GAMBLING

GAMBLING DEBT: MANAGEMENT AND TAKING CONTROL

College students sometimes are tempted to gamble because they’re looking for excitement and easy

money. The truth is there are more poor gamblers

than rich gamblers.

The 3 Phases

Adding fuel to the fire is the fact that by the time many gamblers have sought help for their problem they are already drowning in debt. Many view gambling as even more addicting than some forms of drugs seeing as how quickly one might move through the three phases of gambling.

Winning. While in the winning phase, one may experience a big win or triumph over a lot of small fortunes leaving them with the same feeling of rush that you could get from a drug. Whether it’s for the money or the boost of energy the gambler often increases the amounts of their bets.
Losing. The losing phase is sure to follow soon after when the gambler begins bragging about past wins, lies to friends and family about what they are doing in their spare time, borrows money just to gamble, and becomes irritable and withdrawn. In this phase, a gambler “turns the corner” and becomes unable to repay debts and adopts the mentality that they need to “chase” their losses in hopes of winning them back.
Desperation. The final phase of desperation is when no light can be seen at the end of the tunnel and the gambler is just gambling to recuperate the money they owe other people or to escape the reality of what their problem really means. This phase is commonly marked by an increase in time spent playing and will, at times, be accompanied by regret and shifting blame to others. The hopelessness that characterizes the desperation phase may even lead to emotional breakdown, and drug or alcohol abuse.