Gambling Addiction

Gambling Addiction

Gambling affects the person doing it and anyone who is close to them. Through personal experience getting hooked on gambling is mainly from the action and thrill of everything associated with gambling. When gambling they are part of the action and not just watching people play a game for money.

If one is truly a pathological gambler, just like lying they cannot stop unless they are helped. When gambling it is very difficult to come to the realization that one is addicted. They simply do not want to believe this because all there fun must finally come to an end. If it does not they will be on track to mess up everything they have worked so hard to accomplish. When someone is addicted to something, the addiction stems out to not only harm him or her but also his or her friends and family. Gamblers hurt many more people then just there self with an addiction like gambling. Gamblers start borrowing money with the intention of paying it back when they win big. Being a winner sometimes happens but most of the time it will not and the gambler is stuck owing this person for a long time.

Gamblers especially enjoy the fact that they can win and winning anything makes anyone feel good. When one talk’s with anyone that does something that makes him or her feel good, they want to keep doing that specific thing no matter what it is.

As anyone can see the money has very little to do with gambling addiction. In fact most are addicted to the action gambling brings to them. Action is fun and people love to have fun. This is why places such as Las Vegas and Atlantic City exist.

“There are two types of gamblers the first of the two affect mostly men. They are referred to as action gamblers. In these cases gambling generally starts in the early teen years. The action gambler is usually very bright scoring high on IQ tests. They generally like games requiring skill such as black jack, poker, sports betting, and more recently, trading of stocks and bonds. Gambling conveys a sense of euphoria; similar to a drug induced high. Generally very ego driven, controlling risk taking narcissistic, sociable, and are usually in need of approval, affirmation, and conformation. These individuals usually pose a low self-esteem and have a tendency to bend the truth or lie. The gamblers of this category usually proceed through four phases, the winning phase, loosing phase, desperation phase, and the hopelessness phase. Generally the behavior persists between 10 and 30 years before circumstances have reached a sufficient low almost too low for help to be sought. By that time the problem gambling has assumed far greater importance than family, friends, jobs, and outside interests and the individual is in serious jeopardy of loosing absolutely everything. Gambling is an activity that is socially accepted which makes it an area where behavior can cross over and easily become compulsive, abnormal, and destructive. Gambling can easily be ignored as an extremely common, pleasurable and legal activity. Many times it is associated with trading or investing. The pathological gambler is quick to deny his problem and reach for the most convenient rationalization, but this compulsive behavior is playing a very high stakes game with his life. This behavior puts his friends, family, finances, job, and reputation all at risk. Confronting an individual about problem behavior is difficult and likely to excite denial, rationalization, or some brave words about manipulating the confronter into thinking the behavior will be modified. Recovery rates are extremely low, with only around a 2% achieving recovery within the first year of treatment.”(Diamond 2001 p.2)

“The other type of compulsive gambler is the Escape gambler approximately 75% is female Compulsive gambling in the escape gambler usually does not occur until 30 or older. The escape gambler usually shows signs of codependent behavior. These individuals usually prefer the games requiring little or no skill like slots, bingo, or lottery. Escape gamblers appear numb or in hypnotic trance when engaged in gambling these types of gamblers feel free of emotional and physical pain when gambling. These gamblers have been responsible and moral in there early lives but are conflict avoiders and have often times suffered from some form of verbal or physical abuse. And now have a desperate need for empowerment and gain it in there escape gambling. These individuals usually poses low self-esteem, and become manipulative as the problem develops. The problem gambler has a far higher probability of long-term cure through abstinence unlike the action gambler these people usually peruse help within 6 months to 3 years of the problems inception.”(Diamond 2001 p.3)

This information shows him two very important points. First this information shows you two different types of gamblers and how they become put into a certain category. Second this information shows him what the two types of gamblers lack in skills or are above and beyond most normal people. This information is given mainly to fill him in on how and why a certain type of gambler is what he or she is, and why they do this to themselves and others.

“Current estimates suggest that three percent of the adult population will experience a serious problem with gambling that will result in significant debt, family disruption, job losses, criminal activity or suicide. Pathological gambling affects the gamblers, their families, their employers and the community. As the gamblers go through the phases of their addiction, they spend less time with their family and spend more of their family's money on gambling until their bank accounts are depleted. Then they may steal money from family members. At work, the pathological gambler misuses time in order to gamble has difficulty concentrating and finishing projects and may engage in embezzlement, employee theft or other illegal activities.”(Zehr 2005 p.4)

As shown this addiction hurts more then just the gambler, everyone must realize what this person is going through in order to help him or her get rid of this horrible addiction. The gambler almost never thinks of anyone besides him or her self, gamblers tend to think of one thing and one thing only “gambling”.

“Gambling addiction has four phases first the winning phase a Short or non-existent phase revealing several small or large wins, a sense of emotional escape from problems, a boost in self-esteem, and a sense of empowerment.

Next comes the loosing/chasing phase. Losses are explained away as poor luck, no win is enough, and gambling alone begins. Individual hides gambling, as losses puts person behind a financial "eight