Gambling is a very fun way to pass the time, but most of us can agree that there is definitely people who let gambling consume their lives.
If you want to gamble but keep it legitimate, you’re going to have to define the limit for yourself.
When gambling isn’t fun anymore
Compulsive gambling is something that many people suffer from, and that you should do your best to avoid.
Basically, it consists in the inability to resist the urge to bet. Depending on the severity and the individual situation, compulsive gambling could be a small problem, or it could literally ruin your life.
Compulsive gambling is not a disease, so it’s hard to diagnose. However, if you know what you’re looking for it’s not hard to spot a compulsive gambler: they’re those people who spend most of their time in the casino, and just seem like all they do is gamble.
Extreme compulsive gamblers might commit other crimes just to get gambling money, or they might sell off their possession for money.
Compulsive gamblers will convince themselves that the next roll or hand will be their best one yet. So they continue to bet more and more, trying to win back their losses from before.
This is an extremely vicious cycle, and has ended with many people in massive amounts of debt. If you or a loved one might be suffering from compulsive gambling, get help immediately.
How to break this cycle
Again, this is not a disease, so there’s no medicine or “cure” so to speak. However, therapy can do wonders for compulsive gamblers.
Usually there is some issue that people try to forget about by gambling their troubles away. If this is the case, some basic therapy can work very well in eliminating the source of the problem, which will help people get over their gambling addictions.
In the end, the real work will have to be done by the compulsive gambler, in order to kick their problem.
However, I don’t recommend taking on gambling on your own, so if you don’t want a therapist, at least talk to a friend or family member, hopefully one who has had experience with compulsive gambling.
There are also support groups around to help you through your problem. Gamblers Anonymous is one of the best groups available, and has helped countless people get over their addictions.
Gamblers Anonymous is very similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, and the meetings are held in the same fashion.
Like any other health issue, compulsive gambling is always better to prevent than to treat.
Compulsive gambling usually develops in adolescence for males, and age 20-40 for females. The less exposure to gambling someone has, the less likely they’ll be to develop a problem.
If you’re worried about someone you know developing a gambling problem, the best thing to do is keep them away from the casino and interested in other activities. If they already gamble, talk to them as soon as possible.
Most people who suffer from compulsive gambling don’t even consider themselves to have a problem, so you might have to convince them.