Do You Have a Gambling Problem? How to Spot the Signs.

There are a lot of signs that can tell you if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, or if someone is at risk of developing one. In my own experiences I have conclude that anyone who gambles on a semi-regular basis is at risk of developing a problem, and anyone who gambles on a near daily basis may not be a compulsive gambler but is an addict non-the less.

I sometimes wonder whether there is a useful distinction between the terms “gambling addict” and “compulsive gambler”. My thoughts on this are as follows:

Gambling Addict – Someone who thinks, watches or partakes in gambling on a near daily basis. This has been me at many points in my life. The only distinction o can make here is that I knew my limits and was able to stick to them more easily. But for a gambling addict, gambling is basically a part of everyday life.

Compulsive Gambler – A gambling addict as described above, only lacking any self-control and rational thought when it comes to gambling. As a compulsive gambler you are liable to spending your entire pay check on gambling, taking out loans and credit cards and getting into debt to feed your addiction and allowing it to take over every aspect of your life.

Anyone who is addicted to gambling, whether responsibly or not, is at a heightened risk of developing a compulsive gambling problem and this is where a lot of problems can start to surface. Looking back at myself over the last 7-8 years, I think I was always an addict from pretty much the start of my gambling. However, it was only about 12 months ago that the gambling got out of control and what I would consider to be “compulsive”.

All that being said, here is a list of potential signs that you or someone you know may have a problem:

·         Being pre-occupied or obsessed over gambling – this could include having gambling on your mind a large proportion of the time or watching a lot of gambling related content or videos online

·         Gambling with larger sums of money than you can afford – risking an amount of money that you know you cannot afford, or worse gambling all your disposable income and even money you need to pay bills, get to work or buy food with.

·         Chasing losses – this feeds in to gambling with larger sums than you can afford. Chances are if you’re chasing your losses, then you couldn’t afford to lose that money in the first place. Alternatively, you may be gambling to win rather than for entertainment. This can only ever lead to problems.

·         Becoming withdrawn from work/family/friends to gamble -  This is one that I found was really affecting me. I was spending a lot of time on my own or wanting to be alone so I could gamble. My performance at work was suffering as my thoughts were constantly focused on when I could gamble next or how I was going to get money for gambling or to live off as a result of having lost.

·         Getting into gambling debt – by the time someone gets to this stage, it should already be clear that things are going wrong.

·         Lying about your gambling – when you lose money gambling the last thing you generally want to do is tell other people. In most cases this is probably because you know you have lost more than you should have and you don’t want other people to be aware that you don’t have full control of your gambling. This could also be lying about where you are and what you’re doing when you are gambling somewhere like a casino.

·         Stealing or committing fraud to gamble – this is pretty self-explanatory. Turning to crime is a clear sign that something is very wrong.

These are common and easy to spot signs. I would think that most people who have a gambling problem know it without having to see the symptoms written down, but others may not be so aware.

Once you go from “addict” to “compulsive” it can become very dangerous to your wellbeing. If you think that you might be addicted without having gone fully compulsive yet, maybe take a step back and have a break. Talk to someone and make them aware you feel you are at risk and think about getting yourself some help. I wish I had done this myself. I could have saved myself an awful lot of stress and a shit ton of money!

Two weeks today since my last gamble! Been quite some time since I’ve abstained for as long as that and it feels fucking excellent!