Pathological gambling can be seen as compulsive behaviour, and is characterised by an uncontrollable desire to keep gambling, no matter what the consequences are. When you are unable to stop despite the very negative penalties your behaviour has caused in various areas of your life you have a problem, but you can be sure it is solvable, and there is help available for you to make use of.
The effects on the brain of gambling are very similar to the ones drugs and alcohol have, as gambling stimulates what is known as the reward system. In the same way that the latter can wreak havoc on an individual, pathological gambling habits can ruin a person’s life, and unless steps are taken in order to start fixing the problem, disaster can result. The biggest problem pathological gamblers face is often the overriding sense of shame that they must deal with, as it can be very difficult to admit you have a problem and have caused damage in not only your own life, but that of your friends and family too, as is so often the case. The first step, this admission, is often the hardest, and this is why it is commonly seen as the most difficult part of the process.
The Signs of Pathological Gambling
There are a number of warning signs for pathological gambling, listed below, and if you show any of these you should consider getting help and taking appropriate action before it is too late. You know you have a problem if you
- Chase your bets, or keep gambling even after you have lost significant amounts of money in order to offset these losses
- Begin lying to hide your gambling
- Are accumulating debt and depleting your savings as a result of gambling
- Are committing, or even contemplating committing, fraud or theft in order to keep gambling
Find the help you need today if you notice any of these signs within yourself or a friend or family member, and know that, although the process is not an easy one, it is possible to get better.
Finding the Help You Need
In the same way that compulsive behavior regarding the use of drugs and alcohol can very negatively impact your life, pathological gambling can result in very serious consequences very quickly. The treatment for pathological real money blackjack Australia gambling has a very good success rate, however, and simply discovering that you are not as alone as you feared can go a long way towards helping you start solving the problem. A combination of therapy, self hope options in the style of Gamblers Anonymous, and financial counselling and debt review will help you find your way when you decide to start tackling the problem, and you will soon be reaping the rewards of your responsible attitude in the form of an increase in self-esteem and the ability to start treating the cause of the problems, pathological gambling, rather than just the symptoms, like borrowing money and having to be dishonest about the time you spend gambling.