Who knew that playing a game of cards would bring trouble in the long run? Nobody did but it is there. Nobody became a gambling addict overnight and there are three phases that everyone should know about.

Dr. Robert Custer came up with the three phases of gambling. This expert who is a member of the American Psychiatric Association classified this problem as a disease in the 1980’s and illustrates this with the Custer Three Phase Model.

The Custer Three Phase Model is namely winning, losing and desperation. Lets discuss each one of these in detail.

During the winning stage, the person is winning and instead of betting small amounts, decides to shell out more money in the hopes of doubling or tripling it. Of course, things change and go downhill from here, which is better known as the losing phase.

In the losing phase, the person will play again in the hopes of winning back the money that was lost. He or she may borrow money from friends and family, steal, lie and commit other acts that the individual thought could never be done.

The last phase is called the desperation stage. The individual’s condition gets worse. The gambler will blame others for being in this situation, probably have an addiction for alcohol or drugs, feel hopeless and either end up in jail or commit suicide. This is truly a tragic end for those that decide to give up.

Some experts think there is a fourth stage called the hopelessness phase. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, ending one’s life becomes an option and 20% of those who consider it have actually done it.

Aside from suffering from these phases in the casino, this can also happen if you get involved in video poker on https://www.parisalanage.com and play often the slot machines. This may be hard to imagine given that you don’t spend much during each game but if you are there everyday, imagine how much have you used up in a week, a month or even a year.

Studies have shown that it usually takes two to three years before a person gets into the third or fourth phase by using these machines. For those in the casino or call up someone to place a bet, this is much shorter.

We previously mentioned that gamblers account for $5 billion that is lost annually. This means there will be a rise in the number of people who are unemployed, that are in debt or who will file for bankruptcy, forced to be evicted from their homes, will suffer from disease, commit crimes and even kill themselves just to make the problem go away.

This will also put a strain on the family of the gamblers both physically and psychologically because the bank and other people will keep calling them to repay the money that is due. Families will be broken and those who will suffer the most, as in any addition, are the children.

This shows that anyone who is experiencing the three phases of gambling will hurt a lot of people. The good news is that it is never too late to stop what they are doing and make a change.

The change that is being referred to is by walking away from this old vice, moving on and hoping for the future. For that, the gambler can join a support group, get into therapy or simply talk to someone about the problem. We will review some resources in an upcoming chapter.

The gambler will feel irritated and restless similar to how someone who is trying to be alcohol or drug free. The person will just have to take it one day at a time and hopefully stay away from gambling for good.

Is gambling bad? The answer is no if this is taken in moderation. Some people drink on occasion while others smoke a cigarette. Although placing a bet is not like ingesting alcohol, drugs or nicotine into your bloodstream, the person has to know when to stop instead of falling into the trap of the three phases of gambling.

In this online gambling, individuals find web-based games more persuasive and better than setting off to a customary club to bet. Locales produce having spaces for different games where individuals can challenge their companions for a game just as play with outsiders.

About The Author

Erik Allaire is a master poker player who has won many professional poker events, wishes to represent his country at the world level.

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