Gambling addiction is the apparent inability to stop gambling, even when the activity is causing the gambler irreparable harm. It is also referred to as problem gambling or compulsive gambling. Gambling addiction is an impulse control disorder, much like substance addiction. It is reported that only about 3% of the population suffers from this disorder, but this statistic does not help if you happen to be among that 3%.
Identifying the warning signs of gambling addiction is the first step in getting help. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to detect these red flags, especially if the gambler is in denial about the problem. (So far, gambling is the only “activity” listed as a possible addiction.) Signs to Watch For The DSM-5 does include a section to help people and doctors know the warning signs of problem video.
Gambling addicts are unable to stop gambling even though they know that they are spending more money than they can afford on the activity. The time they spend on gambling disrupts their family and social life and affects their health. Therefore, the family also suffers along with the gambling addict. The good news is that gambling addiction is curable. Online casinos not only encourage responsible gambling practices, but also assist players in detecting if they have gambling addiction problems.
10 common warnings signs of gambling problem
Warning signs for gambling addiction are not difficult to see, if you want to take heed. Many online casinos offer self-assessment tests that decipher whether you are addicted to gambling and if so to what extent. The ten most important warning signs are discussed below.
- You start spending more money on gambling than you had set aside for this purpose. If the weekly (or monthly) budget you had allocated to gambling gets used up more quickly than before then this is the first step towards gambling addiction.
- You start deferring important expenditure and dipping into your savings in order to meet your gambling money requirements. By doing so, you start sacrificing your present quality of life and your future security in order to gamble.
- If this goes unchecked then you will have depleted your own resources. You start borrowing money from friends or taking loans in order to continue gambling. In the worst case gambling addiction can lead you to steal money in some form.
- Chasing losses is a common gambling addiction warning sign. This usually begins when you have gambled with funds earmarked for other activities or with loans that have to be returned. It is accompanied by the compulsion to gamble at higher stakes in order to recoup earlier losses more quickly.
- Money is only one of the resources put into gambling. Another is time. If you are spending more and more time on gambling activities then you are heading into gambling addiction.
- Normally you should earmark a part of your leisure time for gambling. But when you start gambling at work it should be taken as a warning sign. It begins with gambling during the lunch hour. But the habit creeps into regular working time before you know it. If you are a university student then the warning signs will be if you gamble in between lectures and start turning in shoddy assignments because you have been gambling.
- Even at home, for problem gamblers gambling takes priority over socializing with the family and friends. It begins with not going to a party thrown by a friend. But it can soon extend to more serious outcomes like ignoring birthdays of family members.
- If you are gambling more than you should, then your family members are likely to take note. Instead of addressing the issue honestly, you lie to them about the amount of money you spend on gambling. You should heed this inability to tell the truth as a serious warning for gambling addiction.
- You start living in an illusionary world. Every day you feel that the big jackpot will be hit that day and will end all your financial woes. This never happens, but the dream persists and drives you to keep gambling.
- You can sense that what you are doing is not correct. You even feel guilty when you are gambling. But you get depressed when you are not gambling. The driving force behind the depression is stronger and compels you to continue gambling.
How to stop a gambling disorder
Gambling Disorder Symptoms
The best way to stop a gambling disorder is to prevent it from happening. Allocate your gambling budget in such a way that it does not impact your other activities. Spend only that much time on gambling so that you can devote quality time to your family. And make sure that you adhere to both your time and money budgets.
Keep a look out for the warning signs listed above. If you find them in your gambling behavior then take action immediately. Try to self-exclude yourself from online casinos for a cooling off period first and then if need be exclude yourself permanently. All the good online casinos offer these options. Confide about your problem to a friend or family member. And do not feel embarrassed at seeking professional counseling assistance.
Make sure to read our follow up article, How to Get Help for a Gambling Addiction, that talks about the help that is available and what actions you can take.
Perhaps your idea of a perfect weekend is flying to Las Vegas, picking out the casino games with the best odds, and allotting yourself a set amount of money to gamble. Maybe this is how you choose to spend the entertainment money in your budget, or you’re meeting your friends for a weekend getaway. Whatever the case, gambling can start out as a perfectly controlled activity. However, it can quickly become an issue for your well-being — both in relationships and financially speaking — if you’re not watching for warning signs. Unfortunately, having a gambling problem isn’t totally abnormal in the United States.
Like many addictive behaviors, the problem with gambling addiction isn’t the gambling itself — it’s how an individual responds to that activity. In fact, someone with a gambling addiction experiences the same effects in the brain as someone who is an alcoholic, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. “The gambling alters the person’s mood and the gambler keeps repeating the behavior attempting to achieve that same effect. But just as tolerance develops to drugs or alcohol, the gambler finds that it takes more and more of the gambling experience to achieve the same emotional effect as before,” the council explains.
While you might not think having a gambling problem is much to worry about, the American Psychiatric Association lists pathological (or compulsive) gambling as an addictive disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, one of the key sources health professionals rely on for mental diagnoses. In addition to the toll it can take on relationships, a gambling addiction can also greatly impact your budget and financial picture.
Gambling’s effect on finances
Roulette wheel | Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
According to the National Council on Problem Gambling in a paper titled , someone who becomes addicted to gambling will go through three main stages: the winning phase (when they discover gambling is exciting); the losing phase (when their losses begin to catch up with them); and the desperation phase (when the gambler finds themselves in dire financial straits in order to keep funding their compulsion to gamble). As those stages progress, the gambler’s perception of money mutates.
Money is no longer a means for achieving goals, having financial freedom, or for establishing security. “Instead, money to the gambler has only one value: to enable the gambler to keep gambling, to stay ‘in action,'” the paper explains. “This corrupted view of the value of money is why problem gamblers may do anything to obtain money to keep gambling — lying, borrowing, even stealing.” This statement, of course, assumes that most compulsive gamblers have already begun maxing out their budgets and their credit cards, along with draining their bank balances, to support their addiction — behaviors that are the norm for people ensnared in an addictive cycle.
Unfortunately, even compulsive gamblers who are able to pay their bills will still struggle with the addition itself — the issue isn’t just a money problem. “Problem gambling is an emotional problem that has financial consequences. If you pay all of a problem gambler’s debts, the person will still be a problem gambler,” the council explains on its FAQ page.
The warning signs of a gambling addiction
Of course, most people won’t take a trip to Vegas and come home ready to offer their homes as collateral to support their new gambling habit. But for some, the pastime can become an obsession that consumes their thoughts and their income. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling’s FAQ page, about 2 million Americans would qualify as pathological gamblers each year. Another 4 to 6 million people are considered “problem gamblers,” which means they’re not fully addicted, but display one or more of the symptoms and are at risk for becoming compulsive gamblers.
The council provides several warning signs of compulsive gambling. If you or a loved one display these signs, it might be time to seek guidance from a health professional.
- You’re constantly thinking about gambling
- You find yourself needing to bet more money, and bet more often, to get the same thrill you did when you started gambling
- You experience restlessness or irritability when you try to stop gambling
- You have begun “chasing” losses in attempts to recoup your money
- Despite mounting financial woes and even perhaps struggles with loved ones, you can’t stop the urge to continue gambling
The Mayo Clinic includes some other warning signs. Again, these symptoms could describe an addiction that needs treatment with a medical health professional.
- You get a thrill from taking big gambling risks
- You relive past gambling experiences
- You conceal or lie about gambling
- You feel guilt or remorse after gambling
- You borrow money or steal it in order to keep funding your gambling habit
If you are experiencing some of these symptoms or you believe a loved one is, the National Council for Problem Gambling provides a 24-hour help line at 1-800-522-4700. You can also check out the council’s list of help resources in each state, so you can find local assistance as well.
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