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Last of two
parts
HOW do you
know if and when a loved one has moved from recreational to problem
gambling?
The experts
give us a list of danger signals that are indicators of problem
gambling. Here are a few.
An obvious
sign is when one increases the frequency and the amount of money
gambled. The problem gambler spends an excessive amount of time
gambling at the expense of job and family time. This is reflective
of his preoccupation with obtaining money with which to gamble. The
gambling addict is more interested in the action, the gambling
rituals than he is in getting rich. He sees money as the means that
allow him to get his highs by participating in the process. This is
why, when the gambling addict wins, he does not invest his winnings
in savings accounts. On the contrary, he will get into other
high-risk adrenaline producing activities, and in a short while, he
will be back to the casino to soak up the gambling rituals once
again. This is the intense pleasure, an aroused sense of being “in
action” that gambling rituals create.
You know a man
(woman) is a problem gambler when he goes on gambling despite
negative consequences such as large losses, or work or family
problems caused by his insatiable appetite to gamble.
Another sure
sign is seen when he borrows money to gamble. He may take out loans
without informing the family that is shocked to wake up one day to
find that he is saddled with huge debts.
When the
gambler boasts about his wins, but does not talk about his losses,
that is a red flag that indicates a serious problem. He may also
experience frequent mood swings, higher when winning, lower when
losing.
If he tells
himself that he will gamble only a short while and wager only a
certain amount of money and ends up doing neither that too is a sign
of loss of control and a serious gambling problem.
Another sign
is when the gambler exhibits secretive behavior such as hiding his
betting slips or receipts and concealing the extent of his gambling
activities.
Countless
people gamble, but it becomes a problem, an addiction only when it
disrupts his life and the lives of those around him.
When tracing
the development of pathological gambling, similarities to the
development of substance abuse are apparent.
If not
detected and treated early, compulsive gambling might lead to big
family and financial problems, and perhaps even legal problems.
Compulsive gambling is a chronic condition and is not easy to treat.
Left untreated, however, the gambling addict’s problems and those
of his loved ones only multiply.
If you have
problems about drugs, alcohol and behavior/attitude call my office
at 820-6107 or 825-1771 or e-mail me at gvcbuenca@vasia.com or write
me at P.O. Box 2099 MCPO, Makati City.
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