Problem Gambling

Oftentimes, people who have a problem with gambling view gambling as a second job. In fact, they may use gambling to supplement their income or use it as a source of social contact. As a result, they may become financially vulnerable and resort to borrowing money from others or credit cards to pay for their losses. Although not a mental disorder, the term “gambling disorder” is used informally to describe any activity that involves wagering.

Gambling

A common misconception about gambling is that it causes no long-term consequences. In fact, studies have shown that a significant number of people who engage in problem gambling aren’t necessarily in an irresponsible way. It’s important to understand how a gambler’s behavior reflects their values. If the problem is a lack of money or a desire to quit, the best thing to do is to allocate that money to more worthwhile activities.

When a person engages in problem gambling, they often have little time for anything else. Typically, they gamble to escape from emotional or financial problems. This is not the case for every gambler. They often have a regular schedule of weekly or monthly poker games and play lottery games on a daily basis. In most cases, the activity does not have long-term financial or relationship implications, and the gambler remains interested in other, non-gambling pursuits.