Jocelyn Edwards

Compulsive gambling sounds very ominous and even dangerous. But what is compulsive gambling? Is the man down the street a compulsive gambler because he likes to bet on the outcome of the game every week? How about that lady in your office who likes to spend her Saturday nights at the casino unwinding? Or the teenager who logs onto the online poker sites on the Internet?

It can be difficult to differentiate between compulsive gambling and recreational gambling, unless you know what symptoms to look for. Compulsive gambling is defined as the urge or impulse to engage in gambling behavior that leads to social and psychological damage. Recreational gambling is the occasional participation in gambling behavior that does not lead to the damaging consequences mentioned above.

Nobody aims to become a compulsive gambler, which is why this addiction is extremely dangerous. An addiction can develop very quickly and means that someone can move from being a recreational to compulsive gambler very easily. The huge personal tragedy results from being totally unprepared for the consequences of this change.

It is very easy to shift from recreational gambling to compulsive gambling. In fact, sometimes this transition can occur without the gambler realizing.it. This isthe trap and the slippery slope which is often missed by most people.

Are you worried that perhaps you have made that transition and not even been aware of it? Perhaps you already know that you are a compulsive gambler? Either way, there is help for you. You do not have to live with your gambling addiction. Also, please understand that there is more to life than the lure of the big win. This book is going to demonstrate how to break free from the chains of addiction and take back control of your life. 

"Compulsive gambling is much more than greed. Most people think that people suffering from gambling problems have an addiction to money, which is simply not true. It is not the money they're addicted to, but the feelings and the experiences that gambling has to offer."