If you would like to submit an article, click the button below.
By: Michelle Tee, Sat Aug 23rd, 2008
It used to be that you would go to the casino with friends or family and have a leisurely night out. You would budget a certain amount of money and lose what you could afford to lose. Once that money was gone, you would call it a night and go home. You may have had a cocktail or had dinner at the casino buffet. Those were the days that your gambling was considered recreational, and you had not crossed the line yet into a gambling problem or even a full-fledged gambling addiction. You would smile and talk to others around you and you were most likely relaxed, social, and genuinely had fun. Now when you go to the casino you do not even think of eating. You make several trips to the ATM , and when people around you try to talk to you, it is more annoying than social. The more you are losing, the more irritating the people around you become. Now you lose more than you can afford, and you stay at the casino much longer than you wanted to. Your drive home from the casino is depressing, and you feel absolutely awful. You may drink more than one cocktail, and sometimes you have 3 or 4 just to numb out the pain. Boy… have things changed. When you cross the line into a gambling problem or a gambling addiction, gambling stops becoming fun anymore. Actually, when gambling stops becoming fun, it is a strong indicator that you indeed have a gambling problem and are in serious need of help. Gambling addiction is a progressive and deteriorative problem that can destroy peoples’ lives financially, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and mentally. There is help for a gambling problem and you do not have to continue to suffer. There are several resources available, including 1-800-GAMBLER in the US. There are also several hotlines available throughout the world. Do not continue to suffer alone. When your gambling stops being fun, and you are continuing to gamble frequently, please seek out help as soon as possible. You will be grateful that you did, and your life will get better. Michelle Tee Author and Founder http://www.gamblingaddiction.tv