Signs Of Gambling Problem
- 10 Signs Of Gambling Addiction
- Warning Signs Of Problem Gambling
- Risk Factors Of Gambling Disorder
- Warning Signs Of Gambling Disorder
- Signs Of Gambling Problem
By Sydney Smith LPC, LADC, NCGC-II
A gambling problem can be difficult to detect
Knowing the warning signs can help you decide what action to take. It is common to notice changes in the person's finances, mood and behaviour or how they spend their time. Financial signs. Some common financial warning signs that someone may have a problem with gambling include: Money missing from bank accounts, wallet/purse or money jar. Several signs indicate when normal enjoyment of gambling transitions into a problem. The earlier the process is identified, the better the chances for a successful recovery. Although compulsive gambling is hard to overcome, many people are able to manage their illness with professional help.
Problem Gambling can be hidden for a long time which often makes it very difficult to detect. By the time the problem surfaces and the family finds out, the devastation and wreckage can be tremendous. Family members tend to know that something is wrong with their loved one but due to gambling addiction’s invisible nature, especially in the early stages of the disease, it can be extremely hard to identify.
- If you’re preoccupied with gambling, spending more and more time and money on it, chasing losses, or gambling despite serious consequences in your life, you have a gambling problem.
- The Responsible Gaming Association of New Mexico provides educational materials for those who want information about problem gambling, and funds treatment and counseling services.This website offers information for problem gamblers, their families, employers and communities, including a self-test, videos about problem gambling.
In this article, we will discuss the signs and symptoms of, and ways to identify if your loved one has a gambling problem. Then, we’ll invite your questions about how to get help at the end.
Determining if there is a gambling problem
As a family member, we may or may not know the extent of the gambling problem or how long gambling has been an issue for our loved one. We may know about the gambling, but still have much uncertainty as to whether there is a gambling problem. So if you are asking yourself,
10 Signs Of Gambling Addiction
“How do I know if my loved one is a problem gambler?”
…the following are questions and information that may help determine if there is a gambling problem.
SIGN 1: Time away. If I know the person is gambling, the amount of time spent gambling or engaged in gambling activities increases. The gambler can be gone for long unaccounted for periods of time.
When the gambler in my life gambled, he often gambled while he was at work. So, in the early stages I did not know how much time he actually spent gambling. As his gambling worsened, he would not come home from work and would disappear for 24 hours at a time.
SIGN 2: Obsession to find money. Is the gambler becoming preoccupied or obsessed with obtaining money to gamble or thoughts of gambling? The great obsession can be on coming up with ways to borrow money, taking out loans, pawning items for cash, or planning their next bet.
Living with a gambler in the past, I would frequently have jewelry missing or items of value just disappear. Later I would learn that my gambler would pawn these items to obtain gambling money or to chase his losses. Later in the progression of the disease, the gambler may be physically present but not there, as the mind is preoccupied with gambling.
SIGN 3: Emotional volatility. Does the gambler have moods swings or gambles as a means to cope or change feelings? A gambler deep into his addiction can exhibit mood swings similar to those of a person diagnosed with bi-polar disorder. The extreme up and down in moods can be hard on both the gambler and the family members. The “up” moods can follow a win, and the gambler may even brag about the winnings. The “down” mood can be very depressive and the gambler may experience anxious or depressed mood, anger, and become irritable.
Gambling is used to change the way the person is feeling and the family members may hear the gambler make statements such as, “I had a stressful day at work and I just need to go gamble to unwind”.
SIGN 4: New secrets. Are there secretive behaviors or hiding? Is the gambler becoming very secretive in his actions and with his money? Hiding of gambling wins or losses, hiding lottery tickets, tax documents, etc. becomes common.
In my therapy practice, I often hear the spouses say, “I found payday loan papers, or while cleaning, I found ATM receipts from the casino.”. The family may begin to lose trust for the gambler as the hiding, concealing, and lying about gambling grows.
20 questions to ask yourself
These are a few of the more noticeable warning signs one may experience with the gambler. In addition, Gam-Anon created a simple list of 20 questions for family members to ask themselves.
Family members of problem gamblers will answer “YES” to at least seven of the twenty questions.
- Do you find yourself constantly bothered by bill collectors?
- Is the person in question often away from home for long unexplained periods of time?
- Does this person ever lose time from work due to gambling?
- Do you feel that this person cannot be trusted with money?
- Does this person promise that he or she will stop gambling, yet gambles again and again?
- Does this person ever gamble longer than he or she intended?
- Does this person immediately return to gambling to try to recover losses or to win more?
- Does this person ever gamble to get money to solve financial difficulties?
- Does this person borrow money to gamble with or to pay gambling debts?
- Has this person’s reputation ever suffered due to gambling?
- Have you come to the point of hiding money needed for living expenses?
- Do you search this person’s clothing, go through his or her wallet, or check on his or her activities?
- Do you hide his or her money?
- Have you noticed personality changes in him or her?
- Does this person consistently lie to cover up or deny his or her gambling activities?
- Does this person use guilt induction as a method of shifting responsibility for his or her gambling onto you?
- Do you attempt to anticipate this person’s moods to try to control his or her life?
- Does this person ever suffer from remorse or depression due to gambling sometimes to the point of self-destruction?
- Have you ever threatened to break up the family because of the gambling?
- Do you feel that your life together is a nightmare?
What can you do next?
This list can be found on the Gam-Anon website or in Gam-Anon published literature. If you can identify with any of the information listed above:
Warning Signs Of Problem Gambling
- Continue to educate yourself about gambling addiction through resources and literature.
- Reach out to a trained professional.
- Attend a Gam-Anon or any 12-step support meeting for friends and family of addicts.
If we believe our loved one has a gambling addiction, it is OK to encourage them to seek help, however, it is vitally important for us as family members to seek out our own help. We are not alone, there is hope, and life can get better.
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About the Author: Sydney Smith, CEO of RISE Center For Recovery in Las Vegas, Nevada, is a psychotherapist and Internationally Certified Gambling Counselor, currently active in her practice which has a specialty focus on the treatment of problem gamblers and their family members. She also works as a researcher with the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas, NV. She was the 2016 recipient of the Shannon L. Bybee Award.
Most people who gamble do so with no harmful effects. They set limits and stick to them. However, for a small percentage of the population, gambling can become more than a game, and lead to serious consequences for both the gambler and their family.
Here are some of the warning signs:
For the Gambler:
- Gambling to escape worry or trouble
- Gambling to get money to solve financial difficulties
- Unable to stop playing regardless of winning or losing
- Gambling until the last dollar is gone
- Losing time from work due to gambling
- Borrowing money to pay gambling debts
- Neglecting family because of gambling
- Lying about time and money spent gambling
Risk Factors Of Gambling Disorder
For the Family:
- Unexplained financial problems
- Reduced involvement in social/group activities outside the home
- Emotional distress, anger, depression
- Lack of communication among family members
- Items of value lost or missing
- Family members working overtime or taking a second job to make ends meet
- One member (gambler) noticeably absent from or disinterested in normal family activities
If you are concerned about yourself or someone in your family, learn more at Get Help Nowor call the 24-hour Problem Gamblers Helpline.
Take the Self-Test
Warning Signs Of Gambling Disorder
Are you unsure if your gambling is becoming a problem? Answering the following questions may help you decide:
- Do you ever miss work or school, or fail to take care of other responsibilities because of gambling?
- Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
- Is your gambling affecting your reputation?
- Do you ever have feelings of remorse, regret or guilt after gambling?
- Do you ever gamble in hopes of winning money to take care of financial problems?
- Is gambling causing a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
- After losing, do you want to gamble again as soon as possible to try to win back your money?
- After you win, do you have a strong urge to keep gambling and win more?
- Do you often gamble until you’ve spent your last dollar?
- Do you ever borrow from other people or take advances on credit cards to get money to gamble?
- Have you ever sold anything to get money to gamble or to pay gambling debts?
- Do you ever hold off paying bills so you can have money to gamble?
- Have you ever been careless of the wellbeing of yourself or your family because of your gambling?
- Do you ever gamble longer than you planned?
- Do you gamble as a way to cope with stress or avoid painful feelings?
- Have you ever thought about, or done something illegal to get money for gambling or to solve a financial problem caused by gambling?
- Does the stress of gambling cause you to have difficulty sleeping?
- Do arguments, disappointments, or frustrations cause you to have urges to gamble?
- Do you ever feel the urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
- Have you ever considered self-harm or suicide because of your gambling?
Signs Of Gambling Problem
If you answered “Yes” to seven or more of these questions, you could be a problem gambler, but help is available! Learn more about treatment and support resources at Get Help Now.