About Compulsive gambling.

[bitbunnny]

So many people saying compulsive gambling/reckless gambling but what is your basis on this? Have you seen a gambler online really do this? or having a testimony himself here and lost a big chunk of money or just a hunch? Maybe on a physical gambling platform, they are more devoted to gambling because the influence of alcohol exists at the same time.

Many people don't realise they have a problem until it's too late, or they just don't want to admit themselves they have a problem.
If someone's life is turning around gambling and that is the most important thing in his life and everything else doesn't matter because of gambling then we can speak about addiction and compulsive gambling. This is not so hard to detect, especialy for gambler's environment, friends and family. It's just the question if addicted gambler is aware of problems and if he wants to be helped.
As far as iI know compulsive gambling is in same category as alcohol or drug addiction so this is very serious social problem.

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[RealMalatesta]

I believe most gamblers do not recognize themselves as a gambler but they do think like they are making fun out of gambling still they do believe they are not the actual gamblers. Before they are realizing about their addiction, most gamblers are getting addicted to gambling severely. From the point when they are doing self-evaluation, I guess changes to their life will be happening.

I have seen one person very clearly that I am 100% sure that was compulsive gambling... me. I was a lot younger and was probably 7-8 years ago but I personally did gambled a lot back to back without really wanting to do that but couldn't stop myself to chase the losses and eventually lost hundreds of dollars (a lot for me at the time) and to this day I still see it as money well spent because it kept me away from gambling for a long time and even today I do not wager more than 4-20 dollars in any sports or any other gambling thing.

If losing 200 dollars meant that I won't be losing more to gambling in the long term I see that as a good investment to not lose in the future honestly.

[Ucy]

Gambling addiction and compulsive gambling are serious problems in our days indeed. People literally lose their lives by giving themselves away to the vice of gambling.
Now don't get me wrong, gambling is not a vice for the regular people, but a form of entertainment. If you get it to extremes it will grow a vicious cycle that is most of the times paired with drinking and becoming aggressive.
Even if you get to a professional it won't help you much if you don't have the will to fight the addiction and become a better man.

Indeed, all things depend on the person. If he considers gambling as entertainment only, then it is good. Gambling is entertaining, especially those gambling games that require your skills because it has a thrill for me. The gambling only becomes terrible on you if you are really addicted to it. If you are not doing things aside from betting, it makes you so unproductive. Even your health is also affected by it. You may lose weight on it because of the skipping game especially if you are focused on the game. Gambling also affects your mental health or can be called as compulsive gambling, if you cannot control yourself from betting, that's the time that you can now tell yourself that you are compulsive gambling, do not let your self to be like that because it will destroy your life, it will ruin your relationship on your family, friends, partners, and people around you.

Make gambling only as a form of game or entertainment, do not make it as your life, you can play anytime but make sure that it won't affect your life as a right person.

If you take stuff  like drug to be happy, there is a high chances of you getting addicted to it especially when things aren't going well for you. This is likely what gambling for entertainment would do to someone, (assumming people want the entertainment in order to be happy). You will probably become attached to the gambling when you seek happiness. This is why it important to be skillful in what you do, get rewards from it,  it benefits others too, you enjoy doing it, you stay long doing it and it produces more rewards for you and others. Putting to much time/money on things that do not benefit others, and probably you is kind of a waste and an addiction.

[Reatim]

I believe most gamblers do not recognize themselves as a gambler but they do think like they are making fun out of gambling still they do believe they are not the actual gamblers. Before they are realizing about their addiction, most gamblers are getting addicted to gambling severely. From the point when they are doing self-evaluation, I guess changes to their life will be happening.

I have seen one person very clearly that I am 100% sure that was compulsive gambling... me. I was a lot younger and was probably 7-8 years ago but I personally did gambled a lot back to back without really wanting to do that but couldn't stop myself to chase the losses and eventually lost hundreds of dollars (a lot for me at the time) and to this day I still see it as money well spent because it kept me away from gambling for a long time and even today I do not wager more than 4-20 dollars in any sports or any other gambling thing.

If losing 200 dollars meant that I won't be losing more to gambling in the long term I see that as a good investment to not lose in the future honestly.

It is good that you have admitted being a compulsive gambler because accepting reality will same us from being addicted well at least in my own perspective because the more we deny is the more we cannot leave it.

realization keeps us on the right track and this will never happen if we dont accept being one.
and also we can do it by mistake but living on this?that is the problem because even we already knew the wrong doings still we continues living with this so better change of accept the consequences .

[CarnagexD]

I suggest that if you feel that you are like that, you may visit some professionals to help you

And how's that supposed to work in practice?

As you say yourself, "compulsive gambling is the uncontrollable eagerness on gambling" (personally, I would say urge or obsession, but it doesn't really matter). If you don't listen to your family and your friends anymore, if you don't care about anyone, what on earth is going to make you listen to some advice here (or elsewhere in the Internet, for that matter)? Just curious

You cannot reverse the argument cause when he mentioned professionals, they are far too different from your relatives and friends. Professionals have their own ways on how they would assess the situation and condition things to make it change. It could actually be a great help if you would start consulting on a professional so that your gambling addiction would end and you can avoid any possible future casualties and losses.

I think most people here on forum like me who say we are compulsive gambler aren't actually so. I mean surely, many symptoms match and we do gamble away important funds but there's the trigger which is in our body which might be partially damaged but still works to help us stop the gambling and feel sad about our losses before it is too late.

Actually, we cannot make self assessment. It would be best if we see a professional and let them have the confirmation if you can be diagnosed as a compulsive gambler. Afterwards, if you really are, start listening to their advices or medications (if necessary) if you want it to stop already.

[South Park]

So many people saying compulsive gambling/reckless gambling but what is your basis on this? Have you seen a gambler online really do this? or having a testimony himself here and lost a big chunk of money or just a hunch? Maybe on a physical gambling platform, they are more devoted to gambling because the influence of alcohol exists at the same time.

Even if you do not have a personal experience with a person that is a compulsive gambler there are still many studies that show that a small minority of the gamblers have problems controlling their impulses, so we know for a fact there are people like that, also if anything online gambling has made easier for those people to engage in that behaviour since now you can do it in the privacy of your own home and finally the alcohol factor still applies to online gambling since compulsive gamblers can still consume it at their home.

[deisik]

I suggest that if you feel that you are like that, you may visit some professionals to help you

And how's that supposed to work in practice?

As you say yourself, "compulsive gambling is the uncontrollable eagerness on gambling" (personally, I would say urge or obsession, but it doesn't really matter). If you don't listen to your family and your friends anymore, if you don't care about anyone, what on earth is going to make you listen to some advice here (or elsewhere in the Internet, for that matter)? Just curious

You cannot reverse the argument cause when he mentioned professionals, they are far too different from your relatives and friends. Professionals have their own ways on how they would assess the situation and condition things to make it change. It could actually be a great help if you would start consulting on a professional so that your gambling addiction would end and you can avoid any possible future casualties and losses

Somehow, that's not my point altogether

I'm not questioning the level of change that an experienced and highly-qualified professional can make. However, if the compulsive gambler in question is not willing to see any professional help at all or he doesn't even accept the reality of his addiction in the first place, how's that supposed to work out?

The truth is a gambler who genuinely accepts that he is addicted may not even need this help after all. As already said on numerous occasions, this kind of addiction is not dangerous on its own (apart from its consequences which can be quite devastating indeed). It is a mild form of addiction, and as such, it is a matter of personal choice mostly

[XCANA]

Definitely, those with maximum addiction to gambling should embark on compulsory retirement as this will ensure he or she escape from psychiatric. I heard a friend who was so much addicted to gambling, he would ho extra mile to gamble his salary for the whole month and left the family in severe hunger, sometimes I heard to come to their aid because he was my best friend from childhood. Though, this was the reason we separated as friends and I regretted befriended him from childhood. We as gamblers should know that, addiction to gambling demand compulsory retirement to keep our good friends in life.

[TheUltraElite]

Although we all talk about being controlled gamblers there are people among us who are gambling a lot and not being able to stop playing. If they are unable to control their urge it becomes bad for them and their close ones. Becoming a compulsive gambler is correctable and it is important to recognise such a person early so that others can come in to help.

Check you bankroll, playing times and family time to get an idea of how much you are spending online.

[Meowth05]

I suggest that if you feel that you are like that, you may visit some professionals to help you

And how's that supposed to work in practice?

As you say yourself, "compulsive gambling is the uncontrollable eagerness on gambling" (personally, I would say urge or obsession, but it doesn't really matter). If you don't listen to your family and your friends anymore, if you don't care about anyone, what on earth is going to make you listen to some advice here (or elsewhere in the Internet, for that matter)? Just curious

The approach to curing the compulsive gambling is spot-on but it is pointed that a gambler will not cure himself, the correct way was to have a family intervention. Wherein, the people who are around the affected person will do the initiative in helping the person. It should come to the point where you are ready to decline the persons request to play just another game. Pleading them to rehabilitate will do almost nothing but you can all persuade him to rehabilitate by making sure that you cut off their funds for gambling and keeping watch. Of course, this things won't work if the gambler doesn't see himself as a gambler that harms his/her loved ones.

[Betwrong]

~ Of course, this things won't work if the gambler doesn't see himself as a gambler that harms his/her loved ones.

And here's a big problem. Addicted gamblers normally don't mean to harm their loved ones. Quite the contrary, they want to make their lives better by winning big amounts and sharing with them. But what they don't see, being blinded by their addiction, is that they have more chances of losing their bankroll than that of winning big amounts, or, of winning a significant, more than 50%, addition to their bankroll, to be more precise. And they, compulsive gamblers, usually aim to increase their bankroll by 100% and more, forgetting that it is highly unlikely to achieve that.

[deisik]

or, of winning a significant, more than 50%, addition to their bankroll, to be more precise

Oh, did I read you right?

It seems that now you no longer claim that it is impossible to consistently win from a casino (provided the latter stays provably fair in the process, of course). It is just that your winnings won't be that great. And most importantly, it requires a totally insane amount of patience and focus, which addictive gamblers simply lack for pretty obvious reasons (because so much patience requires a truly conscious effort on the gambler's part, i.e. not emotion)

[Betwrong]

or, of winning a significant, more than 50%, addition to their bankroll, to be more precise

Oh, did I read you right?

It seems that now you no longer claim that it is impossible to consistently win from a casino (provided the latter stays provably fair in the process, of course). It is just that your winnings won't be that great. And most importantly, it requires a totally insane amount of patience and focus, which addictive gamblers simply lack for pretty obvious reasons (because so much patience requires a truly conscious effort on the gambler's part, i.e. not emotion)

Man, I never claimed it was impossible. Quite the contrary, I claimed that with billions of gamblers it is possible, for some of them, probably for just one in ten million, to win big amounts, consistently, year after year.

But that's not where compulsive gamblers should look at. It's pretty stupid to think that you can be one of those extremely lucky ones. Rather one should concentrate on what happens to most of the people.

[Best Dreams]

I suggest that if you feel that you are like that, you may visit some professionals to help you

And how's that supposed to work in practice?

As you say yourself, "compulsive gambling is the uncontrollable eagerness on gambling" (personally, I would say urge or obsession, but it doesn't really matter). If you don't listen to your family and your friends anymore, if you don't care about anyone, what on earth is going to make you listen to some advice here (or elsewhere in the Internet, for that matter)? Just curious

The approach to curing the compulsive gambling is spot-on but it is pointed that a gambler will not cure himself, the correct way was to have a family intervention. Wherein, the people who are around the affected person will do the initiative in helping the person. It should come to the point where you are ready to decline the persons request to play just another game. Pleading them to rehabilitate will do almost nothing but you can all persuade him to rehabilitate by making sure that you cut off their funds for gambling and keeping watch. Of course, this things won't work if the gambler doesn't see himself as a gambler that harms his/her loved ones.

It is really not easy to get over the addiction of gambling. Gambling is something which really can make people an insane addict. Gambling addiction needs a lot of interference of family in the life of a gambler along with proper medication. There are no ways that one can on his own get over the addiction.

[TheUltraElite]

It is really not easy to get over the addiction of gambling. Gambling is something which really can make people an insane addict.

That is the extreme type of addicts. One end of the spectrum and not the complete spectrum. There are casual gamblers too how go to Vegas for a stroll and burning some cash at hand. But they dont expect to win and come back soon enough.

Gambling addiction needs a lot of interference of family in the life of a gambler along with proper medication. There are no ways that one can on his own get over the addiction.

In the extreme variety, it does need professional help but lets not make that as a general statement because it is not. Rather it follows a bell shaped curve where the maximum frequency is for those who are occasional players. They play for fun and at the most need the help of their close ones to stop them.

[Juggy777]

It is really not easy to get over the addiction of gambling. Gambling is something which really can make people an insane addict.

That is the extreme type of addicts. One end of the spectrum and not the complete spectrum. There are casual gamblers too how go to Vegas for a stroll and burning some cash at hand. But they dont expect to win and come back soon enough.

Gambling addiction needs a lot of interference of family in the life of a gambler along with proper medication. There are no ways that one can on his own get over the addiction.

In the extreme variety, it does need professional help but lets not make that as a general statement because it is not. Rather it follows a bell shaped curve where the maximum frequency is for those who are occasional players. They play for fun and at the most need the help of their close ones to stop them.

I have shared my story here before in one of the threads, and while I agree that I became seriously addicted to gambling I disagree with the fact that people like me can’t recover, because we very well can recover if we wish to recover and that’s how I recovered despite being a gambling addict.

Further @best dreams I once again disagree with your analysis that a gambler can’t recover on his own, because they can and I have personally seen people who have recovered because they felt the need to do so.

Lastly in my personal opinion I feel that what you’re saying maybe partially true, or you have very less experience of the gambling industry hence you’re being overly judgmental in the case of addicted gamblers.

[KTChampions]

Although we all talk about being controlled gamblers there are people among us who are gambling a lot and not being able to stop playing. If they are unable to control their urge it becomes bad for them and their close ones. Becoming a compulsive gambler is correctable and it is important to recognise such a person early so that others can come in to help.

Check you bankroll, playing times and family time to get an idea of how much you are spending online.

Good idea. What levels do you find critical in this case? All people are individual and it seems to me that the range will be very wide. Even families are very different from each other, so it will be difficult to set some parameters common to all. I think people need to compare their behavior with that period of time when they were not involved in gambling. And then they can understand how much gambling has affected them.

[TheUltraElite]

I have shared my story here before in one of the threads, and while I agree that I became seriously addicted to gambling I disagree with the fact that people like me can’t recover, because we very well can recover if we wish to recover and that’s how I recovered despite being a gambling addict.

I am sure they can recover but some people need professional help in recovering and staying on the right path. If you have been able to control yourself with time and kept your playing habits to much less what you had at one time then congratulations to you. But not everyone can do that.

Lastly in my personal opinion I feel that what you’re saying maybe partially true, or you have very less experience of the gambling industry hence you’re being overly judgmental in the case of addicted gamblers.

Anything said here is partially true. Because this addiction is more on a subjective level. We rarely see the extreme cases on these forums. Because ones who ended up coming here sacrificed their account for a last ditch loan attempt and then never came back or sold their accounts.

What levels do you find critical in this case?

No sure what you mean by level here?

Even families are very different from each other, so it will be difficult to set some parameters common to all. I think people need to compare their behavior with that period of time when they were not involved in gambling. And then they can understand how much gambling has affected them.

Thats the job of the people who write the DSM5 or 6 and ICD books.