Part 3: What Is Your Profile?

What type of person becomes a compulsive gambler? Many people falsely believe that only those of a low socioeconomic status will become afflicted with compulsive gambling. However this is just not true! Regardless of your economic status, job, race, sex or age, it is still possible to become a compulsive gambler. Even people who are financially affluent develop gambling addictions, which prove that it is not centered about wanting more money. The truth is that gambling addictions are based on the rush of winning, not the money that may or may not be won.

There are two types of gamblers who develop problems:

The "Escape Gambler"

This person is trying to forget or run away from something. It could be their current way of life or present situation. Such a person will gamble to feel better and avoid looking honestly at their situation. Simply put, they use gambling as a way of escaping from their lives. Escape gamblers generally suffer from low self-esteem, or a poor self worth. They may appear self assured and confident in public and when gambling, however on the inside they are secretly scared and nervous about their lifestyle.

Oftentimes when an escape gambler enters the dangerous cycle of compulsive gambling, it has been brought on by a trigger, perhaps a fight with a spouse, a bad day at work, money problems or even stress.

Escape Gambler-Marcus's Story

Take a look at Marcus. Marcus was a young man who did not have a huge group of friends but was quite close to a few long-term friends. He suffered from the typical teenage angst and often felt like he did not fit in during high school. He suffered from a lack of self-esteem and low confidence most of the time, unless he was participating in his favorite hobbies that he excelled in. After Marcus turned 21 he discovered the blackjack table at the local casino and also noticed the amazing feeling of power every time he placed a bet. When he sat down at the blackjack table he got a sense that he finally fitted in and belonged to something.

Soon, Marcus fell into a deep cycle of compulsive gambling. Every time he sat down at the blackjack table he felt great! But when he walked out the doors at the end of the night, he felt worse than when he started. He started to experience bouts of depression and his self esteem reduced even more. He withdrew from his family and his close friends. He also stopped participating in the hobbies that once brought him so much pleasure and shut himself off from his support system.

Marcus is an example of a compulsive gambler who used gambling as an escape. He already suffered from a lack of confidence and low self esteem, and it did not take him long to fall deeper into depression when gambling came into his life.

The "Action Gambler"

The information mentioned above is not to imply that everyone who gambles is depressed and suffering from low self esteem. In many cases, the exact opposite of an escape gambler can be drawn to the gambling habit. This may be because they suffer from self esteem problems deep down, or hide their feelings well. These people thrive on the gambling high, and they are often referred to as action gamblers.

Action gamblers are often outgoing personalities who are hard working and very generous. Their friends and family are often a high priority and they appear to be very sociable. However, gambling changes such a person. If you fall into the cycle of compulsive gambling you may find that you sometimes withdraw from the friends and family members who were once so important to you. You also find yourself ignoring the activities that used to bring you joy. In sum, you begin to retreat inside yourself.

Action Gambler- Mario's Story

Take a look at Mario, who is a different type of person altogether from Marcus. Mario is a young man who is very outgoing, friendly and fun to be around. He has lots of friends because he's a lot of fun and makes everyone feel important. However, despite everything that he has going for him, Mario has also found himself addicted to gambling. His game of choice is poker. He started playing occasionally but soon began to search for more games to add to the online poker.

While Mario has a lot of friends, he will often lie to them about his wins, or brush off his losses to downplay the significance of his addiction. He has begun to distance himself from friends and family members who ask too many personal questions. Mario is certainly in great danger of falling deeper into the gambling cycle.

Two very different personalities, yet both suffer from a similar gambling problem. This does not denote that every gambler can be easily placed into one of the two categories but these are generally the most frequently occurring types.

Knowing which profile you fit into can help you better understand the mechanisms of your gambling problem, as well as identify the forces that keep you trapped in this vicious cycle.

Jocelyn Edwards
co-author of Your Life Beyond Gambling^(TM)

PS: Affiliate, this mini course will give you some basic tools to deal with your gambling problem, but I can't possibly tell you everything in just eight emails. That's why I put everything into my self-help guide, Your Life Beyond Gambling^(TM). It's got so, so much more. It's a radically new, complete approach that will take you by the hand and walk you through each step until you are completely gambling-free.

The course consists of a book, a workbook and a course checklist that will help you measure your progress and keep focused on moving towards the freedom you've been looking forward to.