Early Warning Signs of Gambling Addiction

Gambling addiction is a serious issue that affects millions of people worldwide. According to the National Council on Problem Gambling, approximately 2 million U.S. adults meet the criteria for severe gambling problems in any given year.

In today's post I'll cover early warning signs of gambling addiction.

Stuck In The Mind

Constantly thinking about past gambling experiences, planning the next gambling venture, or finding wasys to get money to gamble. Sounds familiar? It might be a time to evaluate your situation again and consider getting help before it gets harder.

While I was still gambling I was always thinking of where to get more money for the next fambling venture and what could I do to get to play as soon as possible. Even the tiniest bet would do, but I wanted to have something going on, all the time.

Increasing Amount of Money Needed

You decide to use small bet and use a certain amount of money at total. Time goes by and bets increase. You run out of money, and decide to revamp your bet saldo - just to be sure to win this time, you might deposit more than at the first time.

For me and many other this is very common, sadly. While I was playing at local casinos, I went from the casino to ATM several times to get more and more cash to extend my stay at the casino and trying to win losses. On the online casino it meant making new deposits after another.

Failed Attempts to Control Gambling

Trying to add daily, weekly or monthly losing limits, maybe even adding bans to some casinos to restrict or stop gambling. That is a nice idea, and fortunately works for some, but if man wants to gamble, man shall gamble - sad but true. There is always a new casino, new slot, bet or lottery waiting for you. If you try to handle your gambling and fail constantly. You have got bad cards mate.

From my past I can tell that I asked bans for several casinos, bans for fast loan companies, but always I found a way to continue - and for me it didn't matter was it online or is it a bet or lottery or scatchcard. These restrictions and stopping to gamble attempts, worked for a while, or as long as I got more money and mental state of not giving a fuck.

Nowadays there are ways to request bank transfer bans for online casinos, request bans for hundreds of casinos at the same time and then there are apps to install to phone and pc which will block gambling on those devices. One of the popular ones is Gamban.

Chasing Losses

Trying to win back money that has been lost by gambling. This might cause using more and more money, bigger bets and playing multiple games at the same time.

This is more venomous trait than you might think. When you have lost significant amounts of money and maybe already be in debt because of it, you might not see any other way to get clear from that situation. One starts desperately try to win losses back as that would seem only way to do so.

There will be small to medium, maybe even big wins time to times - that's the shit keeping us hooked. But as one who has gambling addiction it's just another rat race you won't win.

Best time to stop gambling was yesterday, second best is right now.

Lying About Gambling

Are you more winning or losing? - must be more in the winnings, I have had so big wins in the past! - said someone seeking for help with gambling problem while being in huge debt.

Belittleling to others how often and how much one gambles is extremely common, everyone does that. Wins are skill and losses just bad luck = lying to yourself AND others.

I need to borrow money for food and bills, but not for gambling! Well, you dear, if you lost your money for gambling and then need to borrow for food and bills, you could just have borrowed that very money to gambling.

Gambler lies about gambling to others, but also to himself.

Jeopardizing Relationships and Opportunities

Taking risks to lose a job, relationships and other opportunities in life. Going too late to work because of gambling caused time blindness. Ghosting, or cancelling appointments in life because of gambling, you need more time to gamble or don't have many to keep already agreed plans. All this, and more, can happen when you are developing a gambling addiction.

Not sleeping enough was one of the things I did, neglecting my spouse, cancelling plans at last minute - you name it, I did it. Gambler becomes very selfish when the addiction developes.

Borrowing Money

Borrowing money to fund gambling is as well common action to take when gambling addiction is taking control of us.

As in this post previously stated, for gambler it's easy to reason themselves and others that the money to be borrowed has nothing to do with gambling, since the money goes to groceries and bills - while the truth being the need for borrowing was developed because of losses in gambling. At some point borrowing money might as well start to go directly to gambling - that's one way it usually evolves.

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This is it this time, a small but very usual collection of common warning signs of gambling addiction. If even one of these sounds familiar to you - I STRONGLY suggest you to talk with a friend, therapist, anyone about what you are feeling and thinking about your relation to money and gambling.