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About Gambling
The Cycle of Problem Gambling
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What is Problem Gambling?
Problem Gambling must be distinguished from Social Gambling and Professional Gambling.
Social Gambling usually occurs with friends or colleagues and lasts for a limited period of time, with predetermined acceptable losses.
Professional Gambling risks are limited and discipline is central.
Unfortunately some individuals can experience problems associated with their gambling playing this way that can lead into the Problem Gambling Cycle.
Problem Gambling is when an individual becomes preoccupied with gambling eg, reliving past gambling experiences, planning the next gambling venture, or thinking of ways to get money with which to gamble.
An individual may gamble as a way of escaping from problems or to relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression.
A pattern of "chasing" one's losses may develop, with an urgent need to keep gambling to undo a loss or series of losses.
Features of Problem Gambling
Associated Features of Problem Gambling are distortions in thinking eg, denial, superstitutions, over confiidence, or a sense of power and control may be present.
Many individuals believe that money is both the cause and the solution to all their problems.
Individuals are often highly competitive, energetic, restless and easily bored. They can also be overly concerned with the approval of others and may be generous to the point of extravagance.
When not gambling they may be workaholics or "binge" workers, who wait until they are up against deadlines before really working hard. They can be prone to developing general medical conditions that are associated with stress eg, hypertension, migraine, peptic ulcer disease as well as being susceptable to depression, anxiety, suicide - suicide ideation.
