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Gambling Addiction: What is it?
Gambling addiction is not a bad habit. It is an emotional illness recognized as such by the American Psychiatric Association.
Gambling addiction is sometimes known as compulsive gambling or pathological gambling.
Anyone who gambles compulsively will find they are chronically and progressively unable to resist their impulses to gamble. This is true despite the fact that gambling damages their personal, family, marital, or vocational life.
Gambling is as addictive for some people as alcohol or cocaine is for others. In fact, there are many similarities to chemical addiction, and the experience of addiction is often described much like cocaine addiction.
No addiction is easier to hide than compulsive gambling and often can be hidden and denied even to those closest to the gambler.
Many believe they cannot be a compulsive gambler because they are too young, too old, or too successful; or because they are professional, female, or religious; or because they only play bingo or buy lottery tickets.
Action and/or escape is what compulsive gambling is about. For some gambling is like a stimulant, for others it’s more like a tranquilizer that helps them escape from uncomfortable realities. Gambling is mood altering for the addicted person.
Many addicted gamblers do illegal acts, such as write bad checks, or steal from their employer, in order to have money for gambling. They usually do not see this as a criminal act, because they fully intend to pay it all back, but any winnings are normally lost in continued gambling.
It is important to secure all family assets as soon as the problem is discovered.
The rate of suicide attempts among compulsive gamblers is six times the national average, the highest among all those with mental illness.
Gambling addiction responds to treatment. It is important for the gambler to enter treatment as soon ass possible, before more damage is done.