Symptoms of Problem Gambling

Due to excessive gambling or some other affects my brother became a problem gambler. But at that time, he was unable to find what happened to him. He was suffering from a hidden illness as he was not getting any obvious symptom or physical sign like what happens when one suffers from any alcohol or drug addiction.During that time, he always tends to deny or minimize his problem. I found that he is getting withdraw from his beloved ones, sneaking around, and telling lie most of the times about where he have been and what he have been done.

One day being at home I was reading an article about problem gambling and suddenly I thought does he suffer from problem gambling?

I matched his symptoms with the symptoms given in the article following that:

• He neglected his family and work for gambling.
• He gambles secretly.
• Never tells exactly about the gambling amount.
• Always bring forced to keep his bets up.
• Feeling remorse later than gambling.
• Stick to gambling till the end of the last dollar.
• Spent the money given to pay the bills.
• His habit of stealing, borrowing, or selling things for getting money to gamble.
• Dreaming very big to win and buying something from that amount.
• Gambling for escaping from the worries.
• Gambling for solving financial losses or winning the losses back.
• Gambling for making celebrations.

All those were the symptoms matching with the symptoms of my brother. I discussed deeply with whole of my family and we decided to make my brother free from being a problem gambler. We supported him well and took help of a psychologist and finally we got rid from this problem. Now, my brother is very well and an interesting thing is that he left gambling forever.