Who knew that playing a game of cards would bring trouble in the long run? Nobody did but it is there. Nobody became a gambling addict overnight and there are three phases that everyone should know about.
Well, the addiction in question simply begins with a harmless card game that eventually grows bigger whenever you have your first win and then as the games progress on, you become obsessed with winning all rounds at each cost where even losses intensify your desire to stake more in order to win back all that you have lost whether it is Judi slot online or blackjack.
As we mentioned previously, Dr. Robert Custer came up with the three phases of gambling. This expert who is a member of the American Psychiatric Association classified this problem as a disease in the 1980’s and illustrates this with the Custer Three Phase Model.
The Custer Three Phase Model is namely winning, losing and desperation. Let’s discuss each one of these in detail.
During the winning stage, the person is winning and instead of betting small amounts, decides to shell out more money in the hopes of doubling or tripling it. Of course, things change and go downhill from here, which is better known as the losing phase.
In the losing phase, the person will play again in the hopes of winning back the money that was lost. He or she may borrow money from friends and family, steal, lie and commit other acts that the individual never thought he would do.
The last phase is called the desperation stage. The individual’s condition gets worse. The gambler will blame others for being in this situation, also have an addiction for alcohol or drugs, feel hopeless and either end up in jail or commit suicide. That is truly a tragic end for those that decide to give up.
Some experts think there is a fourth stage called the hopelessness phase. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, ending his life becomes an option and 20% of those who consider it have actually done it.
Aside from suffering from these phases in the casino, this can also happen if you get involved in video poker and often play the slot machines. This may be hard to imagine given that you don’t spend much during each game but if you are there every day, imagine how much have you spent in a week, a month or even a year.
Studies have shown that it usually takes two to three years before a person gets into the third or fourth phase by the method of using these machines. For those actually in the casino or who call someone to place a bet, this time frame is much shorter.
Some believe that having gambling addiction is hereditary but this is just a theory as yet not proven. This simply means that this is one of the many possibilities.
$5 billion is lost annually by people in the winning, losing or desperate phases of gambling. This means there will be a rise in the number of people who are unemployed, that are in debt or who will file for bankruptcy, forced to be evicted from their homes, will suffer from disease, commit crimes and even kill themselves just to make the problem go away.
This will also put a strain on the family of the gamblers both physically and psychologically because the bank and other people will keep calling them to come up with the money that is due. Families will be broken and those who will suffer the most are the children.
This shows that anyone who is experiencing the three phases of gambling will hurt a lot of people. The good news is that it is never too late to stop what they are doing and make a change.
The change that is being referred to is by walking away from the old vice, moving on and hoping for the future. For that, the gambler can join a support group, get into therapy or simply talk to someone about the problem.
The gambler will feel irritated and restless, similar to how alcohol and drug addicts feel. Even some of the physical withdrawal characteristics can occur when the mind is that addicted. The person will just have to take it one day at a time and hopefully stay away from gambling for good.
Is gambling bad? The answer is no if done in moderation. Some people drink on occasion while others smoke a cigarette. Although placing a bet is not like ingesting alcohol, drugs or nicotine into your bloodstream, the person has to know when to stop instead of falling into the trap of the three phases of gambling.
