Problem Gambling

About three months ago, I walked into a convenience store. On the right side of the convenience store was a poker video machine which was very popular in the city. There was a man in his late forty, poorly dressed and dirty. I saw him dropping a few coins in a machine and waiting to win or lose. I couldn’t take my eyes off the sight, and I thought he was a homeless, but he wasn’t. After that, he didn’t get anything, and he started to swear.Then, I went to him trying to clam him down. After that we sat togather, and he started to tell me his story, “I was studying at a university without any problem or financial trouble. My grades were very high. Also, I was a nice and social person. Most the time I was smiling, tolerant and pleasant. I liked my friends and they liked me too. One day I went to a casino with my classmates. I had never been to a casino before. When I entered the casino, I felt surprised and amazed about how the people play and earn lots of money easily. Day by day, I started to gamble in a casino. I believed that my life would not be the same, and I will afford what I dreamed. Also, I believed that I would have lots friends and become very rich. All of a sudden, I lost what I had, and I was losing more than earning. After that, I borrowed lots of money to finance my gambling. I could not move from my chair, and I spent most of the day in a casino. My mood changed, and I became angry and disappointed all the time instead of being good-tempered. Moreover, I lost sleep thinking about gambling and my home life turned to unhappy. During the years I found myself in an enormous financial trouble and became poor. As well, I was escaping from my friends who argued about money that owed to them. I tried to stay away from gambling, but I couldn’t. Finally, I was caught many times by police and put in jail because I broke the law to pay for my gambling”. Listening to the story, I rose my eyebrows and was surprised about how gambling harmed his life. Therefore, I understood that he was a compulsive gambler. Gambling makes people addicted, depressed and involved in committing crimes.

What happens when the fun of gambling becomes an addiction?
Most people gamble just to spend their free time. They don't worry about winning or losing, and they gamble just for fun. In contrast, people who are addicted to gambling believe that by gambling they can escape from their problems and become rich, so they depend on gambling. Also, they are unable to tolerate losing and avoiding the shame of losing, and if they lose their money, they immediately try to recoup (President of Harvard College, 2004, P.1). In addition, gambling makes people addicted, and it is harder to treat than addiction to drugs or alcohol abuse (Braidfoot, 1985, P. 21). Moreover, according to author president of Harvard College, people who are addicted to gambling waste most of their money and lives by taking risks on gambling. Also, the author noted that if some people lose their money, they later return to gambling trying to win back their losses, and they play again and again. As result, they become addicts.

Unfortunately, some people think if they start gambling and find themselves lose many times, they don’t think that they will try again and again or become addicted to gambling. Also, some people feel that they probably lose at the beginning, but after a period of time they will learn and become skilled. Consequently they become compulsive gamblers and out of control (wikipedia, 2005).
Gambling makes people not only addicted, but also depressed. Gambling is a source to waste money and the life turns into the worst by gambling .Also, gambling can turn people’s life to unhappy and makes them depressed, for instant. Gambling makes people lose their jobs, ignore their families, and lose their friends. Besides, most addicted gamblers have difficulty sleeping, and they are usually addicted to alcohol or drugs. As well, some people think that by gambling they can get away from problems or revive thoughts of depression. In addition, “gambling losses cause depression, which leads to more gambling” (President of Harvard College, 2004, P. 3). Gamblers can't resist the try to gamble, and they borrow large mount of money. Sometimes, they damage relationships with family and friends. Moreover, mental conflict can be risen by gambling, for example, when an addicted gambler attempts to quit gambling, they usually become impatient (Chene,2005). Also, gamblers frequently feel remorse after gambling, and they are usually moody. Most gamblers and their families are worrying about finances. For instance, they torture themselves and worry most of the time because of losing a lot of money and getting into financial trouble. Gamblers usually have problems with their work, school or relationships. However, in spite of these problems, gamblers will continue to gamble (President of Harvard College, 2004, P. 2).
Additionally, money becomes oil that controls the gambling engine (Braidfoot, 1985, P.18). Addicted gamblers always try to find the money that helps them finance their gambling (President of Harvard College, 2004, P.1-2). Most of gamblers act illegally or break the law in order to get gambling money or recover gambling losses. For instance, when gamblers can’t afford their gambling, they start to steal, lie,beg and use fake checks to finance gambling or pay their debets (President of Harvard College, 2004, P.2). Also, sometimes addicted gamblers commit crimes in order to obtain money, especially, teenage gamblers, who steal money from their parents or commit crimes to finance their gambling.
In summary, according to researchers we found that gambling makes people lose their money and get into financial problems. Most times gamblers lose sleep thinking about gambling and worry about losing their money. Indeed, gamblers borrow lots money from their friends to gamble, and they have become so isolated that they don't have anyone left because their old friends ask about their own money. Also, most gamblers are addicted, and they find it difficult to stop. In fact, it is possible that when gambler can’t find money to gamble, they break the law to pay for their gambling.