Are you A Gambling Addict?

Signs you are gambling addict






Gambling, like alcoholism and drug addictions is an addiction too. It is classified as an impulsive-control disorder.

People, who are addicted to gambling, cannot control themselves, even knowing the negative impacts that it makes on their professional and personal lives.

Gambling addicts are constantly preoccupied or another words, obsessed with excessive spending money and the time spent on gambling; they chase their losses even though negative consequences. Gambling affects the person’s personality, creating behavioral problems with family, friends, co-workers and employers.

Gambling addiction is also known has the “hidden illness” because there are no apparent noticeable physical symptoms, as in drug and alcohol addictions. Gamblers can hide their addiction rather well and for an extended time without anyone noticing that they have a problem.

If you or someone you know has these symptom:

• Feeling the necessity to conceal the habit; lying to friends, family, co-workers.

• Having trouble to control the urge to gamble- can you just walk away once you start gambling or do have to stay until the last dollar is spent?

• Gambling even if there is no money to gamble with-borrowing money, stealing money and in order to pay the borrowed money back you need to gamble.

• Friends and family begin to question and worry about you-denial sets in and allows the gambling to continue.

Secretive of finances, income has remained un-changed; however, there is a considerably less amount of the savings and other assets.



Some would argue that gambling is not an addiction; however, anything can become over obsessed with and therefore, qualifying it has an addiction or a disorder. Gamblers may go through withdrawl symptoms if forced to stop “cold turkey.” There is no physical form, as from drugs and alcohol. Rather, they may experience agitation and irritability as they begin to gamble less or quitting altogether. Just as in any addiction, the first step to controlling it is admitting you have a problem. Recovering from this addiction is best to be completed in the accompaniment of friends and family who will help you get back on track. Joining support groups and receiving help from gamblers anonymous programs. With these things, will bring positive outcomes; however, it will not be done overnight, it takes time, “one day at a time.”



Gambling like so many other addictions can ruin someone’s life and cause marital problems, work problems. Once acknowledged and with the wanting to be in control with your life and finances again, there is treatment out there.