The online gambling industry has grown rapidly, with numerous (gambling sites) ( online-casino-dollar.co ) worldwide. Many people have indulged in the activity due to its flexibility. However, some people suffer from online gambling addiction due to its addictive nature. Online gambling addiction is a situation where a gambler has an uncontrollable urge to gamble. As such, they have no control of when and how to gamble.
Common signs and symptoms
When addicted to online gambling, the activity changes from an entertaining fun activity, to a harmful pre-occupation. This will have some serious consequences to both the individual and their families at large. The funniest thing is that you won’t even know when addicted. You’ll think its just the normal stuff you know. However, there are common signs that most gamblers suffering from online gambling addiction have.
First, when addicted to online gambling, you’ll be very secretive about your gambling activities. This might include gambling secretly or even lying about how much time and money you spend on gambling. You will have the feeling that other people won’t understand you. Secondly, when addicted, you’ll have no power to control your gambling. You won’t know when to stop betting. Other signs include:
- Gambling even without the money.
- Strained relationships with your family.
- Interference of your work schedule.
- Overall financial disaster since you work will be affected and you might be running into huge debts.
Regardless of your specialization in online gambling, this addiction can happen to anyone from any social class. When addicted, you can find yourself doing things that even never anticipated, like stealing to get some gambling money. At such a time when you are stealing, it is obvious that people depending on you are in an even worse situation. Generally, when addicted to online gambling, your life is in a mess.
Dangers of Online gambling addiction
Just like any other form of addiction, being addicted to online gaming is harmful. You not only risk losing your job, but your family too. Remember when addicted, you’ll dedicate most of your time to gambling. As such, you have less time to take care of other activities. You won’t even have time for your family. Additionally, your productivity at work will reduce and you might end up being fired.
Health effects of Online Gambling Addiction
Online gambling addiction affects both physical and mental health of an individual. Spending too much time gambling affects physical damages to your body. Since the activity is done online, you’ll be sitting for long hours, probably in the same posture all through. This obstructs proper blood circulation to every part of your body. Also, addiction to online gambling can lead to increased anxiety and depression due to numerous losses.
How to beat online gambling addiction
The first step to beating this addiction is realizing that you have a problem. It takes enough courage to acknowledge this, especially when you have encountered the effects of this activity. Secondly, it is advisable to join a support peer group to get insights on how to get rid of the addiction. Also, you can join a self-exclusion program where you’ll stop or pause gambling for some time.
- Learn to relieve emotional feelings in healthy ways.
- Grow your support network.
- Seek help from friends and family.
Where to get help when suffering from online gambling addiction
If you, or someone you know is suffering from online gambling addiction, there are several available resources to help you get started. Excitingly, some of these resources are anonymous and confidential. Therefore, you won’t feel embarrassed since everything is kept private. Whenever you need such anonymous help, you can visit BeGambleAware.org and see the available services. Arguably, this is the best method to help with online gambling addiction.
The final thoughts
In conclusion, gambling should be a fun activity not a source of problems. However, due to its addictive nature, the latter is still possible. That's why you should take immediate action when you observe any signs of online gambling addiction. This will curb it before it gets out of control. Most importantly, you should gamble responsibly. This may involve knowing when to pause or stop gambling completely.