Most individuals with a serious Gambling Addiction are very intelligent. They have realized that in games of chance there still is a great deal under the player control. They know what moves are risky, who is bluffing, and when it’s best to cut ones losses.

For many with problem or Compulsive Gambling "addictions" treatment comes only after the problem has reached its apex. There are always signs that point to the need for Gambling Treatment, but often these are brushed aside as lady luck is just around the corner. While it is good to be optimistic it is best reserved other aspects of life. Like other addictions that cross legal boundaries, Gambling Addiction can cause an untold amount of legal woes. Most individuals with a serious Gambling Addiction are very intelligent. They have realized that in games of chance there still is a great deal under the player control. They know what moves are risky, who is bluffing, and when it’s best to cut ones losses. However, when it comes to addiction they easily delude themselves into believing they are in control. Quite frankly with Gambling Addiction, the house always has the advantage. If an individual applied the same logic he or she utilizes to gamble to that of Gambling Addiction they would see that the only option is to cut ones losses. In a non-gambling related self-help book, "The Power of Now", the author states the status quo of the problem is a tool for realizing the solution. Let's try to take the framework that a professional gambler uses and apply it to Gambling addiction. Risk: A Gambling Addiction with a heavy load of debt, strained relationships and possible legal trouble is a heavy risk to face. Bluff: Telling yourself that you are still in control, the problem is not that bad, the debt is not that bad or winnings are just around the corner is a bluff you make to your addiction. Unfortunately Gambling Addiction will call your bluff each and every time. You can try to delude yourself, but addiction knows all your tells. Cutting Losses: How would you proceed if faced with a high-stakes game fully knowing that your opponent knows every card you are holding? Before you answer that one, your opponents in the game are the law, the bank, your career and a "non-official" loan officer/collector. Would you place a bet knowing these odds? Would you feel shame in folding knowing these odds? No. Intelligent people are able to spot risks that cannot be taken. Even so, we often times find ourselves unable to see forest for the trees. With Gambling Addiction the house always wins, but we are still left with the choice of entering that house. The only sure thing is to realize that in this particular game the winning hand is the one that reaches out for help. Betting on your future by seeking help is the best odds one could ever hope for.