by Jerry "Jet" Whittaker

Jan 1, 2007

Addiction of gambling

The gambling is addiction by which gamblers become addicted to the thrill of risk-taking as his or her substance of choice, much in the same way with other addiction. The action itself becomes the drug. Gamblers typically engage in games with other players, since part of the adrenaline rush is in the appearance as a winner.

Symptoms of addiction

The criteria for declaring people as addictive are mentioned below.

1. Preoccupied with gambling like reliving past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture or thinking of ways to get money to gamble.

2. Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement.

3. Is the person restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling?

4. Gambles as a way of escaping from problems or relieving different moods like feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression.

5. After losing money in gambling, often returns another day in order to get even chasing, it is a classical behavior pattern characterizing pathological gambling.

6. Lies to family members, therapists or others to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling.

7. The person commits illegal acts like forgery, fraud, theft or embezzlement in order to finance gambling

8. The person has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship like job or educational or career opportunity because of gambling.

9. The person relies on others to provide money to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling.

10. The person makes repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back or stop gambling

Causes of addiction

Many experts made observations about the dynamics of the disease and the personality profiles of those who yield to it. Gambling addiction experts believes that three criteria are necessary for a person to become a pathological gambler like intolerable feeling state such as helplessness, depression or guilt. A highly developed capacity for self-deception is needed and exposure to gambling and ways to solve it. Physical or inherited predispositions are also thought to play a role, though these links have not been proven. There are many consequences of problem gambling all result in economic costs for states, communities and individuals. They are like job loss, unemployment, debt, bankruptcy, embezzlement, fraud, check forgery, eviction, forced home sales, crime, arrest and incarceration. These can cause poor physical and mental health and later on suicide. The families of gamblers also suffer greatly from physical and psychological abuse like harassment and threats from bill collectors and creditors and the extra financial burden placed on them to repay debts. 

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