as serious of ramifications on a person’s life and health. For example, a sex addiction may lead to sexually transmitted diseases or asphyxiation, while a gambling addiction can lead to borrowing money from the wrong people and later having bookies break your legs.
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Gambling is not necessarily like other addictions. It stands alone in some of its characteristics. It does, however, resemble other addictions in some ways. Gambling is a process addiction, like a number of other addictions. It supplies the addict with dopamine, like every other addiction does. And it only causes harm to a person’s life by depleting their resources and personal wellness. Though compulsive gambling is not always taken seriously as an addiction and is qualified by some as merely a bad habit, it actually has all the classic attributes of an addiction.
Gambling is a process addiction. This means that its addictive qualities are arrived at through a repeated series of behaviors rather than a chemical high. Other similar process addictions may include sex addiction and shopping addiction. Believe it or not, a chemical process actually does take place in reaction to carrying the process out, and it is what the addict is trying to achieve with their behavior.
The chemical process is the creation of dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is what our brains create to express pleasure. When we find something that creates dopamine, we tend to return to it frequently. Addicts return to it too frequently for reasons that are still somewhat mysterious. When a person gambles, or carries out any other process addiction, they achieve the dopamine they are seeking through behavior that gratifies them. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not the substances used in addiction that keeps the addict returning for more; it is the dopamine.
And like all addictions, a gambling addiction will take a person’s life apart if it is allowed to thrive. No addiction is sustainable because it is, by definition, overusing something to an unnatural extent. In the case of a gambling addiction, people often lose their money, their homes, their cars, their jobs and their relationships to their addiction because they set their sole focus on their addiction rather than their responsibilities.
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Gamblers Anonymous is a group that was founded in 1957 in California. It was created by two individuals who had great difficulty abstaining from gambling and spent time discussing their problem, which they found alleviated it. They based Gamblers Anonymous on groups like aftercare facilities for alcoholics in Edmonton, Alcoholics Anonymous, which operated under the idea that peer support, honesty and a desire to change could help a person overcome their addiction.
Today, Gamblers Anonymous is a world wide program that allows anyone with a desire to stop gambling a membership. The group offers support in person, over the phone and online in order to prevent compulsive gambling. It is not affiliated with any institution or denomination and there is no membership fee due in order to join. The only requirement for membership is that the individual desires to quit gambling.
Many people who are addicted to gambling try repeatedly to bring their addiction under control alone, to no avail. At Gamblers Anonymous, the organization does a lot to help people understand why they are different from others and why they struggle with gambling so much. A big part of their philosophy is helping people to understand that they cannot control who they are or the fact that they are different, but they do have control over the choices they make and how they view themselves.
There are a variety of ways to treat a gambling addiction. Different types of addiction call for different remedies. Less severe addictions can sometimes be managed by joining a support group such as Gamblers Anonymous, or reading self-help literature. But in the case of a more severe addiction, the individual may need to submit to therapy or rehabilitation in order to regain a lifestyle free from their addiction.
Outpatient rehabilitation requires the addict to appear for group and individual counseling sessions, as well as participate in other addiction treatment activities. This style of rehabilitation is for addicts who cannot quit on their own, but who are also not in immediate danger from their addiction. Outpatient rehabilitation allows an addict to receive ongoing treatment while still being responsible for their day to day lives.
Inpatient rehabilitation, on the other hand, involves housing the addict within a facility for their own protection. Needless to say, this kind of rehab is for severe addicts who have the potential to be a danger to themselves or to someone else. Being housed, fed and supervised within the facility shelters the individual from their addiction and lets them focus solely on their recovery. This is done through individual and group counseling, therapeutic activities, workbook lessons, and aftercare programs. The time spent in an inpatient rehab program is usually in an increment of 30, 60 or 90 days.
Once a gambling addiction has been identified, most addicts need support in order to stop gambling. This support can be found in a casual or an immersive form, but most important is that steps are taken to move the addict away from their addiction. Any kind of addiction is destructive to lives and should be eliminated as quickly as possible.
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A gambling addiction can wreak havoc on the life of the addict and the people they are close to. When a person is addicted to gambling, their behavior can change so drastically that it becomes unrecognizable, to themselves and their loved ones. The best way to end an addiction to gambling is by identifying the signs of the addiction and seeking help for them.
A gambling addiction can look different from person to person, but there are some general commonalities that can be drawn between gambling addictions that serve as warning signs, such as:
- Missing school or work because of gambling
- Turning to gambling to cope with difficult situations, or to celebrate positive situations
- Engaging, or considering to engage, in criminal activities in order to finance gambling
- Gambling for longer periods of time than intended
- Budgeting funds carefully around gambling
- Borrowing money in order to finance gambling
- The urge to gamble is insatiable, even after a win
- Lowered sense of responsibility and ambition due to gambling
- Feelings of remorse or sadness after gambling
- Reputation damaged due to gambling
- Considering self harm or destruction because of gambling
- Using gambling as a means of obtaining income
- Obsessing about how to make up for gambling losses
- Emptying bank accounts in order to continue gambling
- Selling personal possessions in order to finance gambling
- Not caring about personal well-being or the well-being of loved ones due to gambling
- Losing sleep over thoughts of gambling
- Feelings of unhappiness at home due to gambling
No one begins gambling thinking they are going to become addicted to it. A gambling addiction usually begins in a way that is seemingly harmless. A person comes into some disposable income, or perhaps they have saved up for some recreational pleasure. They start gambling at a casino, online, at a horse track or at another gambling venue as innocent fun, with no intention of making bad life choices.
However, it is only a matter of time before their fun becomes not-so-innocent. Studies have shown that people who are prone to addictive behavior are psychologically and/or biologically wired that way, so when they discover something that gives them immense pleasure, they are likely to become addicted to it. What started as a casual passtime becomes habitual, and the gambler starts to become obsessed with their winnings and their losings, investing more time, money and energy into their habit than is healthy.
As is the case with any addiction, eventually the person in question cannot stop themselves from gambling even once they are aware of the negative effects it is having on their life. They develop a tolerance to the emotional high that gambling gives them so they perpetually require more of it, and the gambling becomes compulsive. They will go as far as writing off their personal responsibilities and relationships in order to gamble, putting themselves and their family members at risk. Some go as far as draining bank accounts or obtaining the means to gamble illegally, and develop antisocial personalities in order to hide their problem. Others begin to pathologically lie about their gambling habit.
And as is the case with any addiction, it cannot end until the addicted person wants it to end. Sometimes the person decides this on their own, and sometimes they require an intervention from their family and friends. The method of recovering from a gambling addiction depends heavily on the severity of the addiction. Usually some kind of treatment is required, in the form of Gamblers Anonymous meetings, outpatient rehab or inpatient residential rehab. No gambling addiction is impossible to recover from with the right treatment.