7 signs of gambling addiction

Albeit the phenomenon of gambling addiction affects less than 1% of those that regularly engage in gambling, this issue is a serious one and has devastating consequences on the individuals that don’t seek help the moment the addiction becomes obvious. So here are the 7 signs that should warn people that they might suffer from a gambling disorder.

1. Extreme preoccupation

If you can’t take your mind from gambling and you’re constantly planning the next trip to a casino, this might be an early sign of addiction. Also, if you’re constantly dreaming at nights about gambling and reliving your most important successes or failures in gambling, it is safe to say that you are too preoccupied.

2. Escalation

This is the first sign being taken to the next level where the individual feels similar thrills to a person being ‘high’ on a drug. In time, in order to achieve this ‘high’ state, the individual requires larger and larger amounts of money to wager with in order to get to the desired effect.

3. Trying to stop

A gambler that has an addiction issue often times behaves like an alcoholic or a person that is addicted on other substances. This behavior includes several attempts to stop gambling and periods of irritability and angriness when the vice is not practiced.

4. Escape

Albeit an addict might say that gambling is a behavior in which he engages to seek pleasure, often times this behavior occurs as a result of a past trauma and the attempt to escape the pain produced by that trauma.
Therefore, if you often times find yourself gambling in order to avoid introspection into your own issues, this might be a sign of addiction.

5. Chasing

Gambling implies both gains and losses of money. However, if you find yourself gambling for the sole purpose of recovering past losses and feel capable on betting everything to recover a loss, this might be a sign of addiction and it’s called ‘chasing’.

6. Lying

A problem gambler often times ends up lying to the friends and family particularly about the amounts of money spent in a casino and about the time spent there.
Sometimes, with lying comes guilt feelings which lead to the reason #4 and the worsening of the overall situation of the gambler.

7. Alienation

In the end, gambling will become everything for the individual and eventually alienate the family, the friends, the career and everything the individual worked for prior to gambling. At this point, gambling addiction is not a ‘might’ but rather an undeniable fact.

If you experience two or more of these signs, it’s better to seek help before it’s too late.

It’s better to use the services of a great online bookmaker which has training staff in gambling addiction, self-exclusion or opt-out options. Click here to find out which is this online bookmaker!