People working to help those with gambling problems are holding their annual conference in Sheboygan this week and a spokesperson says they want people to recognize when gambling becomes a problem.
March is problem gambling awareness month. Executive Director of the Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling, Rose Blozinski details some warning signs....
" ...Things you want to pay attention to are you gambling more than you used to, are you spending more money than you used to, is it becoming an important part of your life, are you having financial issues because of it, are you having personal issues because of it, are you having suicidal thoughts that play into it? Those are a few of the basics somebody should pay attention to..."
Problem gambling is often defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others, rather than by the gambler's behavior. Severe problem gambling may be diagnosed as clinical pathological gambling if the gambler meets certain criteria. Pathological gambling is a common disorder that is associated with both social and family costs.
Blozinski says if someone wants more information they can call the problem gambling hotline at 800-GAMBLE-5. The Council partnered with Creative Calm Counseling, LLC this week to have a Disorder Screening at UW-Madison.
