When someone has a gambling problem, all aspects of their life can be impacted. People experience financial, emotional, and personal consequences that affect not only themselves, but also their family, friends and co-workers. As the amount of time and money spent gambling increases, so do the losses. This can create significant stress for the person gambling and lead to emotional and even physical consequences, as eventually funds may not be available to meet the most basic needs of food, clothing, shelter, etc. In desperation a person with a gambling problem may begin lying and/or stealing to cover up the problems, creating further stress for everyone around them. Relationships become strained, finances are drained, and everyone, including the person gambling, struggles to maintain some semblance of normal life as it used to be, before the gambling problem began.