Tag: Addiction

Is My Gambling An Addiction?

As internet gambling becomes a bigger phenomenon, there are more people who are recognizing that they may be suffering with gambling addictions. At the same time, some people are not sure whether or not they have a problem or if they just really enjoy the experience of gambling. Here we will look at some things you can think about to determine whether or not you have a gambling addiction or not.

Do You Feel in Control?

Answering this question can be difficult. Many people with gambling addictions still feel in control even if they are not. You can start by looking at the frequency at which you gamble. Is it every day, several times a day, or more like once a month? If you find you are gambling with increased frequency, you may be developing a problem.

Also pay attention to what is driving you to gamble. Is it a feeling that you absolutely have to gamble, or is it a feeling that you want to spend your time gambling? Paying attention to these feelings are a good way to tell if you are developing any addiction at all because as soon as you feel like you have to do something, it may be on its way to controlling you.

Is it Causing Trouble?

Are your finances or relationships suffering because of your gambling? If so, it may be becoming an addiction. If your finances are going down the drain and you are still risking money on placing bets, it is causing trouble in an undeniable way.

If your finances are doing very well but your relationships are suffering because you are spending so much time on gambling, you are still looking at a problem that the activity is causing.

Finding Help

When you acknowledge that you or someone you love is indeed suffering with a gambling addiction, there are various things you can do. Talking to a therapist can be a great first step as well as trying to stop the activity if that is possible for you. Some people find success in 12-step programs where people can process their feelings together and relate to a higher power.

No matter what you choose as your method of dealing with the problem, acknowledging it is the first step. It can be the most difficult one, as there may be aspects of denial because you may be very reliant on the activity in order to deal with certain kinds of feelings.

In the world today it can be hard to find a healthy life without any addictions whatsoever because potential substances are all around us, such as cigarettes, alcohol and gambling. Since these things all change how we feel in the moment, they all have the potential to be addictive.

However, people find success every day with confronting and changing their lives and gambling addictions are no different.

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You Can Stop Your Gambling Addiction

Compulsive gamblers of all ages continually fear the day they know they will have to stop gambling. Most of them realize this when their personal resources are dwindling with each passing day.

I remember the day I had ten thousand dollars still left in my savings account. The next day I had five thousand and a week later I had overdrawn my account by $150.00. Even though I realized I had a problem, I couldn’t stop my addiction. I wanted to gamble and win back all the money I had lost. I knew that I should stop, but I refused to and the end result was devastating for me. I had no money and no where to go. I still had my job and my dream of winning big someday. I thought I could never beat this gambling addiction, so I figured why bother. Then I realized I wanted to change my life for the better. I realized I had to take one day at a time. I needed to slow my thoughts down and focus on only one thing at a time. I learned to think about today and did not worry about tomorrow.

When I woke up each morning usually not too grumpy I made the decision of whether or not I was going to gamble today. I gave myself the choice and at the same time I thought about all the destructive behavior. This morning I made the choice I did not want to gamble today. I realized if I told myself I could never gamble again I was adding too much stress to my life.

Compulsive gamblers compound their stress when telling themselves they will never gamble again. Life is too short and it’s time to live to the fullest.

Once compulsive gamblers realize that they are good people and they deserve the best in life their recovery seems to accelerate.

Mr. Howard Keith has an extensive background in dealing with compulsive gamblers and relatives and friends of gamblers. Mr. Keith believes there are many alternatives to aid in the recovery of a gambling addiction.

For more information on gambling addiction and stop gambling you can check out

Help Stop Gambling Addiction Resources To Stop Compulsive Gambling http://www.istoppedgambling.com/

You can also check out Mr. Keith’s other website Compulsive Gambling Addiction A Gambler’s Story. [http://www.compulsive-gambling-addiction.org/]


Compulsive Gambler’s Guilt Affects Their Gambling Addiction Recovery

When a compulsive gambler is in recovery, feeling guilty is one of the toughest areas to resolve for some people. When a gambler finally makes the conscious decision to stop gambling, reality sets in for the first time in a long time. When they take finally take stock in themselves they see all the damage they caused. Some people stop right before it’s too late and they have a few assets left. Then the compulsive gambler thinks they’re in control and once again go back to gambling. The next time the destruction is twice as worse. The feelings of guilt increase until they finally are willing to face they have a gambling problem.

Through various discussions with compulsive gamblers, I found a majority felt guilty and ashamed about the following:

* Feeling guilty you lied to your family and friends

* Feeling ashamed that your family and friends know you have a problem gambling

* Feeling guilty that friends and family may never trust you again

* Feeling guilty and ashamed knowing how much money you lost that could have been better spent.

* Feeling guilty you didn’t spend enough time with your children.

* Feeling guilty about your self destructive behavior

* Feeling guilty you didn’t go to relatives and friends events (birthdays, graduations etc.)

In time people will forgive the compulsive gambler, but can the compulsive gambler forgive them selves?

Friends and family will come around if the compulsive gambler keeps their word from now on. Once the gambler tells you they stop gambling, they must stick to it. If not they will lose credibility. Trust is very important both for the compulsive gambler and for the family and friends. People have to learn to trust compulsive gamblers all over again. In time they will if the compulsive gambler is willing to stop gambling.

Even though a compulsive gambler made numerous mistakes, they can recover and they can move forward. It’s human nature to learn from your mistakes. No one is going to give the compulsive gambler the death penalty for gambling. A lot of gamblers feel this way when their world comes crumbling down.

Take the time to improve your quality of life and the compulsive gambler’s feelings of guilt will diminish over time.

Mr. Howard Keith has an extensive background in dealing with compulsive gamblers, relatives and friends of gamblers and teenage gamblers. Mr. Keith believes there are many alternatives to aid in the recovery of a gambling addiction verses a twelve step program. A large percentage of his emails were from compulsive gamblers looking for an alternative to Gamblers Anonymous and twelve step programs. Gamblers Anonymous also helps a significant number of people each year but there is a large percentage that they are unable to reach.

For more information on gambling addiction and stop gambling you can check out: I Stopped Gambling So Can You http://www.istoppedgambling.com/

Teenage Gambling Addiction website: [http://www.teenage-gambling-addiction.org/]

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Gambling Addiction Affects More Then Just The Compulsive Gambler

At one point in time our society believed that gambling addiction only affected the gambler. However new information now available and those directly affected realized that gambling detrimental to the economic, political, social and physical well being of individuals, the community and the nation.

Gambling addiction negatively affects everyone. The following situations are from real situations that have occurred.

A compulsive gambler borrows money from friends and family not having the ability to pay back these loans. In one case I remember the family who loaned the money had to cut back their spending once they realized the loan was not going to be repaid.

A compulsive gambler uses their credit cards to get cash in order to gamble not having the ability to pay back these loans. The credit card company receives notice that one of their card holders is now filing bankruptcy.

A compulsive gambler no longer has the ability to spend money on local businesses and or charitable organizations. In turn the local businesses revenues decrease.

A compulsive gambler no longer spends the quality time with their family members.

A compulsive gambler’s work production decreases while co-workers pick up the slack.

A compulsive gambler resorts to embezzlement as a means to continue feeding their habit.

A compulsive gambler was sentenced to jail time for illegal acts. This situation is a no win for everyone involved. The gambler can not pay back their debt while in jail.

A compulsive gambler commits suicide.

A compulsive gambler spouse files for divorce.

All of the above examples demonstrate that gambling addiction is detrimental to the economic, political, social and physical well being of individuals, the community and the nation.

Now that there is a problem, it’s time to find a solution and at the same time help those with a gambling addiction to move forward. There are websites that can help the compulsive gambler but there are no websites that can put the cash back into our society so we can move forward.

Mr. Howard Keith has an extensive background in dealing with compulsive gamblers, relatives and friends of gamblers and teenage gamblers. Mr. Keith believes there are many alternatives to aid in the recovery of a gambling addiction verses a twelve step program. A large percentage of his emails were from compulsive gamblers looking for an alternative to Gamblers Anonymous and twelve step programs. Gamblers Anonymous also helps a significant number of people each year but there is a large percentage that they are unable to reach.

For more information on gambling addiction and stop gambling you can check out:

I Stopped Gambling So Can You http://www.istoppedgambling.com/

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Gambling Addiction Basics

The coming age has brought with it numerous new pathological addictions, one of them being addiction to gambling. Pathological gambling was conferred with the status of a disease by the American Psychiatric Association back in 1980s. Robert L. Custer, M.D., is a pioneer in this field of problem gambling.

People who fall prey to this addiction are usually those who secure an income by means of blackjack, poker or other gambling activities. They are professional players who visit casinos not for fun sake, but to employ their skills and earn.

Based on their way of playing and the driving force behind it, gamblers can be categorized. For example, while professional gamblers are skillful and good in their game a casual gamblers plays merely for recreation.

The symptoms of gambling addiction are usually hard to identify. Since this disease is different from other substance related addictions like drug or alcohol abuse, the indications of this sickness are subtle. The nearest possible way in which the symptoms of this addiction can be stated is through the “Custer three Phase Model”. According tot his model, the gambling addiction can be characterized by three phases: the wining phase, the losing phase and the desperation phase.

In the wining stage, the compulsive gambler is ecstatic and overexcited with this earnings and is unwilling to quit gambling. Therefore, the addict usually increases his intensity of gambling . However, losing being the other half of gambling, his wining streak is short-lived. Nonetheless, recurrent losses do not deter him as he wants to win again and get his money back. Addicted gamblers suffer from financial stress, loss of sleep, and mental fatigue in this phase. They face problems at the family front. The patient also tends to borrow huge amounts or avail some money making schemes. As the gambler continues to face loss on every alternate day, he finds it difficult to stay away from gambling. Compulsive gamblers may resort to any means to raise funds for their obsession. They become desperate, with their debts becoming unmanageable. Loss of jobs, fight with friends and family, committing crimes or suicidal tendencies define this phase.

The question as to why does one gamble, can not be answered in definitive terms. One of the dominant reasons is the mental health of the gambler. For some people gambling serves as a n escape route from their lives. A compulsive gambler plays for kicks. He is just unable to stay away from it. Many researchers also blame the easy accessibility to casinos. The government and its lottery fund is also widely condemned.

Treatment programs and centers exist to treat this disease. Regular therapy and counseling is an effective and a widely used technique to cure this disease. Various support groups have also cropped up, where the addicts share their experiences and strengthen each others desire to quit gambling. Some groups that fund such programs include casinos and state lotteries. Some casinos lay stress on responsible gambling and have taken steps to make the people aware about his addiction.

However the first step, before undertaking nay treatment would be to acknowledge this disease. With very slight symptoms and effects this addiction is difficult to catch and acknowledge. Hence it helps to be aware to act wisely.

Mansi Aggarwal writes about gambling addiction. Learn more at [http://www.gamblingaddictinfo.com]

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