You like to play video poker or roll dice with friends. You lost so much money last month that you couldn't pay your bills. You're sure that you'll recoup your losses. You have become a gambling addict, and you don't understand why you can't stop.
History
Gambling has caused havoc throughout history. Romans betting on their favorite chariot teams sometimes rioted when things didn't go their way. A British Broadcasting Corp., or BBC, essay, "Justinian and the Nika Riot" describes how Emperor Justinian I almost lost his throne in 531 A.D. when political riots that started at the chariot races resulted in calls for a new emperor.
The search for a gambling system is also old. The first computer programmer, 19th century mathematician Lady Ada Augusta Byron, tried but failed to create a betting system for horse racing.
Gambling Addiction Signs
A Harvard Medical School essay, "Problem gambling," offers a checklist that you can review to see if your gambling has crossed the line from recreation to obsession.
Ask yourself if your answer is "yes" to any of these statements: You think a lot about your gambling experiences. You bet escalating amounts. You cannot stop gambling. You try to recoup your money right after losing it. You have lied to others about your gambling. You have committed illegal acts to obtain gambling money. Your relationships and job are endangered by your gambling. You have asked for loans to pay off your gambling debts.
Linked Disorders
Your gambling addiction may be linked to other problems in your life. A 2005 study of 40 gamblers done by Dr. Munidasa Winslow and other researchers at the Institute of Medicine in Singapore found that when the gamblers were matched against a control group of nongamblers, the gamblers showed significantly higher levels of mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. The gamblers also displayed higher levels of alcoholism and smoking. The researchers theorized that some gamblers start gambling as a refuge from other problems, while a second class of gamblers takes up gambling and then develops additional emotional and substance abuse disorders.
Getting Help
If you think you may be addicted to gambling, it is essential to get help as quickly as possible. Your options include Gamblers Anonymous groups, private psychotherapy and rehabilitation centers. Make sure the program you choose is run by people who are experienced in treating gambling addiction. The National Council on Problem Gambling maintains a 24-hour confidential national hot line that you can call for assistance in locating help.
Recovery
If you are at the beginning of your recovery, the road ahead may seem lonely. Two other gamblers found themselves in your situation in January 1957. They began talking about their obsession with gambling. As the months passed, both of them noticed something striking--neither of them had returned to gambling. Just talking with each other had gradually detached them from their addiction. They founded Gamblers Anonymous, the grandparent of all gambling treatment programs. No matter how large your current problems seem, help is one phone call away.
