Identifying gambling addiction can be a daunting task, as those who suffer from it often refuse to acknowledge their addiction. Additionally, some individuals gamble professionally and play games such as blackjack and poker on a regular basis. To help you determine if you have a gambling addiction, we have compiled a list of common signs to watch out for.
You Spend Most of Your Time on Gambling Activities
Some clear signs indicate if you are addicted to gambling. If you spend most of your day engaging in gambling activities, ranging from three to five hours a day, then it is a clear indication of addiction. However, it is worth noting that professional gamblers may also spend this much time gambling as it is their primary source of income. Nonetheless, suppose you are replacing important tasks of your day, such as picking up your kids from school or attending a planned meeting with a relative, with gambling activities. In that case, it is a strong indication that you are addicted to gambling.
You Lie About How Much You Gamble
Gambling addicts often resort to lying about the extent of their gambling activities. They may gamble almost every day while claiming to friends and family that they do it once or twice a week. The reason for this dishonesty is the sense of shame that comes with their addiction. A more significant concern for these individuals is that they begin to deceive themselves. They may come up with irrational justifications for their gambling behavior.
You Gamble with Progressively Higher Amounts to Get the Same Level of Excitement
Like any enjoyable or exhilarating activity, your brain releases dopamine while you are engaged in it. In the same way, when you are engaged in a gambling game, your brain starts to release dopamine.
With gambling addicts, this dopamine release gets smaller and smaller after each gambling session. When this happens, gambling with the same amount of money becomes insufficient to achieve the same level of excitement.
To get the same rush every time, gambling addicts have to spend higher amounts of money every time they engage in gambling. If that's the case with you, you are probably addicted to gambling.
You Get Irritated & Restless if You Cut Down on Gambling
Gambling addiction can be identified by the feeling of restlessness or irritability when one tries to cut down on their gambling activities. These symptoms are called withdrawal symptoms and are typically observed when individuals attempt to reduce their addiction to any activity. If you have been gambling for a while and decide to cut back, it's important to take these symptoms seriously. In some cases, withdrawal symptoms subside after a few weeks of cutting back, but in more severe cases, they can worsen to the point where individuals lose control, causing immense stress for those around them.
You Have Tried Several Times to Cut Back on Gambling But Did Not Succeed
One of the few signs that can confirm to some degree that you are addicted to gambling is if you have tried to eliminate it from your life or at least cut down on it but have achieved nearly zero success. By definition, addiction happens when you can't get rid of a habit.
When it comes to addiction, many people try to quit certain habits. However, the main thing that prevents them from quitting is the withdrawal symptoms, which we have discussed in the earlier section. If you have tried taking a long time off from gambling with no success, you might be addicted to gambling.
You Are Taking Loans to Fund Your Gambling Activities
Another common thing that gambling addicts do is take loans from friends or family to spend on their gambling activities. Getting to this point is one of the worst situations you can be in.
Taking loans and spending them on gambling is not only a problem for you but also for your friend or family that you took the loan from. In the worst cases, you might be in legal trouble.
You Feel Guilty After a Session of Gambling
Another sign that can tell you with high certainty that you are addicted to gambling is that you feel guilty after a gambling session. Why does this happen?
The thing is, gambling addicts might skip necessary tasks, take loans, or use savings to take part in gambling activities. When they end a gambling session, they realize that they will have to deal with all those issues, which is why they feel guilty.