There are numerous addiction intervention programs for people with gambling problems, and they're often run not by trained professionals, but by the loved ones of gambling addicts. These programs attempt to inform addicts (and their families) that gambling is a serious, life-threatening addiction-one that has a much greater societal impact (on families, children, and communities) than many other addictions. Much of the societal impact comes not only from the addiction itself, but from all the closely related issues of denial, deception, and despair that gambling addicts (and their families) must deal with.
What is Gambling Addiction?
A gambling addiction is an unstoppable need to bet on everything that is available. There's no shame in gambling. The problem arises only when a person can't seem to stop. This struggle to resist the urge to gamble, even when the gambler has just made an amazing win, makes the gambling addict just that: addicted. The effects of this illicit love affair often creep into the gambler's work life as well as the homes they share with friends and family. The causes of gambling addiction correlate with the type of problem each gambler has.
Pathological Problem Gambler
Gambling addicts are at the lowest level of addiction and typically do not cause much harm to those around them. However, gambling is an insidious vice that can cause a person to lose everything. The addict may deceive everyone, even himself, about the nature of his vice, claiming that he is only doing what many do when pursuing a hobby or an exciting good time. Of course, the opposite is true. For example, an addict might say to someone he has lured into his scheme, "I'll pay you back when I get my winnings! What I am doing is no different than someone going to a ball game, right?"
Binge Gambler
Compulsive gamblers typically bet on gambling games at regular intervals that are, at least at one time, completely free of any kind of gambling. In some cases, when they start gambling again, they can't stop. and we might expect them not to be responsible gamblers. They're just as likely to gamble away their homes.
Compulsive Gambler
The most serious of all is the gambler who cannot control his gambling. The urge to put everything on the line in a game is his and his alone, yet it compels him, in a way few substances can, to neglect the basic demands of life. He spends time neglecting family and friends, puts himself in danger by lying and stealing, and when his screams and the sobs of those in his life become too much to bear, he turns to suicide as a way out.
Causes of Gambling Addiction
The reason for gambling varies from person to person. Some individuals begin gambling as a pastime, but a few cannot stop the practice once it has become a problem. In most cases, we assume that the root cause lies in a person's inability to maintain a decent or sufficient standard of living. But there is more to it than that. Some of us are genetically and biologically predisposed to have addictive personalities. This means that we are more likely to cling to certain behaviors and not be able to let go of them.
How to Deal with Gambling Addiction
In Ghana, there are several ways to find help for a gambling addiction. The ill effects of gambling can only be truly known by a professional who can not only tell you about the harmful effects of gambling but can also prescribe treatments for the long term recovery of a gambling addict. There are clinics in Ghana that rehabilitate people with gambling addictions. Here's a list of some of them:
- Toll-free gambling helpline 0800 006 008 as part of the National Responsible Gambling Program (NRGP).