COMPULSIVE GAMBLER TEST

Gambling is supposed to be for fun unless you consider yourself a professional gambler who can support your family, pay all bills and lead a debt free life. It should be considered as any other leisure time like bowling, going to the cinema or theatre or travelling. The added incentive with gambling over other forms of leisure is that you can actually win money. It is this aspect that gets a lot of people hooked into gambling and eventually become compulsive gamblers. Below are some questions to help the individual decide if he or she is a compulsive gambler and wants to stop gambling. Most compulsive gamblers answer YES to SEVEN or more of the questions below. If you do, then perhaps it is time to seriously consider what you are doing with gambling and get some help.

1. Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
3. Did gambling adversely affect your reputation?
4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
5. Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
7. After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
8. After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
12. Were you reluctant to use "gambling money" for normal expenditures?
13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry or trouble?
16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
18. Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
20. Have you ever considered self destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?

Like any addiction, gambling will forever be in your system. It is in your blood, your dreams and your soul. If you let it control you, it will eventually destroy you. There is no shame in admitting that you have the symptoms of a compulsive gambler if you have answered YES to 7 or more of the questions above. The shame is if you don't get some help to manage the addiction. Millions of people are addicted to something whether it be alcohol, drugs or gambling. It is never too late to get help. Below are links to some of the most renowned associations relating to helping the compulsive gambler.