Problem gambling, also known as pathological or compulsive gambling, is a disorder in which a person in unable to resist the urge to gamble despite negative consequences. Compulsive gambling affects a person financially, personally and professionally. Once a person has become hooked on gambling, the addiction worsens without treatment, leading to more time and money spent gambling. Addicts may even resort to fraud or theft to finance the gambling addiction.
Warning Signs
Compulsive gambling is one of the most difficult addictions to identify because compulsive gamblers often easily mask their addiction. Compulsive gamblers may lie about how much time or money they spend gambling, borrow money or resort to fraud to finance their gambling, lose their job because of missing work to gamble and display signs of irritability or restlessness when attempting to quit. A compulsive gambler may also stop to gamble in between running errands in an attempt to hide his gambling from family members.
The Winning Phase
Gambling addiction is a progressive illness that can be marked by four phases. The first phase, or winning phase, is where the addiction begins. The compulsive gambler gets his first taste of excitement from gambling in the form of a big win. According to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, this leads to increased gambling and higher bets as well as enhanced self-image and fantasies about winning big.
The Losing and Desperation Phases
After the big win in the first phase, the gambler often experiences a series of unexpected losses but is unable to control or stop the gambling. She may exhibit personality changes or begin to borrow money from friends and family to continue gambling. If compulsive gambling remains unrecognized and untreated, it progresses to the desperation phase. During this time, the gambler is unable to pay back money that was borrowed and may resort to more drastic measures, such as theft or fraud, to finance gambling. This is done under the misconception that a winning streak will inevitably come along and fix the financial catastrophe that has occurred. During these phases, the gambler may develop depression, which commonly coexists with compulsive gambling.
The Hopeless Phase
The final phase of gambling addiction is the hopeless phase. During this phase, the gambler has given up on winning big or breaking even, but continues to gamble. According to John M. Grohol, Psy.D. of PsychCentral, this is the phase during which a compulsive gambler hits rock bottom, and may even turn to substance abuse for comfort. Because of the depression associated with compulsive gambling, an alarming number of sufferers attempt suicide. According to the Overcoming Gambling website, an estimated one in five compulsive gamblers attempts suicide.
Treatment
Compulsive gambling is treatable by a variety of means. The most important step toward recovery from gambling addiction is admitting that there is in fact a compulsive gambling problem. If a compulsive gambler recognizes this, then treatment is likely to be more effective than if a family or friend pressures him into recovery. A highly effective treatment technique for gambling addiction is cognitive behavioral therapy. According to the Mayo Clinic staff, this type of treatment involves working with a therapist to identify negative beliefs and feelings and turning them into positive ones. Antidepressant medications may be effective at treating the depression that accompanies a gambling problem. Additionally, peer groups, such as Gamblers Anonymous, are located in most cities and meet on a regular basis to support each other.
