ALCOHOLISM & ADDICTION > GAMBLING ADDICTION

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GAMBLING ADDICTION

Perhaps no mass addiction has been more effected by the rise of the internet than gambling. Legal gambling was only a vacation option in the past for most Americans if they chose to go to Las Vegas or Atlantic City. But with the prevalence of gambling on the internet and poker on television, gambling has become as accessible as any form of addiction. As the top poker players are glorified like sports heroes in the popular culture, more and more individuals are being hit with the gambling bug. Soon many of them find themselves trapped in an expensive and dangerous spiral of compulsive gambling.

Gambling addicts often try over and over again to prove that they can gamble like other people. Their great obsession becomes that one day they will be able to control their gambling and stop the compulsion. The persistence of this illusion is astonishing, and it leads directly to jails, institutions and death. Gambling addicts not only lose all their money, but also their families, careers and health. They become criminals to deal with the squeeze and threats of loan sharks and bookies. A compulsive gambler is unable to accept the reality of their plight as they are overwhelmed with emotional insecurity and fear. They live in the fantasy realm of grandiosity and wishful thinking where the next big win will make everything alright. They picture themselves in mansions with servants tending to their every need, on yachts surrounded by sun-tanning playmates, and on private planes that jet them from Monaco to Monte Carlo, paid for with their endless winnings. When reality hits like a lightning bolt, they find themselves broke and penniless, living on the streets and begging for their next dollar to wager with. But they continue despite the consequences because gambling addicts believe that without their dream world, life would be intolerable. Wonderland Center is dedicated to providing only the best gambling addiction help.

Call 877-777-1963 at any time, we're here to help.