World gambling statistics show that 26% of the total population participate in gambling which suggests the fact that gambling can be very entertaining. However, it becomes a serious problem when it can no longer be controlled together with its interference with the individual’s relationship, work, social life, and finances.

Different Types of Gambling

Gambling comes in various forms and diverse activities; it could be in the form of sports betting, casino gambling, or lottery. However, contrary to popular belief, gambling is not limited to these particular acts as making a bet with your friend can also be a form of gambling.

Gambling Addiction, however, comes into context if the person feels that he is in a state of financial ruin and thinks of gambling as his last resort to fixing this problem in an attempt to get a large amount of money. This mindset worsens as this further leads to an inevitable cycle where the gambler feels that he must win back his incurred losses. Another form of gambling addiction is when a gambler purposively makes risky bets as he plays the game to feel the emotional high that goes together with taking risky decisions.

Altogether, these actions form an impulse-control disorder where you can’t control the impulse to gamble regardless of your circumstances and despite its negative consequences to you and your family.

On a lighter note, one person can have a gambling problem without being totally out of control. This refers to any gambling activities the disrupt one’s life but is less serious than the former.

Surprisingly, as the addiction toll rises, so as the innovations of the businesses under this industry as they find it leaning in their favor. These innovative measures include state-of-the-art facilities of casinos in Las Vegas and hassle-free and convenient transactions like in online casino singapore.

Signs of Gambling Problem

Commonly referred to as a “hidden illness”, gambling addiction shows no obvious physical signs and symptoms as any other addictions like alcohol and drug addiction.  In an effort to minimize the problem, problematic gamblers deny it to others and even to themselves.

Problematic gamblers often have related symptoms which include depression, anxiety, sleep deprivation and suicidal tendencies. Other signs include, but are not limited to:

• Having the urge to be secretive with regards to gambling. A person might lie or deny that he gambles, thinking that the people around him would not understand what he is doing.
• Gambling even though finances no longer suffice. A person continues to gamble even after spending his last cents and resort to borrowing funds from other people hoping that one day, he covers all the money that he had lost. 
• Having trouble controlling the urge to engage in gambling. Being one of the most obvious symptoms, a person will have a hard time stopping betting and being compelled to win his lost money back. 
• Family and friends are greatly affected.  As a person continues to gamble, he might lose the connection that he once had with his friends and family and become reluctant to make a move to reach out to them. 

Clinical diagnosis of gambling addiction, according to DSM-5, a standard classification of mental disorder used by mental health doctors in the United States, mentions that a person must experience at least four of the following, during the last 12 months:

• Concealing gambling activities
• Relationship or work-related problems brought by gambling
• Depending on others for monetary purposes for gambling
• Constant thinking about plans regarding gambling
• Gambling when feeling distressed
• Returning to gamble even after losing money
• Need to gamble with an increasing amount of money to feel the excitement
• Feeling irritable when trying to stop gambling
• Unsuccessful attempt to stop gambling

Causes of Gambling Addiction

Like any other problem, gambling addiction may be a result of a combined biological, genetic, and environmental factor an individual is facing.

The immediate causes that contribute to a gambling addiction include the desire of a person to experience the feeling of thrill, desperation to acquire a huge sum of money, the influence of a successful gambler with high social status, and the entertainment the person gets in mainstream gambling

Subsequently, Studies show that a person with addiction over one thing has a stronger tendency to develop another. Hence, significantly, people who have alcohol and drug addiction are most likely to develop compulsive gambling.  This secondary addiction happens in an effort to reduce negative feelings that surface from their primary vices. These addiction risks include depression, personality disorders, medications, and alcohol addiction.

Sadly, breaking the cycle is quite difficult once the gambling addiction takes control of the person. This is because a person thinks that he needs to take what he had lost until such time that winnings would not be enough to cover his losses and the cycle continues.

Additionally, there are factors that increase the risk of an individual being addicted to the said practice.

• Age. Statistically speaking, compulsive gambling is more common in the middle-aged group than in all other age groups. However, this does not guarantee the fact that other age groups are at risk of developing the addiction.
• Sex. gambling patterns have become more similar between men and women but according to figures, men are more like to develop compulsive gambling disorder.  
• Influence. If a person has a close relative that gambles a lot, chances are huge that the person will do the same.
• Personality. People with competitive personalities, along with impressive work ethics may increase their risk of becoming a compulsive gambler. 

Quitting Your Addiction

Breaking the cycle can be hard but with the right treatment, a person is capable of quitting his addiction. 

• Medications. Antidepressants are commonly used to alleviate the symptoms that accompany addiction. Medications are also given to reduce an individual’s urge to gamble.

• Therapy. Through behavior therapy, the urge to gamble is reduced by systematically exposing the patient to his own behavior.

• Support groups. It is highly suggested that patients are able to talk with other people, especially those with the same problem.

Final Words

Gambling in lotteries and casinos is pretty much accessible to anyone who wishes to entertain themselves with temporary excitement. However, as too much of anything poses great harm to one’s well-being, it is highly encouraged to be mindful with everything that we do and learn to distinguish the boundary that separates good from detrimental.

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