Addiction to Gambling

Posted by amirthaa on September 27th, 2010

Gambling is actually a very nice and interesting recreational game if it is being played without being
too addicted to it. But when you are addicted to gambling, it can be a destructive game to you and
your family, be it financially or mentally. You should have read from newspapers that there are
cases where people who lose not only money but also their family members when they became too
addicted to the gambling games. All these news are very true in nature as when someone is addicted
to gambling, they are willing to sacrifice everything to continue with their addiction which they often
will regret once they are sober.

A lot of people who are addicted to gambling will often end up using all their savings and money
on those gambling games. Even when they are bankrupt, they still will continue playing those
games with the help of those illegal money lenders. When all the money borrowed from those
money lenders ended up at the other side of the gambling tables, this is when it gets nasty. They
will struggle to collect back the money needed to pay back for the money borrowed. They will
ask and beg from their family members and friends for financial helps. If situations were of any
worse, they might even resort to stealing or robbing people?s money to finance their addictions.

Gambling addiction is no any difference to drug addiction. Both are costly in a sense that you
needed a lot of money to finance it. Both will drive all your friends and family members away from
you to avoid getting caught up with the bad things that will happen to you. There are cases where
addicted gamblers committing suicides due to the fact that they have nothing left in their lives. They
no longer have any money and are in deep debt and that their family members and friends had
cut them off. Depression kicks in and they will opt for the easy way out which is to end their lives.
Therefore, it is important to not to get addicted into the games.

How to recognize a gambling addict? How to know when you are considered as an addict? Well,
there are symptoms that you should look out for when trying to identify a gambling addict. Firstly,
these addicts will be preoccupied with frequent thoughts of gambling in their minds. They will
constantly fantasize their gambling experiences or that they will be reminiscing those gambling
moments. Then, their tolerance level will be getting higher or higher. In another word, they will
need to use higher input to feel the same rush, the same adrenaline kick. When they try to reduce
their gambling activities, they will feel withdrawal as if something missing in their lives. They will
lie about their situations and even willing to do illegal activities just to get another taste of it. They
might even risk having their important relationships sacrificed just so they can continue their games.

When you notice these kinds of symptoms in yourself or in your friends, you are already addicted to
gambling.