How To Determine If You Have A Gambling Problem
We have listed some websites you can visit if you are searching for help, whether for you or someone you know. Gamblers Anonymous The most straightforward site for those who believe they have a gambling problem is the official Gamblers Anonymous page. It can be difficult to know if someone has a problem with gambling. Initially we may not want to believe that someone we know or love has a problem with gambling. It can also be difficult to detect a gambling problem, because many people who gamble do not show their feelings and may lie or get angry if questioned about their behaviour. Gambling problems can stress your relationship with people: spouse, family, partner, friends, work colleagues. In severe cases, it could lead to job loss, criminal charges (if you result in illegal gambling), stealing, lack of sleep, and terrible financial problems. Withdrawal Symptoms When You’re Not Gambling.
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Gambling addiction might not have immediate health ramifications like drinking alcohol or snorting cocaine, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous. There are many problems that can arise from gambling addiction. If you or someone you know has a gambling addiction, call Prominence Treatment Center today for immediate assistance.
Gambling can be an exciting retreat from life’s daily stresses, but when a few hours at the casino turns into days, and a $100 stake becomes thousands of dollars, it is no longer fun and games. As with drinking alcohol, gambling can become a serious addiction when it interferes with your life. An estimated 85 percent of US adults have gambled in their lifetimes, making this hobby one of the most popular activities. Here are four warning signs that you or someone you know has a gambling addiction, as well as tips on how to treat the problem.
Your Friends and Family Are Worried
If you are reading this because you’re concerned about a friend or relative’s gambling, that person already has the first warning sign. It is sometimes difficult to see that you have a problem until someone else points it out. The first reaction you might have is to become defensive, but try to recognize that the people around you are trying to help. Chances are, if your friend or relative is telling you that you have a problem, they will also be willing to support you in beating your addiction. See Our No Deposit List
You Hide Your Gambling
What if your friends and family don’t know about your gambling because you keep it hidden? Hiding your gambling from others says that you are ashamed of your habits or want to keep your friends and family from knowing how much you gamble. Keeping your gambling a secret doesn’t always involve lying about gambling altogether. If people ask you how much you gamble and you tell them you spent less time or money on it than you actually did, this could be a sign of addiction. Stay honest with the people around you. Those closest to you will tell you when they think you’ve gone overboard and will hold you accountable to prevent bad habits from forming.
You Don’t Know When to Stop
Gambling addicts do not have to gamble every day, or even frequently, to have a problem. People who gamble once a year could be addicts if they aren’t able to control how much time or money they spend after they start. It can be difficult to walk away from a table or slot machine during a losing streak because the chance of winning your money back in the next round is temptingly close. This is why giving yourself a gambling limit before you set foot in a casino or log in online is important. If you set a limit for yourself and you consistently break it, you might have an addiction.
You Gamble After Going Broke
How To Tell If U Have A Gambling Problem
This is an extreme version of breaking your gambling limits. This is not just spending an extra hour or two in the casino after you said you would leave, or making one more bet after you reach your daily limit. In severe stages of gambling addiction, some addicts continue to gamble even when they’ve lost everything they have. It starts with going over your gambling budget, then can turn into spending your spouse’s money, children’s college fund or money meant to pay bills. Many addicts believe that if they spend more money on gambling, they can win enough to make the other losses worthwhile. This cycle isn’t broken until the addict decides to stop altogether.
What to Do About Your Addiction
Gambling addictions can get out of control fast, and often without addicts realizing they have a problem. Thankfully, many resources exist to help addicts resolve their issues and develop healthier habits. Gamblers Anonymous programs help addicts overcome their addiction for free, providing counseling and support in a group setting. In addition to these support groups, addicts who need extra support can hire a therapist for cognitive behavioral therapy. Gambling is similar to drug addiction in that it stimulates certain areas of the brain as you play. Therapists treat the problem by asking patients to realize where their problem comes from and how to fix it. You can also put other people in charge of your money, stay out of places where people gamble and keep your free time minimal to prevent temptation. Also check out Ukash accepting brands
How To Know If I Have A Gambling Problem
Source:https://www.helpguide.org/articles/addictions/gambling-addiction-and-problem-gambling.htm
By Sydney Smith LPC, LADC, NCGC-II
A gambling problem can be difficult to detect
Problem Gambling can be hidden for a long time which often makes it very difficult to detect. By the time the problem surfaces and the family finds out, the devastation and wreckage can be tremendous. Family members tend to know that something is wrong with their loved one but due to gambling addiction’s invisible nature, especially in the early stages of the disease, it can be extremely hard to identify.
In this article, we will discuss the signs and symptoms of, and ways to identify if your loved one has a gambling problem. Then, we’ll invite your questions about how to get help at the end.
Determining if there is a gambling problem
As a family member, we may or may not know the extent of the gambling problem or how long gambling has been an issue for our loved one. We may know about the gambling, but still have much uncertainty as to whether there is a gambling problem. So if you are asking yourself,
“How do I know if my loved one is a problem gambler?”
…the following are questions and information that may help determine if there is a gambling problem.
SIGN 1: Time away. If I know the person is gambling, the amount of time spent gambling or engaged in gambling activities increases. The gambler can be gone for long unaccounted for periods of time.
When the gambler in my life gambled, he often gambled while he was at work. So, in the early stages I did not know how much time he actually spent gambling. As his gambling worsened, he would not come home from work and would disappear for 24 hours at a time.
SIGN 2: Obsession to find money. Is the gambler becoming preoccupied or obsessed with obtaining money to gamble or thoughts of gambling? The great obsession can be on coming up with ways to borrow money, taking out loans, pawning items for cash, or planning their next bet.
Living with a gambler in the past, I would frequently have jewelry missing or items of value just disappear. Later I would learn that my gambler would pawn these items to obtain gambling money or to chase his losses. Later in the progression of the disease, the gambler may be physically present but not there, as the mind is preoccupied with gambling.
SIGN 3: Emotional volatility. Does the gambler have moods swings or gambles as a means to cope or change feelings? A gambler deep into his addiction can exhibit mood swings similar to those of a person diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. The extreme up and down in moods can be hard on both the gambler and the family members. The “up” moods can follow a win, and the gambler may even brag about the winnings. The “down” mood can be very depressive and the gambler may experience anxious or depressed mood, anger, and become irritable.
Gambling is used to change the way the person is feeling and the family members may hear the gambler make statements such as, “I had a stressful day at work and I just need to go gamble to unwind”.
SIGN 4: New secrets. Are there secretive behaviors or hiding? Is the gambler becoming very secretive in his actions and with his money? Hiding of gambling wins or losses, hiding lottery tickets, tax documents, etc. becomes common.
In my therapy practice, I often hear the spouses say, “I found payday loan papers, or while cleaning, I found ATM receipts from the casino.”. The family may begin to lose trust for the gambler as the hiding, concealing, and lying about gambling grows.
20 questions to ask yourself
These are a few of the more noticeable warning signs one may experience with the gambler. In addition, Gam-Anon created a simple list of 20 questions for family members to ask themselves.
Family members of problem gamblers will answer “YES” to at least seven of the twenty questions.
- Do you find yourself constantly bothered by bill collectors?
- Is the person in question often away from home for long unexplained periods of time?
- Does this person ever lose time from work due to gambling?
- Do you feel that this person cannot be trusted with money?
- Does this person promise that he or she will stop gambling, yet gambles again and again?
- Does this person ever gamble longer than he or she intended?
- Does this person immediately return to gambling to try to recover losses or to win more?
- Does this person ever gamble to get money to solve financial difficulties?
- Does this person borrow money to gamble with or to pay gambling debts?
- Has this person’s reputation ever suffered due to gambling?
- Have you come to the point of hiding money needed for living expenses?
- Do you search this person’s clothing, go through his or her wallet, or check on his or her activities?
- Do you hide his or her money?
- Have you noticed personality changes in him or her?
- Does this person consistently lie to cover up or deny his or her gambling activities?
- Does this person use guilt induction as a method of shifting responsibility for his or her gambling onto you?
- Do you attempt to anticipate this person’s moods to try to control his or her life?
- Does this person ever suffer from remorse or depression due to gambling sometimes to the point of self-destruction?
- Have you ever threatened to break up the family because of the gambling?
- Do you feel that your life together is a nightmare?
What can you do next?
This list can be found on the Gam-Anon website or in Gam-Anon published literature. If you can identify with any of the information listed above:
- Continue to educate yourself about gambling addiction through resources and literature.
- Reach out to a trained professional.
- Attend a Gam-Anon or any 12-step support meeting for friends and family of addicts.
If we believe our loved one has a gambling addiction, it is OK to encourage them to seek help, however, it is vitally important for us as family members to seek out our own help. We are not alone, there is hope, and life can get better.