When defining the term Compulsive Gambling, one needs to understand the terms as “Pathological Gambling” and “Problem Gambling”. The American Psychiatrist Society recognizes that Pathological or Compulsive Gamblers have a sickness.
Compulsion is defined as the incapability to stop despite knowing consequences. However, Compulsive Gambling is the incapability to stop gambling despite knowing of its worst sides. Here is the process some compulsive gamblers have gone through as their gambling addiction worsened:
The compulsive gambler again and again loses but still believes that next time he is going to win back all the money that has been lost. The compulsive gambler stops spending money on needed necessities. He has a self destructive lifestyle that has negative affects on those around him. He runs out of resources to gamble and begins to borrow money.
The compulsive gambler borrows more money in order to pay off all of the debts.
Compulsive gambler will get taken advantage of by those that lent him some money. For example, high interest loans and credit cards might land him into debts. The compulsive gambler continues to struggle to locate a way out.
The compulsive gambler realizes that he has a gambling addiction problem and believes that he has nowhere to turn to. He gambles even more and realizes that those around him will discover his gambling addiction. He hits bottom and begins the immeasurable search to stop his gambling addiction.
Compulsive gamblers now have resources available to them for stopping their gambling addiction. Pathologists believe that there are a number of alternatives to help in the recovery of a gambling addict as well as a compulsive addict. |
