Addictive Personalities

 Addictive Personalities (Gambling)

A friend of my parents experienced the addiction of gambling. He started just by playing one hour per week, on the internet, of course, with real money. After he started playing, he realized that he liked it, and actually he wanted to play more and more every day. He even didn`t want to eat, sleep or going to the bathroom. The only thing in this world that he wanted to do, was play.

When his wife found out he was spending all his money on betting, instead of buying food and paying bills, she felt so disappointed at him and very sad because she couldn’t think about what was she going to do. So, she calm down and gave him an ultimatum. Saying: “If you stop gambling, I`ll try to forgive you and even look for professional help for you”, but you have to promise me that you won’t do it again, because if you gamble one more time you will lose me and your kids. And after she finished saying that, he felt so bad about what she said that he changed, just for his family.

Gambling addiction begins with small things like: slot machines, pool table, horse racing, blackjack, cars racing, and get worse when you start playing at the famous Casinos.

Compulsive gambling can starts at any age, but it usually does at the early age of 20’s on men, and for women at the age of 30’s – 40’s. The things that can cause gambling addiction are: depression, anxiety, loneliness, and also low self-esteem. Most gamblers become addictive after a big win and this is soon followed by an unrealistic big winnings.

Almost the gambling addicts turn to family and friends. Crime is a common feature, and money is stolen from friends and relatives. Rents and other bills are generally neglected. With the time, lying becomes a constant characteristic in gamblers life. Almost every one of the family and friends had learned not to trust them.

Many gamblers lose their job; family, friends, and savings are almost wasted away. The gamblers become a complete stranger to their people around them. Betting, also can take gambling addicts to other addictions such as: smoking, alcohol, drugs and sex. Why?. Because they’re surrounded by people that are not just addicted to this addiction they’re addicted to many other things.

In my opinion, treating people with gambling addiction can be so painful. There’s no magical cure or treatment for this compulsion. If you have to control an addictive person, and I am not just talking about gambling, I mean with any kind of addiction; you cannot treat them with violence, yelling, or forcing them. You have to give them pieces of advice, to find them a professional help or just be a friend for them. Be by their side. And if this person really wants to change, he or she will do it.