Some people enjoy casino gambling, sports betting, lottery and bingo playing for the fun and excitement it provides, others may experience gambling being an addictive and distractive habit. Statistics reveal that while 85 percent of the adult population in the US enjoys some sort of gambling each year, between 2 and 3 percent of will produce a gambling problem and 1 percent of them are diagnosed as pathological gamblers.
Where could you draw the line between harmless gambling to problem gambling? How could you tell in the event that you or your friend are compulsive gamblers? Here you can find answers to these questions and other questions regarding problem gambling and gambling addiction.
What is the Meaning of Problem Gambling?
Problem gambling or compulsive gambling is defined being an uncontrollable urge to gamble inspite of the destructive aftereffect of gambling on the gamblers life and despite feelings of guilt and remorse. Problem gambling tends to have a negative effect on the gamblers financial state, relationships and daily life. Severe cases of problem gambling could be defined as pathological gambling.lto bet
Am I a Compulsive Gambler?
1) Do you gamble until your last penny runs out?
2) Do you gamble to win back your former losses or debts?
3) Did you ever had to borrow money to keep gamble?
4) Did your gambling habit available you lie to friends and family or family?
5) Did you ever skip work or other obligation to gamble?
6) Do you have a tendency to gamble to forget about your individual problems or even to celebrate happy occasions?
7) Does gambling have a negative affect on your own daily life or relationships?
When you have answered yes on a minumum of one of the questions in the above list, you then have a problem.
Can Anyone Develop into a Compulsive Gambler?
Theoretically, yes. Any gambler can develop gambling problem regardless to the sort of gambling he is occupied with, the amount of money and time he is spending on gambling. Researches reveal that slot machines that can be found in bars and convenient stores are probably the most addictive form of gambling activity, while lottery draws and bingo games are situated on the other end of the scale. Gambling addiction is a mental problem; its symptoms, causes and treatments are similar to any kind of addiction.
How Can I treat Gambling Addiction?
1) Group Therapy:
Gamblers Anonymous offers a 12 step self help program like the one offered to alcohol addicts in Alcoholics Anonymous. Group therapy also offers gambling addicts advice and support from professional counselors and other gambling addicts in numerous phases of their recovery process. Gambler Anonymous centers can be purchased in a lot more than 1,200 locations statewide.
2) Individual Therapy:
Cognitive or behavior therapy might help gambling addicts to spot their unaware thinking and acting patterns, which led them to gamble compulsively, and to restore them with controllable and healthier ways of thinking.
3) Psychiatric Medication:
It has recently been proven that antidepressant medications from the family of SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors could be affective in treatment of gambling addicts.