Gambling addiction is a very serious issue as it tends to not only affect the gambler but those around them as well. There are many underlying issues that may lead to a person resorting to gambling.
Those include the need to pay off debt, owing people money, the love of things, relationships and work stress. The most frequent and popular gambling activities are the lottery, scratch cards, sports betting, and gambling machines. Many people who have a gambling addiction are not aware of the condition until things go very bad for them.
For those who might suspect that they may have a gambling problem or that their loved ones might, we’ve compiled four of the many signs shared by The Recovery Village.
- Gambling to improve happiness – If gambling is a necessary component of your happiness or what you need to elevate your mood, there’s a good chance that gambling addiction is to blame. This is one of many commonly overlooked signs of gambling addiction that both addicts and those who are close to them tend to mistake for some other problem. Gambling to mask problems, feel happy or otherwise improve your emotions is a sure sign that there is a bigger problem at hand.
- You borrow money for gambling – Borrowing money to gamble is a major part of the financial downfall that problem gamblers often face. They will use up normal ways of borrowing money, such as a line of credit, bank loan or second mortgage. After that, they could resort to ultra-high interest loans, such as credit cards, payday loans or even illicit loan sharks. They are so desperate to continue gambling that they will go to virtually any length to obtain more money, often under the belief that “this time” luck will find them and they will strike it rich.
- You gamble more than you can afford to lose – Gambling addiction often takes tremendous amounts of time, and as the gambler spends increasing amounts of time at it, other activities suffer. They neglect relationships, family and home responsibilities. They often miss work. They neglect meetings and other important obligations. Or, they may gamble while they are at work, or when they should be sleeping or interacting with their family. The results can be more than they can afford:
- Relationship stress: This is especially a problem when the spouse finds out about the monetary losses
- Job loss: Due to decreased performance or gambling at work
- Arrest and criminal charges: For illegal activities used to finance the gambling
- Physical health problems: Lack of sleep or self-care
- You attempt to recover losses by gambling more – This feature of gambling addiction is known as “chasing.” As their gambling losses continue to accumulate, compulsive gamblers maintain the belief that “one more bet” is all they need to win back everything. To them, the next bet is always the big one. This strategy is how they will recover from their prior gambling losses and start to get ahead. In addition to the brain reward system that drives them to continue gambling, it is this delusional and obsessional belief that “the next bet will be the big winner” that makes compulsive gamblers go to any length to keep gambling.
Also see: Signs of PTSD you should be aware of
