Teenage Gambling And The Addiction

Gambling today is all around us. From the local lottery to football pools at work, gambling has become as much a part of our lives as shopping or eatting with the family. But for millions of teens it may develop into so much more than the occasional bet with friends. It can become an obsession, a way of life. The problem of gambling compulsivly is a crippling illness that can destroy familys, friends, jobs, and lives. It will become increasingly important to identify and assist this new group of teens. This paper will share with you the phases of gambling in theU.S., the growing interest of teen gambling, and what happens when compulsive gambling interferes with life.

1. The Historical Phases of Gambling

Many history books specializing in the study of the legal aspects of gambling, argue that gambling in the United States has gone through three historical phases. Gambling thrived during the colonial and post revolutionary periods. Governments supported and encouraged lotterys. Lotterys however were not the only type of gambling during this time. Wagering on horse racing was another popular form of gambling. Racing though was not quite as organized or as complex as modern day horse racing

19.Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?

10.Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?

After starting a recovery program many gamblers will ask the question “Will I ever be able to gamble normal again“ ? The answer to that question is no. The first bet to a problem gambler is like the first small drink to an alcoholic. Sooner or later he or she falls back into the same old destructive pattern. Once a person has crossed the invisible line into irresponsible gambling they never seem to regain control. Gamblers Anonymous said that a few of their members have tried some small bet experimentation each time ending with negative results. Throughout recovery and even after the gambler needs to realize that they have two alternatives: the first one is to gamble again and risk progressive deterioration and the other is to not ever gamble again and try to develop a better way of life.

When a compulsive gambler seeks help it is commonly because something dramatic has happened in their lives. A teenage gambler may feel forced, or obligated to seek help because they have been arrested, have been threatened by parents, or because a bookie needs money now. Treatment involves changing the compulsive gambling lifestyle that the adolescent may have become accustomed to. To do this they must find new things that interest them, and new ways of thinking and acting. New problem solving skills must also be developed, because previous skills used gambling as an escape from realistic issues (Pavalko 141). If careful consideration has been taken and a teen has decided that the benefits of quitting gambling outweigh the benefits of engaging in it, then the first of many problems has been solved. Maintaining motivation and coping with urges to gamble are future problems a recovering compulsive gambler will face. One must develop a lifestyle of positive addiction to replace the negative. Freedom from a gambling addiction is a long and involved process and even if at times progress is not smooth, an addict must continue to move forward to newfound pleasures that have taken the place of gambling in their lives (Pathological Gambling42). Currently Gambler’s Anonymous offers an excellent program to help people of all ages’ deal with or eliminate their gambling addition. In the first step to recovery, the gambler must answer yes or no to twenty questions. This determines their level of addiction. The 20 questions are:

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