Gambling can be a fun pastime, or it can become a serious problem that affects not only the gambler, but those around him as well. The American Psychological Association qualifies problem gamblers as those who are always preoccupied with gambling and irritable when they can’t gamble. Many gamblers develop a tolerance for gambling and need to increase the amount of money gambled or the risks in order to keep getting the same level of excitement.
Pathological Gamblers
The American Psychiatric Association defines pathological gambling, also known as compulsive gambling, as a mental disorder. Of all types of gambling problems, this is the only one that is formally recognized as an addiction and for which psychological treatment is recommended. Pathological gamblers make gambling part of their planned everyday lives, using the game to try and generate income to pay for basic expenses. Other compulsive gamblers “chase” the win, gambling again to try and recoup the money they lost the day before. According to the Stop Gambling Now website, this is one of the most typical signs of pathological gamblers.
Compulsive gamblers are often under great stress because they gamble their living money, so they need to constantly gamble to try and gain it back. This causes friction with family members and friends and sometimes causes the gamblers to end up alone. It’s not uncommon for compulsive gamblers to consider casino staff as “true friends.”
Action Gamblers
According to the Stop Gambling Now website, action gamblers get an unusually high rush of adrenaline when gambling. This feeling of excitement is what pushes them to keep gambling and what keeps them gambling. Action gamblers are more likely to gamble when they’re feeling happy, rather than depressed or anxious. The Treatment For Addiction website points out that action gamblers tend to gamble in group games, such as cards or roulette, because they like the idea of having an audience that can see them win.
Escape Gamblers
Escape gamblers are more likely to be women than any other type of gamblers. They use gambling as a way of escaping reality, especially if depression or pain are a problem. According to Stop Gambling Now, the act of gambling is numbing and provides a way to ignore or escape from reality. Escape gamblers do it alone, choosing slot machines or other types of gambling where they can isolate themselves from other players. Many escape gamblers were abused in the past and are using gambling to ignore their pain.
