Anil Wilkes 
Gambling addiction affects people of all ages and backgrounds, from minimum-wage employees and college students to CEOs.
Recognizing the signs of gambling addiction is key to recovery. A mental health professional can assist in assessing your problem and finding suitable treatment options.
Signs of a Problem
Gambling addiction, also known as the “silent killer,” can often be hard for friends and family members to recognize when taking place online. Online gambling takes many forms – slot machines and cards, raffle tickets, bets between friends or participating in video gaming online are just a few examples – yet its consequences may remain hidden from view.
Gambling addiction may cause someone to become preoccupied with gambling, spending too much time thinking and remembering past experiences. They will likely lose interest in hobbies they once enjoyed as well as spending less time with friends and family.
Gambling addicts frequently require money for their habit and may borrow or steal to fund it, hiding bank or credit card statements and lying to family and friends about them. Such behaviors can cause great emotional distress while damaging relationships; sooner a problem is recognized, the sooner treatment can start and severe consequences can be avoided.
Loss of Control
Individuals diagnosed with this disorder exhibit an obsessive preoccupation with gambling that interferes with daily responsibilities and relationships. Attempts are made to cut back or stop gambling but prove unsuccessful; lies may be told in order to conceal its extent, jeopardizing friendships and financial stability; they may even turn to illegal activities to fund their addiction.
These behaviors can have severe repercussions, including financial strain and debt, work-related difficulties, emotional distress and a decrease in overall health. Individuals engaging in gambling may even resort to theft or selling possessions to fund their habit.
Environmental and genetic influences can play a part in online gambling addiction, along with personality traits like impulsivity and low conscientiousness, which increase risk. Psychotherapy has proven an effective form of treatment, as can counseling to assist individuals overcome negative thought patterns and behaviors that impede progress; including psychodynamic therapy which examines unconscious processes which influence behavior.
Self-Destructive Behaviors
People addicted to online gambling often exhibit self-destructive behaviors. These may include deceiving loved ones about their gambling activities, stealing or borrowing money to support the habit and neglecting responsibilities in favor of their hobby.
Compulsive gamblers often end up financially devastated due to financial losses and mounting debt incurred as a result of their gambling addiction or any associated mental health conditions, in addition to neglecting other responsibilities such as work or school as they focus on gambling addiction.
Additionally, individuals with online gambling addictions may use gambling as a coping mechanism to manage emotional distress or depression. Unfortunately, they may turn to self-destructive behaviors such as self harming. To stay away from self-destructive actions when possible if you’re dealing with online gambling addiction: avoid places you used to gamble at or TV shows that encourage gambling; instead practice a healthy lifestyle by getting enough sleep and eating healthily.
Losing Control Over Money
Gambling addiction is often overlooked and unnoticed by those experiencing it; yet its consequences can have grave repercussions for immediate family and friends of those involved.
An indicator of gambling addiction is being unable to control money and spending freely. Gamblers with compulsive tendencies often exhaust their savings quickly and end up turning to family, friends and strangers for financial support in order to continue gambling – they may even engage in illegal activities like embezzlement, shoplifting, forgery and robbery to fund their addiction.
Gambling addiction often coincides with mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, increasing its likelihood among those at higher risk for this behavior. Neuroticism, low conscientiousness levels, and low agreeableness levels may increase this likelihood, too. Knowing the signs of online gambling addiction early can help ensure you receive help before the situation worsens; such behaviors as lying to hide activity, clearing internet browsing history containing gambling websites, or hiding bank or credit card statements are red flags of problem gambling that should not be ignored.
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