For many people who gamble, the act of buying a lottery ticket or visiting a casino is a fun hobby that isn’t taken seriously. For others, however, gambling can become an addictive activity, and over time, gambling may lead these people to make poor life choices in the pursuit of a win.

If you’re concerned about yourself or someone you love who you believe may have a gambling problem, below are three signs to watch out for:

1. Upping the Stakes

Someone who has developed a gambling problem often needs to continually raise the amount of money they are willing to gamble. It’s believed that doing this is a result of dopamine receptors becoming too accustomed to a certain level of risk, so the person with a gambling problem requires higher stakes to receive the same psychological payoff.

2. Inability to Stop Gambling

Problem gamblers may also feel powerless to stop gambling. They may not be able to control a compulsion to play a game or buy lottery tickets. In a casino setting, they may not know when to walk away from a particular game, and even after losing all of their money, they may return to the casino as soon as they have acquired more.

3. Hiding Gambling Activity

It’s normal to feel a bit embarrassed about losing a large sum of money on a bad purchase or at a casino game, but problem gamblers tend to hide their addiction. This may be done by maintaining a separate bank account that is kept hidden from a spouse or by hiding receipts from casinos or lottery purchases. Over time, a loved one may stumble across receipts or financial papers stuffed into hiding places like drawers, glove boxes, or under objects.

Seeking Help

Although gambling addiction can be tough for someone suffering from it, help for gambling addiction is available. Many states have programs set up for problem gambling assistance, and help for gambling addiction is also available from private therapists who can work individually with people who have found themselves having trouble with gambling.

Author Resource:-

Alester Brown writes about mental and physical health. She advises people on Paediatrician & online Psychiatrist consultation. You can find her thoughts at telehealth treatment blog.