Gambling addiction is a serious illness that affects millions of people

Sometimes, it can feel hard to evaluate your own behavior (or someone else’s). Here are some questions to ask yourself about your gambling habits.

Signs to watch out for

You are preoccupied by constant thoughts about gambling. If you find yourself constantly thinking about gambling, either about the last time you gambled, when you plan to gamble next, or how you can acquire more money to gamble with; it might be a sign of an unhealthy relationship with the activity. Thinking about it occasionally, or once in awhile, is one thing, but if it begins to cloud your vision and consume your mind, you may have a problem with gambling.

You require increasingly more cash to reach the same degree of excitement as earlier. What used to cost $250 now may possibly end up costing $2,500/$3,000, and much more and no matter how much money you can afford to invest in this activity, you keep betting more and increasing your chances just to get that great feeling of winning large.

When you game, do you find that it is possible to walk away at any moment, regardless of the outcome? Do you go to great lengths to avoid playing games just so you can play them anyway?

You feel restless or irritated when you attempt to limit your gambling. You may feel uncomfortable and anxious if you can not gamble, much like someone who suffers from an addiction to alcohol. Your mind and your body crave the thrill of the chase and the possibility of winning big money. When you do not obey, you feel agitated or tense.

You find yourself gambling because you’re avoiding your problems or combating negative feelings like anxiety, guilty, helplessness, or despair.

You try to win all the money you’ve lost from gambling. You realize just how much money you’ve gambled away and in hope of earning it all back again, bet even more. But because so much of gambling depends on chance and luck rather than skill, your chances of winning back everything you’ve lost are pretty slim to none and you’ve created an even deeper financial pitfall.

While it is certainly common to enjoy our hobbies and activities without sharing them with others, when we begin to lie to those who care about us about how and where we spend our time and money, it may be time to take a good hard look at ourselves.

You go to extreme lengths to either conceal the money you’ve spent or acquire more funds to gamble. You tell yourselves it’s okay because you can shuffle money around among various accounts or “borrow” from children, spouses, and parents. Perhaps you’ve resorted to criminal activity because your gambling compulsion is too powerful. Are you failing to pay your bills or charging up your credit cards beyond limits? These are all indications of compulsive and problematical gambling behavior.

You may lose important relationships and other aspects if you gamble more. Prioritising gambling over everything else is a sign that something could be wrong. Fun, harmless activities shouldn’t jeopardise your relationships, your education or your career.

Getting help

You’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed by an addiction to online gaming. In fact, millions of people around the world struggle with similar issues. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get help. Therapy is one option. Medications may also prove helpful. And if you feel comfortable doing so, you might consider joining a support group.