Arizona Council on Compulsive Gambling, Inc.
AZ/New Mexico Helpline 1-800-572-1142
WHAT IS COMPULSIVE GAMBLING?
For most people, gambling is a recreational activity. However, for an estimated 2%-3% of the U.S. population, gambling becomes an addiction.
Compulsive gambling is a progressive disease, much like alcoholism or drug addiction. In many cases, the addiction is hidden. Eventually, the gambler cannot function without gambling and begins to withdraw from all other activities. Not all compulsive gamblers show the same signs and symptoms of addiction (there are differences in gender, age or cultural backgrounds), however most will:
FACT: Compulsive gambling is a psychological disorder, just as difficult to arrest as addiction to drugs or alcohol.
MYTH: Gamblers are just lazy, low life degenerates.
FACT: Gambling addicts have healthy and unhealthy personality traits, just like the rest of us.
For most people, gambling is a recreational activity. However, for an estimated 2%-3% of the U.S. population, gambling becomes an addiction.Compulsive gambling is a progressive disease, much like alcoholism or drug addiction. In many cases, the addiction is hidden. Eventually, the gambler cannot function without gambling and begins to withdraw from all other activities. Not all compulsive gamblers show the same signs and symptoms of addiction (there are differences in gender, age or cultural backgrounds), however most will:
- Use gambling as a coping strategy to mask underlying emotional pain.
- Rely on the excitement to make themselves feel good.
- Wager increasing amounts to win back their losses.
- Believe that a big win will rescue them from mounting debt..
- Hide their gambling from family and friends.
- See the gambling as a financial problem, not an emotional one.
- Eventually become emotionally, mentally and physically distressed.
SOME MYTHS AND FACTS
MYTH: Gamblers can just stop if they really want to.FACT: Compulsive gambling is a psychological disorder, just as difficult to arrest as addiction to drugs or alcohol.
MYTH: Gamblers are just lazy, low life degenerates.
FACT: Gambling addicts have healthy and unhealthy personality traits, just like the rest of us.
THE INVISIBLE LINE...
An invisible line separates
the majority of individuals
who gamble recreationally from
the small minority who cannot.
HAVE YOU CROSSED IT?
Compulsive gambling addiction,
like drug addiction and alcoholism, creates increasingly unmanageable life issues for the gambler
and his/her family.
Ask yourself
the following 8 questions:
ARE YOU PREOCCUPIED WITH THOUGHTS OF GAMBLING, OR URGES TO GAMBLE, ESPECIALLY AFTER EMOTIONAL UPSETS?
DO YOU USE GAMBLING TO
SOLVE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES
OR TO ESCAPE FROM
WORRIES OR FEARS?
DO YOU PLAN LEISURE ACTIVITIES (LIKE FAMILY VACATIONS)
AROUND GAMBLING OPPORTUNITIES?
WHEN YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO GAMBLE, IS YOUR MOOD OR BEHAVIOR NEGATIVELY AFFECTED?
ARE YOU DEFENSIVE ABOUT YOUR GAMBLING BEHAVIOR WHEN OTHERS ASK YOU "WHY?" OR "HOW OFTEN?" OR "HOW MUCH?"
DO YOU MINIMIZE OR JUSTIFY
YOUR GAMBLING TO YOURSELF,
AND THEN HIDE IT OR
LIE ABOUT IT TO OTHERS?
ARE YOU NEGLECTING YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES,
ISOLATING FROM FAMILY AND/OR
AVOIDING YOUR FRIENDS?
HAVE YOU TRIED REPEATEDLY
AND UNSUCCESSFULLY
TO CONTROL OR STOP YOUR GAMBLING?
If you answered "yes"
to any of these questions,
call 1-800-572-1142
the majority of individuals
who gamble recreationally from
the small minority who cannot.
HAVE YOU CROSSED IT?
Compulsive gambling addiction,
like drug addiction and alcoholism, creates increasingly unmanageable life issues for the gambler
and his/her family.
Ask yourself
the following 8 questions:
ARE YOU PREOCCUPIED WITH THOUGHTS OF GAMBLING, OR URGES TO GAMBLE, ESPECIALLY AFTER EMOTIONAL UPSETS?
DO YOU USE GAMBLING TO
SOLVE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES
OR TO ESCAPE FROM
WORRIES OR FEARS?
DO YOU PLAN LEISURE ACTIVITIES (LIKE FAMILY VACATIONS)
AROUND GAMBLING OPPORTUNITIES?
WHEN YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO GAMBLE, IS YOUR MOOD OR BEHAVIOR NEGATIVELY AFFECTED?
ARE YOU DEFENSIVE ABOUT YOUR GAMBLING BEHAVIOR WHEN OTHERS ASK YOU "WHY?" OR "HOW OFTEN?" OR "HOW MUCH?"
DO YOU MINIMIZE OR JUSTIFY
YOUR GAMBLING TO YOURSELF,
AND THEN HIDE IT OR
LIE ABOUT IT TO OTHERS?
ARE YOU NEGLECTING YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES,
ISOLATING FROM FAMILY AND/OR
AVOIDING YOUR FRIENDS?
HAVE YOU TRIED REPEATEDLY
AND UNSUCCESSFULLY
TO CONTROL OR STOP YOUR GAMBLING?
If you answered "yes"
to any of these questions,
call 1-800-572-1142
Are you aware that...
- Some 2-3% of the U.S. population meets the criteria for a gambling problem. That's between 6 and 9 MILLION individuals!
- Every compulsive gambler negatively affects at least 7 other people.
- Seniors and teens are the two fastest growing groups of gamblers.
Upcoming events...
27th National Conference on Problem Gambling
July 19-20, 2013
www.ncpgambling.org
Seattle, WA
14th Annual NCRG Conference
on Gambling and Addiction
Sept 22-24, 2013
www.ncrg.org
Las Vegas, NV
Gambling Got You Down?
You've come to the right place. On this site, you'll find a wealth of information, understanding
and hope.
Start with Types of Gamblers (you may recognize yourself). If you're a woman, click on Female Gamblers. If you're a man, click on Male Gamblers for important facts. Male or female, young or old, if you are experiencing problems or are affected by compulsive gambling, awareness is the first step toward a happier and healthier life.
Are YOU Practicing
"Safe Gifting"?
"Safe Gifting"?
Have you ever bought a handful of scratchers and stuffed them into a child's holiday stocking? Or tucked a scratch-off ticket in a youngster's birthday card or present?
Many of us have done this for years without giving it a second thought. It's fun, convenient and inexpensive. It's harmless, isn't it? Or is it?
Something as seemingly benign as scratching off a $1 gamecard could stimulate the pleasure center of a child's brain and send a subtle message of social acceptability and adult approval.
Please, think before you gift!