Gambling Addiction and Other Destructive Behaviours

I got a call from an old friend of mine the other day. Kwame and I went to school for a few years before his family moved back to Ghana. We stayed in touch through the years, so he thought of me when his younger brother, Afiríyie, got sucked into gambling. You see, Afiríyie got himself into quite a pickle owing some dodgy businessmen a lot of money. And the only way out, he thought, was gambling. He was desperate to pay off his debt. So, despite constantly losing, he kept on playing and kept on losing, which led to more playing and even more losing. Afiríyie believed his big win was just around the corner. Things quickly spiralled out of control.

I came up with a plan for Afiríyie but decided to write about this important matter here as well because no one is immune to falling into an addiction, no matter if gambling or some else. Think you might be addicted to gambling but you aren’t sure? Try this cool Gamble Aware quiz and find out if there’s something you need to worry about.

Before you start playing casino games, do yourself a favour and read through the websites of specialised organisations, such as GamCare and Gamble Aware. You could refer to the many useful articles on those sites when someone you love has a gambling problem as well. However, if they do have a problem, it’s likely that they don’t realise it and, in that case, they won’t probably admit it. Be gentle in your approach – support them without judging, accusing or threatening them. Finally, if the matter is that serious that it goes beyond your control, do not hesitate to seek professional help. After all, addictive behaviours are considered a psychological problem and therapists are well-equipped to manage the symptoms and get to the root cause.

But, whatever you do, don’t get discouraged from playing casino games. You wouldn’t stop crossing the road using a zebra crossing because someone got hit by a car while jaywalking, would you? Casino games can be an extremely valuable recreational activity and can bring you some cash as well. It’s all a matter of self-control and sound judgement. However, you should only play at licensed online casinos and while we’re at it, why not play at the top casinos? If you want to learn how to tell which the best casinos are, have a look at topcasinos.org.uk.

On the topic of addictions, you can get addicted to practically anything. For example, I had a girlfriend who was obsessed with eating right. She calls it “clean eating” but scientists have a different name – Orthorexia Nervosa. Also, some of my mates hit the gym daily. Though they want to get buff, taking it to the extreme means they might have an exercise addiction. “What am I picking at them for,” you might ask, “Healthy food and exercise are good for you. They’re not drug addicts!” Well, no matter how healthful something might be, getting addicted to it is wrong because there’s no such thing as a positive addiction.

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