List Few Facts About Gambling Addiction
Gambling is a way of taking more than what is known as a gamble. In general terms, gambling can be defined as any act or behavior in which individuals engage to find or create monetary gain, most often with the offer of a profit or comfort. Although the reasons for gambling is mostly related to the psychological attraction, it can be caused by natural causes as well.
In Africa, gambling is regarded as an integral part of social life. People in the western and Indian regions usually prefer more regulated forms of gambling, and more dependent on the development of new games or innovative ways of spending money. Yet, a lot of people tend to make informal ways of gambling, even though they usually have the intention to spend money. These activities can include sports betting, betting with fruits and animals, competition gambling and many more.
Here are Facts About Gambling Addiction
Gambling Addicts Lose The Big Amount Of Money
Gambling can often be a difficult addiction to fight, yet a successful one to avoid. Why? Because when the amount of money involved is quite large, often, the individual cannot bear the consequences. Here are a few examples of how much someone could lose:
- Each year, the amount of money a man can spend gambling is between $700,000 and $1,000,000, depending on his physical and mental condition.
- An individual who gambles at his peak can usually lose from $700,000 to $1,000,000 in a year. However, when the time comes to stop gambling, the individual can feel the financial damage and the shame.
- According to a medical study, the average spending of a poker player is more than $2,000 per day.
- Although the amount of money can range from hundreds of thousands to hundreds of millions, it does not necessarily determine the level of addiction. Some people who are addicts may not reach the sum of money, yet may still remain with a negative attitude about money.
Gambling Addiction leads a Society Towards Negativity and Flaws
Perhaps, the worst thing about gambling is the tendency of a society to turn to it. Without care, the negative attitude will affect the individual’s other family and relationships. No one can deny that this lifestyle has never been considered positive. In the long term, the same effect can be seen in the individual’s addiction.
Gambling impact the society in negativity. According to psychological study, every year, the amount of money won by gamblers around the world would amount to around $60 billion. Yet, as a result of gambling, these individuals will lose their love and human relations and it will negatively impact other businesses too.
Gambling Addiction And Mental Illness
The negative attitude with which a society holds gambling can be a trigger for mental illness. This happens due to an increase in tolerance of gambling. As a result of this increase, the human will lose its true identity and the capacity to deal with the problem and decide how to tackle it. Gambling addicts can also suffer from other problems, including various mental illnesses such as gambling disorder, gambling addiction and compulsive gambling.
Gambling Addiction Causes Heart Disease
According to research, every time an individual spends money to gamble, the same person could have to spend around $1000 a year on healthcare expenses. This includes:
- Contact with other gamblers and the onset of stress related diseases like migraine, irritable bowel syndrome and cardiovascular diseases.
- Broken bones due to risky behavior like playing hide-and-seek with a dart.
Gambling Addiction Causes Disillusionment
When the reality of gambling is revealed, the individual is disillusioned and discouraged and often finds himself in more difficulties. Gambling takes a lot of money, yet the purpose for it is unattainable. Because of this, an individual who gambles might be able to take away the money, but he will not be able to get back his real self. Gambling addiction might affect his family, his relationships, his career and more.
Gambling Addiction Affects a Family’s Stability
Gambling addiction can take away a family’s support and stability. This is due to the fact that, most of the time, the individual who gambles will have to escape his loved ones. Family members may get angered with the individual and may distance themselves from him due to the failure of dealing with gambling. In time, this behavior may affect the whole family.
Gambling Addiction Can Lead to Spending and Debt
The vast majority of people who gamble do not have money to pay for the taxes or for their living expenses. So, they have to resort to other means to be able to meet their basic needs. Gambling gives them a certain level of confidence to do such things. Many individuals need to buy goods and services because of the pressures of living. But, at the end of the day, they have to keep going for more. The lust and addiction leads them towards bad finances.
Gambling Addiction Can Cause Hardship
Gambling is a highly addictive activity. This is why an individual who plays a certain kind of game can fall into this addiction easily. Many people are addicted to gambling. This is due to the fact that a player needs to continue playing the same game to achieve that ‘high’ he gets after every hit. However, at the end of the day, the player feels empty and no matter how much he plays, he will not be able to experience that satisfaction and the will need to keep going for more.
Gambling Addiction Causes Health Concerns
There are some forms of diseases that gambling addiction can cause, including:
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Skin disorders
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Coronary artery disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Hypertension
- Obesity
Gambling Addiction Causes Loss Of Independence
One of the things that a gambling addict needs to understand is that his or her priorities have to be re-examined in life. A person can see that one or more of his or her values are being affected by his or her addictions.
A person who gambles for a living is seen as a loser. The gambler can find himself isolated and distant from his family and friends. It is important for the individual to gain his independence back.
Gambling Addiction Can Lead to Suicidal Thoughts
A gambler might not have this attitude of a person who has not been involved with gambling. If someone is deeply involved with gambling, then he or she might not care about his or her life anymore. But this is not the case with the vast majority of the gambler who do not take their gambling very seriously.
A person who is suicidal can have the urge to commit suicide because he or she feels that life has been taking away the value of their lives. The gambler sees the “soul” in gambling that is why he or she is helpless when faced with the overwhelming pressure of gambling. However, this is not the case with the vast majority of the gambler who has never even thought about taking his or her life.
Gambling Addiction Can Lead to Poor Finances
Even if a person knows that he or she is addicted to gambling, this does not stop him or her from playing a certain type of game. He or she might have to continue gambling just to stay on top of the game. The only thing that the gambler needs to be mindful of is that, he or she cannot lose. If he or she does lose, the life of the person might be affected forever.
Although gambling addiction can cause a lot of harm to an individual’s life, there is a way out. Instead of feeling sad and depressed, it is important to gain your independence back. Gambling should not define your life. As hard as it may be, go to a therapist and seek help.
Gambling Addiction Can Leave An Unrecognizable Legacy
With the vast majority of the people who are involved in gambling, there is a strong tendency of them to commit suicide. Many of these gamblers lose their financial assets as well. A lot of players are seeing their businesses fail because of the amount of debt that they take on due to gambling.
The business will eventually fail due to the complete loss of profit, which is caused by the gambler and is a consequence of gambling addiction. The last thing that the gambler wants is to create a bad example for his or her family.
Gambling Addiction Is A Symptom Of A Mental Disorder
If you are a gambler who is addicted to gambling, you might have a mental disorder. Although there is no cure for a mental disorder, it is important for you to talk to a therapist. The therapist can refer you to a psychiatrist for help. As a matter of fact, some of the people who have been prescribed anti-psychotics by the psychiatrist do not have any mental disorder at all. If you have a gambling addiction, there is hope for you.
There are various options that you can choose from such as accepting help or working with a therapist. If you have a gambling addiction, there is a need to get treated for this condition immediately. If you are going to use your wife’s inheritance to get treatment, you might end up destroying a family. You are also putting your future in the hands of someone that you do not even trust, which is not wise at all. With the help of a therapist, you can gain back control over your life and once again become an independent person.
Gamblers Have A Higher Risk Of Cancer
The effects of gambling addiction might also leave you vulnerable to cancer. There is a strong link between gambling addiction and several types of cancer. As a matter of fact, a research study showed that high-risk gamblers are five times more likely to develop pancreatic cancer. The researchers also noted that people who lost at least $20,000 were two times more likely to have developed cancer.
Gambling addiction is also one of the causes for liver cancer. According to a study, researchers observed that people who frequently used to gamble also had increased risk of liver cancer. The researchers found that a person’s chances of being diagnosed with liver cancer increased by a whopping 31%. This is a very alarming fact that you need to keep in mind.
Gambling addiction is not something that should be ignored at all. You need to pay attention to the symptoms and need to seek help as soon as you can. If you notice any of the symptoms, it is better that you seek the help of a therapist.
People Who Are Gambling Addiction Are Lazy And Reckless
In most of the cases, gambling addiction is a result of greed. If you have to win every time you play a casino game, you tend to get greedy and take a very risky action. This is one of the factors that leads to your gambling addiction.
Gambling addiction is also related to drug addiction. People who are addicted to gambling use it as a way to escape their problems. Since you are losing money all the time, you tend to get addicted to the same. This is another reason why you might develop a gambling addiction.
Gambling Addiction Is A Mental Health Condition
Although some people think that gambling addiction is a mental health condition, it is not. Gambling addiction is actually a very serious problem that needs to be treated by a professional. To be diagnosed as having a gambling addiction, you need to go to a therapist and you also need to see a psychiatrist.
Gambling Addiction Can Destroys A Marriage
Your wife might develop a very serious attitude towards you once she finds out about your gambling addiction. She might begin to find you and your friends rather childish and she might begin to stop asking you about your work. Since she is a good person, she might also stop confiding in you and might begin to distance herself from you.
You May Develop Delusional Beliefs About Your Gambling
According to a research, the people who develop delusional beliefs in general are those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. When you are addicted to gambling, you might begin to have delusions that you can win and your wife will start believing it as well. You might also begin to believe that your wife will stop asking you about your work once you stop gambling. This can destroy a marriage if your wife believes these false thoughts.
You May Develop A Permanent Memory Disorder
According to a research, the brains of people who are addicted to gambling do not have the same neuron network as the brains of people who do not have a gambling addiction. When you are addicted to gambling, your brain will not respond to these situations as the way it should. This can lead to severe memory problems and you might even develop a brain injury.
Gambling Addiction Can Affect Your Body
Gambling addiction can also lead to a variety of health problems such as liver cancer, gastrointestinal bleeding, kidney failure, cardiac problems, sleep apnea, obesity, dental problems, hypothyroidism, spinal problems and many more.
Gambling is Illegal
As you can see from the above facts, gambling is not something that you should be doing at all. This is because, by doing so, you are losing money. This means that you are losing all your money at the same time and you are even risking your life in the process. Also, you are hurting the economy of the country you live in as you waste all your money on the gambling.
Gambling Addiction Can Be A Health Hazard
When you are addicted to gambling, you are more likely to suffer from several health problems. In some cases, the addiction can even affect your thinking. According to the research, there is a strong correlation between gambling addiction and severe depression.
Gambling Addiction Can Make You Disappear
Even if you are successful in your attempts to quit gambling, your effort will always be in vain. This is because you are afraid of losing all your money. You will also tend to stop caring for other important things in your life. This can make you disappear from the face of the earth. This can be extremely dangerous because most people who suffer from these problems tend to commit suicide. In extreme cases, gambling addiction can lead to you taking your own life.
Gambling Addiction Can Also Lead To Other Types of Addictions
If you have spent a lot of time playing video games, you might find out that a lot of the gaming is done through virtual gambling. You will end up doing something you should not be doing and this will also lead to you developing a similar addiction. When you develop an addiction to video games, you are more likely to do something that you should not be doing.
Conclusion
If you really want to quit gambling, there are certain things that you must keep in mind. Do not gamble more than you can afford. It is illegal to gamble. You should also try and avoid having any sort of fantasy sports during the game time. The game time is an important time for you but gambling Addiction for the sake of money is illegal.
