The experience of gambling is for numerous people and enjoyable and stimulating pastime. However, the potential of earning money by placing bets simply increases this stimulation and results in many players not being able to cease playing and are forced to constantly return to playing. In this manner, this tremendously strong pull for enjoyment leads to the hazards of addicting possibilities. Hence, being able to keep control and not exaggerate is of vital importance.
The bottom line of addiction to gambling is a state when all positive results are completely taken over by negative results. A powerful need is created that dominates us inadvertently, and we are incapable of keeping on top of it or preventing it, and it leaves us completely powerless. The addiction causes us to repeatedly and involuntary give satisfaction to our impetuous gambling need in the same recurring manner.
Gambling addiction doesn't end with the recurrence of constantly having to play. As with all the other addictions such as with food, alcohol and others, serious results for the gambler and his or her surroundings encompass the addiction. The addiction could also lead to disturbances in the money and emotional fields. In addition feelings of angst, disturbances in relationships and employment negligence could ensue. And worse of all it could lead to losing friends, jobs, estranging family and in some cases suicide.
To begin treatment for the gambling addiction, the gambler must first confess that he indeed is addicted. In order to bring the gambler to an awareness of the problem and a readiness to admit addiction, a list of questions to be put to the gambler has been drawn up as follows:
- Have you ever left your place of employment for the purpose of gambling?
- Have you any kind of feeling that gambling has made changes to you, for example are you more impetuous?
- Have any persons surrounding you remarked in any way that you have become affected by gambling?
- Have you ever used needed money and spent it on gambling instead?
- Have you ever considered using gambling winnings to resolve any of your money difficulties?
- Has gambling ever led to suicidal considerations?
- Have you ever obtained gambling money by stealing or taking loans?
- Have you ever financed gambling by selling any of your things?
- Has the need for obtaining gambling money ever caused you to avoid purchasing something you needed?
- For the purpose of obtaining gambling money, have you participated in any non-lawful actions?
- Has your family's well-being been disturbed as a result of your gambling?
- After having gambled are you sorry in any way?
- Do you need to return to play to get back your money after having lost?
- Do frustrating feelings cause you to gamble?
You do indeed have a gambling problem if you have answered positively at least four of the above questions.
Supportive Assistance
You should aim at obtaining assistance if you have a gambling addiction problem. A number of different avenues for therapeutic and general assistance are open to you.
Sharing your gambling addiction problems with others is best done in support groups such as Gamblers Anonymous, here you are not alone. In a support group you work as a team in contending with and sharing your difficulties.
Another possible avenue of assistance is that provided by psychiatric help. This treatment concentrates on the person within the addicted player. In this treatment, the gambler's personal history is explored and taken into account.
Another avenue of assistance is through the church system which offers assorted schemes of rehabilitation. Their method is through leading people to discover believing in God's powers; this is for those who have abandoned their belief in themselves.
If you search on the Internet you can find an additional avenue of assistance. Forums and communities which are specialized for gambling addiction can be located. These sites and their links give you access to specialized subjects such as church supporting programs, women assisting other women, psychiatric assisting sites and individual country based sites.
How not to get addicted to Gambling
Generally it's not at simple to find a way in avoiding any addiction and particularly gambling addiction. The surrounding problems incurred by the addicted gambler range from the worst such as abandoning the family and run to alienating all friends; and in the main gamblers often find themselves without a penny in their pockets. Thus to fight and win the addiction the gambler needs find inner power, determination and be lucky. This is the reason why it's worthwhile not getting involved in addiction in the beginning and learn how to steer clear of and avert it. Naturally the most obvious course is to cease gambling completely. However, the truth is that for numerous people they don't see a point in stopping an activity which brings them so much amusement and awards.
1. If you bear in mind the following number of significant rules one can still continue to gamble:
2. Don't let frustration or motives of despair cause you to take up gambling.
3. Consider the enjoyment in gambling and prepare yourself to lose.
4. Always ensure that apart from gambling you have other sources of fun and enjoyment.
5. Pay heed to your ethical and moral set of laws.
The following list provides a number of tips for managing your money when gambling and perhaps assist keeping away from gambling:
- Always keep some of your money at home prior to entering a gambling round. Provide yourself with a day-by-day budget for gambling each day. Before beginning split up your bankroll into the amount of gambling days you'll be playing. Now take your bankroll for the specific day and divide it up into the number of daily playing sessions. You now have provided yourself with a sum for each individual session. Remember to keep the money designated for the morrow strictly to the day.
- Of each bankroll session aim at winning between fifty to one hundred percent. Now put away half of your prize money together with your starting out money. Continue to play with remaining money and any further winnings keep putting aside.
- Bet by using the winning progressive system, namely, put aside a decided percentage increment on each bet that wins and adhere to this sum. For instance, if you increase your betting wins by fifty percent following the second time you win a bet. Thus from five dollars to five dollars to seven to ten to fifteen to twenty two dollars, etc. If you are losing continue to place a flat bet, namely, the least you're allowed to bet.
- Note that the casino aims at creating a fairyland alluring environment. In this manner they endeavor to lower the value of actual money by instead of betting with cash you have to use betting chips. Even the chips have illusive names, such as a nickeland a quarter for five and twenty five dollars respectively. It is recommended to overcome these deceptions by using real cash and in this manner you'll always be aware of the value of your betting money.
- However, if you actually decide to change your cash for chips try and keep in mind what this exchange might be doing for you. The best way to keep in mind the real value of the chips is to consider them as money you worked hard for in order to save for retirement or pay for a mortgage, or pay for your children's university fees and such like.
- If you find yourself losing then don't raise your bet. The plan to double up and in this way make up for losses is nothing but suicidal.
- There's no doubt about the fact that being disciplined is a key means to succeed in gambling and regarding managing money is the most significant factor. By keeping goals for wins and restrictions for losses you are using discipline. For instance, if you find your losing fifty percent of your session's budget and you have reached your limits in losing, then fold; and if you obtain your goal winnings by doubling the cash then pull out too.
- Don't get into the business of using much needed money for the purpose of gambling. What more should be spoken?
- Attempting to carry on gambling by using credit cards is simply an expression of pure despair. The best way of avoiding using credit cards to draw fast money is to keep your assorted credit and bank teller cards stuck firmly in your drawer at home.
Gambling online and getting addicted
It doesn't matter who you are or where you are located, Internet has created a revolution in the world of gambling in that online gambling is accessible to virtually everyone. The personal computer makes available online casino games to anyone from the home. By simply logging on to your preferred online site at any time of the day or night you can play without having to travel to Las Vegas to gamble. The ease which this is performed causes the problems and hazards of gambling addiction to pervade many more homes and reach numerous numbers of people.
The following additional Internet factors adding to the problems of Addiction:
The Anonymity Factor: In contrast to land-based gambling you enjoy total privacy when playing online. Without even being aware of one's environment, you can play online and become addicted to gambling. The anonymous surroundings of the Internet destroys ancient prohibitions and customs leading to the phenomenon that people who would never normally gamble in real life can enter the fantasy world of Internet and make all secret wishes come true.
The Escape Factor: If you wish to escape the harshness of reality then the ideal medium is the online universe. Entering a fantasy world of magic, enjoyment and stimulation you surf away and cast aside all your daily worries.
The Virtual Factor: The real and imaginable world merges into one another when entering this midway line in the virtual world. When you gamble on an online casino it takes on the appearance of some kind of a video amusement, and hard cash is only a reflection of a money image, and it's of minor importance if you lose these images.
The Lawless Environment Factor : To-date the world of Internet gambling is still without regulations. Online casinos are not committed to any form of policy concerning addiction because they are still under no supervision of any seriously authenticated body.
