Compulsive Gambling Help

What Is Compulsive Gambling

Compulsive or problem gambling is an urge to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. Compulsive or problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others, rather than by the gambler's behavior. Severe problem gambling may be diagnosed as clinical pathological gambling if the gambler meets certain criteria. (Wikipedia, 2007)

The American Psychiatric Association defines pathological gambling as consisting of five or more of the following symptoms:


	Preoccupation with gambling (spending much of the time thinking about gambling, such as past experiences, or ways to get more money to gamble with)
	Needing to gamble larger amounts of money in order to feel excitement
	Repeated unsuccessful attempts to cut back or quit gambling
	Restlessness or irritability when trying to cut back or quit gambling
	Gambling to escape problems or feelings of sadness or anxiety
	Chasing losses (gambling larger amounts of money to try to make back previous losses)
	Lying about the amount of time or money spent gambling
	Committing crimes to get money to gamble
	Loss of job, significant relationship, or educational or career opportunity due to gambling
	Need to borrow money for survival due to gambling losses

Gamblers Anonymous suggests the following questions to anyone who may have a gambling problem. These questions are provided to help the individual decide if he or she is a compulsive gambler and wants to stop gambling.

TWENTY QUESTIONS :

1.	Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
2.	Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
3.	Did gambling affect your reputation?
4.	Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
5.	Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
6.	Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
7.	After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
8.	After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
9.	Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
10.	Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
11.	Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
12.	Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?
13.	Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
14.	Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
15.	Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?
16.	Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
17.	Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
18.	Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
19.	Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
20.	Have you ever considered self -destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?

	Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes to at least seven of these questions.
	Ultimately, only the individual compulsive gambler will be able to honestly decide to seek help or not.