casino gambling, sports
betting, lottery and bingo
playing for the fun and
excitement it provides,
others may experience
gambling as an addictive
and distractive habit.
Statistics show that while
85 percent of the adult
population in the US
enjoys some type of
gambling every year,
between 2 and 3 percent
of will develop a gambling
problem and 1 percent of
them are diagnosed as
pathological gamblers.
Where can you draw the
line between harmless
gambling to problem
gambling? How can you
tell if 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 as an
uncontrollable urge to
gamble despite the
destructive effect 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 can be defined as
pathological gambling.
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 continue
gamble?
4) Did your gambling habit
ever made you lie to your
friends or family?
5) Did you ever skip work
or other obligation to
gamble?
6) Do you tend to gamble
to forget about your
personal problems or to
celebrate happy occasions?
7) Does gambling have a
negative affect on your
daily life or relationships? <
If you have answered yes
on at least one of the
questions listed above,
then you have a problem.
Can Anyone Become a
Compulsive Gambler?
Theoretically, yes. Any
gambler can develop
gambling problem
regardless to the type of
gambling he is occupied
with, the amount of money
and time he is spending on
gambling. Researches show
that slot machines that can
be found in bars and
convenient stores are the
most addictive type of
gambling activity, while
lottery draws and bingo
games are located on the
other end of the scale.
Gambling addiction is an
emotional problem; its
symptoms, causes and
treatments are similar to
any other form of
addiction.
How Can I treat Gambling
Addiction?
1) Group Therapy:
Gamblers Anonymous
offers a 12 step self help
program similar to 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 different phases of their
recovery process. Gambler
Anonymous centers are
available in more than
1,200 locations statewide.
2) Individual Therapy:
Cognitive or behavior
therapy can help gambling
addicts to identify their
unaware thinking and
acting patterns, which led
them to gamble
compulsively, and to
replace 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 can be affective
in treatment of gambling
addicts.
masih 0 komentar untuk Addiction: WhenGambling Becomes aProblem
Post a Comment