For most people gambling is a form of entertainment that they enjoy from time to time. Other people take their gambling a step further and actually become addicted to it. The addiction to gambling occurs when gambling actually begins to interfere in the life of the addict. There are some common symptoms of a gambling addiction to look for that will help an addict get help or help those around the addict to seek help.
Preoccupation
One of the first signs of a gambling addiction is a preoccupation with gambling. The individual may focus on when he gets to go, or he may become preoccupied with failures or wins that he has experienced in the past. The bottom line is that the individual is always looking for ways to get money to gamble.
Escalation
A gambling addiction may start out small, but over time the need to gamble will escalate. The individual may spend more time gambling to get the same high, or she may actually begin to wager more money when she is gambling. Over time, she will need to gamble larger and larger amounts of money to achieve the same experience. In the end, a gambler will spend every dollar she has and any dollar she can find to live out the gambling experience.
Attempts to Stop
Once gambling has escalated, many people will realize they have a problem because they are either aware enough to admit it or the people in their lives approach them about it. When this realization occurs, the addict will attempt to stop gambling. When an addict tries to stop, he may become irritable, angry and restless. In many cases, the attempt to stop gambling is unsuccessful.
Gambling as an Escape
Many addicts do not actually gamble because they enjoy it. It starts out enjoyable, but over time the gambling becomes an escape from the emotions that they may be dealing with. The gambling addict uses the gambling to forget the pain that she is feeling. The excitement of gambling will numb the pain for a while; it becomes a vicious cycle, because as soon as the addict is done gambling, she is in pain again.
Fixation on Winning
Gambling addicts generally end up losing money, sometimes large sums. The result is that over time they will become fixated with the idea of winning the money back. They'll continue to chase the big win, but in the process they will likely continue to lose.
Lying
This is a common symptom of a gambling addiction. The addict will lie to friends and family about the time and money that is spent. The guilt of lying often leads to more gambling.
Alienation
A clear symptom of a gambling addiction is when the addict alienates friends and family members to continue to gamble. Many addicts throw away family, friendships, school and even work to continue to gamble.
