Quote from: Fatanut on September 03, 2018, 11:25:27 AM

Quote from: Betwrong on September 02, 2018, 12:32:24 PM

Quote from: batang_bitcoin on August 27, 2018, 11:13:35 PM

Quote from: crwth on August 19, 2018, 08:11:44 AM

Why do you feel shy? I think that is common because its what other people said here. Its somewhat because of the fear of humiliation or not knowing anything about what you are doing. Being online makes it better.

I doubt that not knowing part.

Everyone is aware of gambling and if he isn't aware of what he does, he won't gamble in the first place. But the most common reason is they are shy of being known by their relatives as a gambler. Gambling has a bad image in the industry so if they knew it that one of their relative is gambling, they feel like he has a contagious disease.

First of, having a contagious disease is not a shame, anything can happen to anyone. Secondly, gambling addiction, or "compulsive gambling" as they call it, is an illness which should be treated accordingly, and relatives of an addicted gambler should try to find a good doctors for him/her rather than to be ashamed of.

I think by "not knowing" crwth meant the dangerous phase of the gambling addiction when gambler really doesn't know why he's gambling, acting like a zombie.

What's funny is that gambling isn't even contagious. A contagious disease is something that can be transmitted to another human by contact. I've never heard of a story where someone accidentally touched a gambler or drank in the same glass as the gambler and suddenly he became addicted to gambling. Initially, we all had a choice in addiction. You can live in a family where everyone does marijuana but you can be that someone who thought it was wrong and so never tried it.

After watching documentaries about addicts, drugs, gamblers, alcohol, and food addicts, it opened my eye. Those people are simply hurt. They are using their addiction as a way to momentarily escape life. But it's gotten to the point that what they had to cope to was so huge that they had to rely on these vices in order to carry on with life. Girls flirt with men and then leave them just so they can feel better about themselves. Men crash their wive's skulls just because they had a bad day at work. Now, why are we ashamed of the addicts, those who chose to harm no one but themselves?

In order to help someone, you have to understand them. That's why I never really judge people. There's always an explanation as to why they are like that. An addict is more than addict. They are humans who are hurting inside, just like us. They just have a different way of coping with it. Something not socially acceptable unfortunately, that is.

Very nicely put! I just want to add that to understand someone you should have the same experience. That's why the best therapists for drug addicts are former drug addicts. And the best therapists for people who have a post-war syndrome or any post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are those who had been in similar situations in the past. As far as we are gamblers, and as far as some of us were addicted at some point, we can help the current addicts to overcome the addiction. I was addicted more than 2 years ago and it lasted not more than 3 weeks, but still I remember the condition and I remember how to withdraw yourself from it.

Just imagine if doctors were ashamed of sick people instead of helping them. That's not how it should be.