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I noticed that threads about gambling addiction, moral repercussion of excessive gambling and  psychology of addiction are quite popular on bitcointalk.
I would like to present some more insight on this problem.

What is gambling addiction?

In short: Gambling addiction, also known as compulsive gambling or gambling disorder, is an impulse-control disorder.
Addicted gamblers can't control the impulse to gamble, even when it is hurting themselves or their loved ones in the process.

I would like to debunk some myths about gambling addiction:

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Myth: It is OK if I am rich and can afford to gamble, so I can do it anytime as long as I have the money.

Reality: It is not entirely about money. Excessive gambling is bad as any other addiction because it cause problems of not just financial nature.
Too much time spent on gambling can lead to relationship and life problems, job loss, psychological problems including depression and anxiety, and, in the worst case - suicide.

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Myth: It is OK. I don't gamble everyday, so I am not addicted gambler.

Reality: It doesn't matter how frequently you gamble. You can gamble once per month but always lose all your money in one session. Gambling is a problem if it causes more problems.

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Myth: If someone has a gambling problem and he builds up a debt - you should help him. But he must promise that he would stop.

Reality: No. Never lend money to a gambler. It is the worse thing you can actually do. He will just continue to gamble and it only make him believe that even if he lose  someone will fix his debt.

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Myth: It is not possible to be truly addicted to gambling. It is not physical addiction like drugs or alcohol!

Reality: Gambling will cause your brain to produce 'euphoria' hormones similar to these that are created after drugs usage. It may encourages the gambler to keep repeating the behavior to feel the pleasure again.

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Myth: Gambling addiction is purely financial problem.

Reality: No. Excessive gambling is psychological problem which happen to has financial consequences. It is problem of urges, impulses of person that has an uncontrollable obsession with gambling.

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Myth: I am responsible, strong willed individual. I never will get addicted! Only weak people are addicts.

Reality: Common misconception. Anyone can be an addict. No matter how strong their will is. Once they obsessed with gambling, gamblers may engage in irresponsible behaviors to maintain their addiction.

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Myth: It is easy to tell if someone is addicted gambler.

Reality: Actually no. Gambling addiction is one of the hardest obsessions to notice with lack of physical symptoms. The behavior is easy for people to hide. Especially now - with the era of online gambling.

Very good posts. Because I am tired of seeing the same people asking the same questions over and over again.

Your list is spot on and in reality you really should contact a local gambling anonymous in your area for help.

I also would like to appreciate your efforts and hard work for this awesome thread, it shows how gambling can dangerous in all method if we keep doing it for a short time of period or long, we can afford to lose or not lose, anyway that is nice comparison and wonderful answers in reality.

Its a very good list, most of the people dont realize they are addicted until its too late to stop, they need support from friends and family to stop gambling addiction

intresting reads, now i have an idea on how adicted i am and what i am thinking about myself is wrong..
this is so me, myth:  I am responsible, strong willed individual. I never will get addicted! Only weak people are addicts.

This will help to understand easily the facts behind the addiction and related gambling phenomena.I completely do agree with these best explanations.Actually this kind of writing help to reach the facts more quickly.We all are aware of these but sometimes someone needs to realize us by reminder with simple words.

Interesting to read this and that is really helpful to know about how it is addictive and how people don't want to know what is disadvantages of this and keep doing it again and again.

Nice structured post and well listed. People should really read that in order to clear up some misconceptions around gambling and addiction in general.
I hope this post reaches people that do need help and reach out for it.

Just a reply with a funny joke in my country about the first point of the first OP post.

There was a king son and he began to drink a lot, so worried the people told to the king, he have started drinking a lot and the king replied, its ok no problem.
Then he started going with hookers, so worried the people told to the king, he have started dating hookers, its ok said the king no problem we have a lot of money.
Then he started gambling, so worried the people told to the king, he started gambling. The king replied shocked, stop him or he will make us miserable all.

Moral: You can never become rich with the gambling. End of story.

This is a great post by OP. But does anyone else notice the irony of this thread?

First off I would like to say kudos to the OP for this very nice write-up about common gambling myths and what the actual reality it is for the compulsive gamblers. But I would like to point something out. There is a fine line between compulsive and casual gamblers. I myself am a casual bettor who plays for fun most days of the week and I do admit I lose money in the process but I am neither betting everything I own nor do I spend excessive amounts of my time reading sports news etc. It's true that 'once a gambler always a gambler' however this can be said also to people who buy lottery tickets or play bingo or bet on horses at the racetracks. Moderation is key in whatever you are doing in life not only gambling. These myths here are addressing only hopeless cases of very hardcore compulsive gamblers and sadly they are 100% true.

Many people are addicted to gambling they think that there is going to be this one time that they are going to win the jackpot. But it cannot happen to everybody that is just not possible.

I must say,one of the most sensible post I found in the Gambling section.The problem is sensible posts don't get more exposure as they're buried deep under the stacks of useless sig spammer threads.I hope addicts actually have a read through it.

I don't believe in everything OP said. It can be true for some people, but OP cant generalize things. Its individual thing, and tastes are different.
In this world, system everyone have some addiction. And everyone thinks that their addiction is better. Well I don't agree with that way of thinking.
Live and let other people live. As I see reality is that people who don't gamble talk more about gambling then gamblers.
Reality is that in every other case of addiction fighters against it talk more then addicts. 
If people above don't like to gamble what are you looking in gambling section?
So you people have nothing better to do then to preach around the forum. Find something better to do...

[img][/https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/dd/26/56/dd2656258f48f9ae8731734812115449.jpgimg]

Something better like finding passion and love... what ever that is I will respect your wish. Why its hard for you people to respect others?

thanks for this share mate so I can assess myself classifying what kind of gambling addiction that I have
I personally think that this share will be not in general but will classified more of the gamblers.

So you don't believe that you can be addicted to gambling? Or you don't believe that symptoms and examples of compulsive gambling behavior are true?

I am not condemning anyone here.I am gambler myself and if you want to gamble, gamble all you want. I can't and I won't stop you.

I just wanted to show people who are maybe on verge of addiction to realize that there is line, and if they will cross it, life might get complicated for them.

I wrote this because I see huge amount of misconceptions about compulsive gambling behaviour in other threads. And I thought it will clear some basic lies up.

your post should be read by any of people which not for gambler but for every body so we can know how dangerous gambling is and we can try to stop our habits before its too late.

Or for people that already gamble to get a reality check..

I agree with most of the points the TS makes, it is easy to dismiss certain aspects of gambling and think it doesn't apply to you because you have a money or because you only play an hour a day. If gambling starts taking over your life you should accept it and get help for it.

Yeah I do believe with this list because people tend to say that they are not an addicted gambler if they are just gambling for some time.
And you have said it right that it really doesn't matter on how often you are going to gamble. So, before you are going to get close with the problem it is better if you are going to avoid it immediately if you can.

I know someone who took loan to start a small business of gambling casino. Actually this is a new kind of addicted person he started as gambler never won money. Instead of keep playing with borrowed money like usual people he took a casino with 5 slot machines. He is all the time playing on one of the machine thinking he is making money. He says like this he will never loose but will win. I don't know what to say about his mental condition thinking this way.

I would like to highlight this one, because I think it's an important one. This means that even without financial loss, someone could be already addicted.
This is quite important because someone might be on a lucky run, and be addicted but thinks everything is ok, and that there is no problem. Or even his friends and family might miss the point, and think it's ok because he is winning, and don't try to help. Of course that the addiction will just become more serious, and he will eventually experience financial loss.

Yeah, this is a damn good list.  This or a more comprehensive one should get stickied here.

I especially like the advice of not lending money to gamblers.  I think most requests on the lending section here are for just this purpose.   It's kinda sad.

Very unusually, this could give something to enlighten all those who always speak at will (the myth). Hopefully with the existence of this thread, everyone can understand about gambling and gambling can do well and do not cause addiction is very dangerous to our lives in the present or future

Well if people have question about gambling addiction they can use this thread as reference and learn from it.  It also discuss in detail the wrong belief of people about gambling.
 

I agree  never lend a money to gambling addict.  All they will do is just waste that money and i doubt if they can pay you back.

I completely agree that gambling is not a financial problem but a psychological one with a financial aftermath.
I've experimenting with bitcoin gambling sites and it is addictive to be gambling with pennies I "bet" it increases with the amount of money you put in.

Lol, but I must appreciate the people of your country because this story actually portrayed my own point of view and also thanks to OP for coming up with this thread from my own point, the ability to put a stop to anything actually lies 90% in the hands of the doer until he makes a decision and ready to stand by it come what may... My opinion though..,

Bitcoin gambling is very addictive and that is why bitcoin casino is exploding with many new bitcoin casino setting up everyday. And there is also so many bitcoin casino signature campaign to attract more people to come and gamble.

Great thread OP. I think there are people who will relate themselves and their situation on your given list. I don't see any wrong with this thread, readers can take it as a friendly reminder. If it helps them, then good, and if not, then it's okay.

I also agree that this is a very good post; however, there are to many people who will look over this completely.  Gambling can become very addicting and to many people think they are going to beat the house when they play.  This is not the case 99.99% of the time.  There is always that one person who will get through and make a killing and then everyone thinks they can be that one person.  Here is my personal rule of thumb when gambling, DO NOT SPEND WHAT YOU CAN NOT AFFORD TO LOOSE.  Follow that rule and you will have fun gambling.  I do!

Its addictive tantrums and anybody addicted people stay more hours and throw a lot of money with that so i dont surprise if casino will burst up and offer their game services so other's are making some various advert strategies just their site to get more exposure just to gather more money waster will join to their site and it will turn bad if the gambler would do bad habits by doing overspending on his capital.

One of the issues is that the gamblers all think they can come up with a better strategy that will help them win the game.  When you are gambling, if you use a strategy to increase your chances of winning, chances are (if you have a good strategy), you will increase your chances some, but you will never increase them enough to justify spending what you do not have.  You see people going into the credit offices at the casino and for what; so they can waste what they do not have.  Just pay safe in my opinion.

and this specific strategies will always take them to keep on playing and keep their luck with them without  any other reason it is a control of your mind and denying to yourself that you can't control this vices, gambling addiction is like drugs or sex that you always wanted to do every time your mind and body meets and looking for that lust.

It is the truth. It I'll also help ignorance of some people who think they can never be victim of gambling. That is the important point fpr me. Also I want to add if I could say that even of you rich you can also lose all. Just the more bets the more bet so more btc is used. Others without rich money must make less bets or bet less amount of btc. So the loss can happen to both.

this is a good post but i don't agree with this part of it.
gambling addiction is not like substance abuse, so you don't get addicted physically. so you only need a strong will to not get addicted.
for example i have been gambling for a long time, and i have a fixed amount that i gamble with, i set it aside each month based on my income and keep it as low as possible and i spend it because i enjoy the games.