Gambling Addiction

To understand the consequences of a gambling addiction we need to look no further than the daily lives of those afflicted with the problem. First, looking at the home of a gambler; gambling will cause tremendous amount of discomfort on the spouses and children of addicted gamblers.

Secondly, at work, the addicted gambler will have problems concentrating on the duties required of them. They tend to preoccupy themselves with thought of where to place the next bet or when the next races will take place and so on. In so doing, they become less productive hence prone to being laid off.

Third and perhaps the most consequential is the financial impact. This one glues the problems at work with those at the home of the addict. Addiction will more often than not lead to financial deficit, however because it is an addiction and one cannot give it up they may be forced to break the law with various forms of theft; ranging from simple office fraud and forgery to outright violent theft.

At home the financial problems of a gambling addict may lead them to sell valuable possessions from jewellery, furniture and electronics to cars. Some go as far as taking out mortgages on their homes.

The financial problems of an addicted gambler do not end at work and home, they extend to the social circle of friends, often ruining long held friendships due to excessive borrowing and failure to pay back what is owed.

Gambling addiction is often called Compulsive gambling because it is an impulse control disorder, sometimes also called a pathological disorder. This means that it is hard to control the impulse to gamble. It is the only thing that occupies their thoughts. They can't stay off the bet.

Almost all compulsive gamblers are merely chasing the excitement and not the money. This is why excessive winning cannot solve the problem, but may merely put the financial consequences on hold for a limited time.

The question most commonly asked when it comes to frequent gamblers is; When does one have a gambling problem? Contrary to many beliefs, one does not have to gamble daily to have a problem. They don't even have to gamble regularly to have the problem. There are many addicts who gamble irregularly and may even go months at time; but whenever they have the extra money they cannot control the impulse.

This leads to another misconception about gambling; you may still have a problem even if you can afford it. Even if you don't have problems at work, even if you are not selling off your possessions like crazy, you may still be a gambling addict.

However, one common tell all sign most gamblers with a problem have is secrecy. Whenever one is compelled to hide their gambling then they most likely have a problem that needs to be addressed.