Gambling addiction, or compulsive gambling, is the persistent urge to gamble regardless of the consequences. People with the compulsion to gamble continue to do so even after suffering dire consequences in their personal and professional lives. Finances also become strained or nonexistent to the point that bills and loans from family and friends go unpaid. Gambling addiction occurs in four stages, or phases.
Winning Phase
Gambling addiction begins with the winning phase. Most compulsive gamblers begin as recreational gamblers, only playing occasionally and within their means. A big win typically sets the ball rolling toward the gambling addiction when the high of winning is experienced for the first time. Compulsive gamblers in the winning phase may brag about their wins while minimizing or completely ignoring their losses. They have a great amount of optimism about future wins during this phase. Betting becomes more frequent with higher bets being placed. According to information on gambling addiction from the Employee Assistance website, the winning phase may last a few months or several years.
Losing Phase
The losing phase begins the downward spiral as most compulsive gamblers begin to experience a losing streak at some point. During this time, the euphoria of the big win begins to wear off, but the person is unable to stop gambling. He begins to chase his losses in the hopes of recovering the money spent on gambling. He may begin to borrow money and lie to family and friends to cover where he's been or how much he has been spent. Spouses of compulsive gamblers are often kept in the dark about how much debt has been incurred during this phase, even though they may be aware of the gambling.
Desperation Phase
Compulsive gambling often progresses to the point that the person begins to withdraw from family and friends, which marks the beginning of the desperation phase. The gambler may begin to blame others for her financial or personal problems while at the same time suffering guilt over her gambling. During the desperation phase, she may begin to commit theft in order to pay bills or to fund her gambling. A gambling addict may turn to drug abuse or contemplate suicide during this phase.
Hopeless Phase
The hopeless phase is essentially the rock-bottom phase. At this point, any hope of winning back gambling losses is gone. In the fourth and final phase of gambling addiction, the person may feel like there is no way out of his addiction. He may be arrested for theft, or completely dependent on family or friends for financial support. If possible, most compulsive gamblers in the hopeless phase will continue to gamble. The suicide rate is high among people suffering from phase four compulsive gambling. According to the Casa Palmera Treatment Center website, about 20 percent of people in this phase will attempt or successfully commit suicide, while almost everyone in the hopeless phase contemplates it.
