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- A gambling addict was encouraged towards gambling by his or her partner– without them they “wouldn’t be in this position.” This is another myth of gambling addictions. One tactic many addicts have is to blame others for their actions. It isn’t uncommon for an addict to pick the closest person to them and put the bulk of the responsibility for bad decisions on them. Any Twelve-Stepper will tell you the first step is to take responsibility for your own actions and gambling addicts are no different. It is always a myth that addictions are external; the problem is internal and ever addict has to face that in their own time.
- A gambler in debt needs financial help. When it comes to addictions, they are completely internal and changing the external situation is not fixing the problem. Anyone who has every paid for a gambling addict’s debt knows that it is merely throwing good money out the door. Without the gambler taking responsibiity for their actions, the problem is not going to be solved.
- A gambling addict will see the problem eventually and “fix” it themselves. This is another myth because most addicts don’t see the problem until they are well into it. That could mean they lose their spouse, friends, homes, and other assets. Some addicts don’t realize they have a problem until they are literally destitute and without anyone. It is a myth to let the gambler come to their sense alone, believing that eventually they will “get it.” The best thing you can do is step in and address the problem. They may not be ready to change, but at least the issue is on the table for when they are.
Overall gambling addictions are predicted to increase as time goes on. The reason is because of the huge surge in gaming in the world. More and more companies are making it easy for new gamers to enter the market. Plus they are making it highly lucrative if they get lucky. For this reason, people have to bring the topic up at least if there may be a problem. It is much easier to get help before disaster, than to wait for it to happen and try to clean up the mess.