Getting involved in occasional gambling or betting games can be quite common in our life, but it should not become a habit. Addiction can be defined as irresistible temptation in doing something in spite of the fact that the person knows that it can seriously affect his/her life and relationship. Gambling addiction or gambling disorder or compulsive gambling is the feeling of uncontrollable urge to involve in gambling regardless of the consequences. If you are getting yourself into gambling you may start chasing bets losing all your savings and many times you would borrow funds or take loans and sometimes indulge in stealing money to satisfy your addiction.
Gambling on anything would stimulate your brain and it would have the same effect on you, as alcohol or other substance. Any person who gets attached to gambling will not hesitate to indulge in fraudulent activities to get money. Gambling addiction is (without doubt) a serious condition but with suitable professional help and family support you can get out of it.
Gambling Addiction Symptoms :
The behavior and interest shown by the person of gambling disorder is totally different from that of occasional gambler. Gambling addiction will lead you to take big risks despite of the outcome. He would gain a thrill in taking part of gambling activities. He would be preoccupied with the thoughts about gambling. He would try to recollect his gambling experiences of the past.
In due course, the person would find gambling as reliable source to escape from daily problems of life. He would often take leave from work or find excuses from his family to gamble. This would give him the feelings of guilt and depression. Most of the compulsive gamblers would lie and conceal the results of gambling. He will not hesitate to steal money or borrow funds to gamble. This would cause feeling of remorse and guilt after gambling. Even though he wanted to give up gambling his efforts end up in failing.
Gambling as such will not cause addiction. Not all the people who gamble are compulsive gamblers. There are still plenty of people who spend years on gambling without any addiction. Frequent stress can turn a casual gambler into compulsive gambler in due course. Gambling addicted person will be attending work in his office but his concern would be focused on how to borrow money or how to win the game. Placing big bets and taking increasingly high risks becomes his daily activity. Gambling disorder will force the person to place bets irrespective of the loss since they believe the entire money can be recovered. Casual gamblers will know their limit and stop gambling once they reach the loss limit whereas compulsive gamblers cannot.
Points to Consider :