|
Gambling, just like any other addiction, becomes a problem when the addiction turns active. And that happens when you don't know when to quit.
Playing the office football pool, or tossing down a few hands of blackjack in Vegas, isn't generally a problem for most people.
But making that "last" bet, especially when you're losing and you're chasing normal sized "good" money bets with huge "bad" money bets, is a sign of a problem. It's the same difference between someone who has a couple of glasses of wine with dinner and maybe blows it out once in awhile, and the guy that's downing ten drinks a night on a regular basis.
Addictions aren't healthy, and they come from different things. Ever noticed how the AA or NA people are usually addicted to sobriety and recovery to the point that nothing else is important to them? I went with a co-worker years ago to his NA meeting when he needed a ride one night. I've never seen that many people drink that much coffee and smoke that many cigarettes in such a small time and place -- the room looked like the smoking lounge at the Atlanta airport in under an hour, it was foul (and I smoke).
Every thing in an addicts life is either about their addiction or about whatever it is they have transferred their addiction to.
Then I think you get the accidental addicts, as I like to call them -- people that started out harmlessly enough but somehow missed the sign in the road that said, Slow down, the bridge is out ahead.
It's really pretty sad when you get right down to it.
And if you're still questioning whether or not your behaviour is problematic, then you're probably still safe in the behaviours. It's when you start to feel that you are above the possibility of problems or addiction that the Devil kicks you right in the nuts and donkey punches you before you can stand back up.
|