Gambling is an uncontrollable urge to gamble. Of course, everyone can feel the urge to go to a casino, try their luck at a slot machine or buy a lottery ticket. This is normal, but gambling addiction occurs when the urge to gamble becomes obsessive.
Gamblers cannot control not only their desire to play, but also their behavior while playing. Read on in more detail, what is gambling addiction, what are the consequences of the disease, and why is it so important to start treatment for gaming addiction at an early stage.
How to understand that a person is a gamer: symptoms of gaming addiction
Gambling is manifested by psychological and physiological symptoms, as well as personality changes. Consider the symptoms of the disease:
- Psychological symptoms
The gambler insists that he/she is not addicted and that the situation is under control. He/she gambles longer or more often. A gambling addict cannot stop even when he loses or wins a lot.
She becomes irritable and angry if the game has to be interrupted.
Her mood swings often, going from euphoria to withdrawal symptoms between games.
Hides the true cost of gambling from friends and family. - Physiological symptoms.
A high level of adrenaline, endorphins and other hormones that negatively affect the body are constantly released. The mind is exhausted, and the surge of hormones causes problems with the functioning of internal organs, which work at the limit of their capabilities, which leads to high blood pressure, problems with the heart and the gastrointestinal tract. Outwardly, a person with a developed gaming addiction may resemble a drug addict or an alcoholic. - Symptoms of personality change
Gambling becomes a priority in the life of a gambler who gives up hobbies, work and studies. They lose touch with friends and family because gambling takes up so much of their time. They go into debt or take out loans.
Causes of gaming addiction
Since the human psyche is a very sensitive and complex system, it is impossible to compile a specific list of the causes of game addiction. However, after decades of treatment, experts have identified several important risk factors:
- Examples of a loved one who also has a gambling addiction and destructive behavior.
- Wrong priorities in life, emphasis on wealth as an indicator of money, achievement of material goals, status and success.
- The desire for quick and easy money.
- Life crises can lead to gaming addiction:
Age crises, loss of the meaning of life, apathy, hopelessness.
Depression, loneliness, misunderstanding of others.
Dissatisfaction with life.
Mechanisms of gaming addiction
The insidiousness of gaming addiction is that internal biochemical processes change and a physiological trap is triggered. The excitement of the game releases stress hormones such as adrenaline, and the moment of winning releases dopamine and serotonin. The alternation of these two states – excitement/stress and satisfaction/enjoyment – keeps people coming back to gambling again and again to experience these sensations.
The second dangerous moment is when a person is so immersed in the game that the stakes become higher and higher, and a whole cocktail of neurohormones is released into the blood. They act like a drug, and the player falls into a trance without realizing it. He loses control of his behavior, the amount of money he loses, and the time he spends, and just wants to keep playing. At this moment, the player is no longer interested in winning itself, but the process of the game itself causes euphoria.
How dangerous is ludomania
As written above, gamblers lose touch with reality. The meaning of their life becomes the game, or rather the feelings they experience during it. Gambling sufferers take valuables out of the house. The main thing is excitement and winning. All thoughts of a gambler revolve around winning. They are so addicted to gambling that they miss work, break relationships with loved ones, spend all the family money, take out loans and even commit illegal acts. This can even lead to the fact that gamblers end up in prisons. Often such people do not realize that they have a problem.
Stages of gaming addiction
There are several stages in the development of ludomania:
- Winning - after winning several times, a person becomes "addicted" to the game, plays more often and expects easy enrichment. The stakes are not very high yet.
- Losing - every time a person loses, they try to win again. They play more and more, make bigger bets and go into debt.
- Sadness - remorse and desire to quit. They can lose their family, job and home. Absolutely law-abiding people become gamblers and get involved in crime.
- Despair - players become completely antisocial, suffer from depression and neuroses, start drinking and using drugs. Almost half of addicts try to end their lives by suicide.
How to help yourself if you are a gamer
Apart from a comprehensive program of psychiatric correction and rehabilitation, there is no patented cure for this addiction. However, addicts can take the first steps in this direction:
- Recognize your illness.
- Talk to loved ones about your gaming addiction and ask them for support.
- Stop looking for reasons to start gambling again.
- Find a safe hobby that will take your mind off gambling.
- Analyze the events that led to the addiction and understand what triggered it.
- Spend more time in nature and avoid isolation.
- Refuse to communicate with the former company.
- Make new interesting acquaintances and change your daily routine.
- Contact specialists who will help you recover and return to a normal life.
How to treat gambling addiction - help from a specialist
People are not aware of their addiction and therefore do not understand that they need help and treatment. This is why support from family and friends is so important. They must distance themselves from the addict and convince them that there is a problem and that treatment is necessary, rather than blaming them for everything. If they cannot do this on their own, they need the help of a psychotherapist.
Today, there are many different ways to treat gaming addiction, including psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and medication.
Treatment of gaming addiction depends on the stage of the disease. Early stages of gaming addiction can be cured with psychotherapy. In more severe cases, drugs such as serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, opioid receptor antagonists, and mood regulators are inevitably used. Behavioral, cognitive and rational psychotherapy is used. The last phase is quite long. It involves socialization and adaptation to life without gambling.
If you are faced with such a problem, then you can turn to specialists in a hospital or a rehabilitation center, where they will help you with your problem.
In any case, the recovery process depends on the gambler's decision and his great desire to live a full life.
How to stop playing for money? Read in the section "Gambling“