Copyright© Marcy Nichols. All rights reserved.
Many gamblers have what is de-
scribed as “high ego and low self-esteem.”
What this means is that their insides don’t
match their outsides. There may be low
self-esteem inside, but they will outwardly
show to others a “big shot” full of confidence
and power. The compulsive gambler is
willing to do anything (often of an anti-
social nature) to maintain the image that
he or she wants others to see. There is a
lot of evidence supporting the theory that
a great number of compulsive/disordered
gamblers gamble to escape
uncomfortable feelings or thoughts. This
seems most often the case with those that
have experienced a traumatic event at
some time in their life or for those that are
going through a challenging life transition
such as being out of work, having been
recently injured or ill, losing a relationship,
or moving to a new place. For many of
these people, they found gambling helped
them cope with a difficulty then as they
gambled more and more their gambling
became their biggest problem.
There are two main types of gam-
blers: the “action” gambler and the “es-
cape” gambler. The GA Combo book talks
more about the action gambler, the
gambler looking for excitement. The
escape gambler uses gambling as a way
to escape from life stressors or pain, and
is not necessarily the anti-social person
described elsewhere. These are
gamblers who tend to like the hypnotic
effects of the video poker machines and
the slots, where there is no personal
competition.
Now we will explore how much of a problem gambling is in your life by taking three
assessments. The first assessment instrument is based on the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for
Gambling Disorder. The second is a popular screening tool used by many professionals,
and the third is a questionnaire used by Gamblers Anonymous. These assessments are
only an indicator of what level you’re gambling at, whether you are a Problem Gambler or
possibly a Compulsive/Disordered Gambler. Depending on the results of these tests, and
MORE STATISTICS:
According to the University of New
York, some of the more prevalent
gambling trends show:
The likelihood of developing a
gambling addiction increases 23-fold
for people affected by alcohol use
disorders
34 percent of those who seek
treatment for gambling addiction exhibit
symptoms of PTSD
Over 80 percent of American
adults gamble on a yearly basis
The National Council on Problem
Gambling (NCPG).
15 percent of Americans gamble at
least once per week.
All but two states have some form
of legalized gambling, and 43 states
have lotteries.
Approximately two to three percent
of Americans meet the criteria for
problem gambling. That's around 6
million adults and about a half million
teens.
Approximately 6 percent of
college students in America have a
gambling problem.