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Gambling Addiction Guide & 8+ Helpful Tips to Stop
Posted on May 20, 2020 at 1:21 PM |
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Gambling Addiction Guide & 8+ Helpful Tips to Stop By Liam Wilson Psychiatry experts describe
addiction as a brain disorder that involves repeating certain actions despite
negative consequences on health and well-being. The statistics aren’t
encouraging as it indicates that gambling addiction is among the most common
addiction forms these days. The reason behind it is a large
number of land-based gaming facilities throughout the world. Additionally, you
have numerous online gambling websites offering lottery, betting, and casino
games. Although these games can be a fun way to spend leisure time, it is
essential to be careful. Here is what you need to know about gambling addiction
and how to stop it! What
Is a Gambling Addiction? Gambling addiction is a mental
disorder where you cannot control your behavior and stop gambling even when you
aware that it affects your health and wellness negatively. Just like a person
addicted to substances cannot stop using them, a gambler cannot stop playing.
Gambling addiction also shares similarities with impulse-control disorders like
kleptomania or pyromania. According to statistics, only the
United Kingdom has around 600,000 gamblers dealing with addiction. The data
indicates that more than 2% of players in the United States have a certain type
of addiction to gambling. It is a growing problem that shouldn’t be taken
lightly. That is why it is crucial to recognize the issue on time and take the
required steps to deal with it. What
Are the Main Gambling Addiction Types? Scientists recognize three different
gambling addiction types, and not all of them manifest the same symptoms. Here is an overview of the most
common addiction types:
Is
Gambling Addiction a Serious Problem? Yes, gambling addiction is a serious
problem, and it is imperative to deal with it as soon as possible. It is
crucial not to push addiction issues under the carpet since that could make
them worse. Gambling addiction can significantly
affect the gambler’s quality of life, as well as their family, partners, and
friends. That is why you should give your best to recognize the symptoms
promptly, especially in the case of compulsive gambling. It is hard to say how many gamblers
have an addiction form since many of them use self-help options to deal with
the problem. The experts believe that 2-3% of all players deal with some form
of addiction. How
Gambling Affects Your Life It is not an exaggeration when
someone says that gambling addiction can change your entire life. Take a look
at how it could affect you! 1.
Mental health The critical thing to consider is
how gambling issues affect your mental health. Gamblers focus only on playing
their favorite game and often forget other aspects of their lives. That means
they might not be able to focus on job tasks, miss important events, etc. Gambling addiction itself is a brain
disorder, which means it affects your state of mind. In many cases, mental
problems are the reason why people become addicted to gambling. It is also
common that a mental health issue occurs after developing a gambling addiction. 2.
Relationships It is the people that are close to
the gambler that is the most affected by their negative habit. It might start
by forgetting about your partner’s birthday or missing family dinner. Things
could take a turn for the worse when loans, lying and stealing to find time and
money to play. Gambling issues could cost you the entire relationship with your
partner, and make you distant from your family and friends. 3.
Finances Finances might be a category that
takes the first hit once you enter gambling problems. Not being able to stop
and not winning anything means you need to invest more money. It is only a
matter of time when you will start taking cash that was supposed to be used for
other things. Gamblers frequently take loans, miss payments for their home, or
even sell the property to acquire funds. What
Are the Signs of a Gambling Addiction? Do you think your friend, or a
family member developed a gambling addiction? Would you like to test yourself
to ensure you are not addicted? Here is the list of the most
frequent signs that you developed negative gambling habits. 1.
Always Thinking About Gambling It might be your friend’s birthday,
and the atmosphere is great. You might have an important work task, but you
can’t concentrate because you are thinking about playing casino games. If you
are trying to focus on other activities, but you can’t stop imagining visiting a
gaming facility, that is among the initial signs of a gambling problem. 2.
Developed Gambling Tolerance It used to be enough to invest a
couple of dollars and feel the excitement. However, you’ve discovered that you
now need more money to experience the adrenaline rush. The experts explain this
by the term “gambling tolerance.” The more you play, the more money you invest. The first time you invest a big sum,
everything changes. Investing small sums doesn’t do the trick anymore, and that
can be dangerous for your finances. 3.
No Control Over the Losses You set a gambling budget so that it
doesn’t affect your daily routine or threaten your loan repayment rate.
However, once you lost the chosen sum, you realized that you want to continue
playing. It all started by taking a tiny portion of the funds important to you.
Before you know it, you lose the entire salary or savings. Not being able to
control your losses is a sign of a gambling problem and an issue that could
ruin your life. 4.
Gambling Is a Way to Escape Reality Things are not going great in your
life. Your company might have fired you recently, or your partner broke up with
you. Going through a rough patch in life makes gambling a fun way to escape
reality. In those situations, it can be easy to develop a habit and get
yourself into more problems. 5.
Experiencing Withdrawal Symptoms You spend hours a day playing your
favorite games. Once you stop, it makes you feel nervous, sad, and depressed.
You are anxious to return to gambling, as that is the only thing that soothes
you. That is a sign you are going through withdrawal symptoms when not playing.
If you compare how you feel about the feelings of a person withdrawing from
substance abuse, you will find out the two are similar. 6.
Lying to Others Admitting that you have a gambling
problem is hard. You have problems confessing to yourself, and you certainly
don’t want others to know. However, if you are going the extra mile to hide
from others that you are gambling, that might be a problem. That is especially
true if you lie about being sick to miss your friend’s birthday so that you can
gamble. 7.
Stealing from Others If you are ready to steal money or
valuable items for others to acquire gambling founds, it might indicate that
you are in a serious problem. Stealing from your friends is immoral, and
stealing from others is illegal. Either way, it is crucial not to let yourself
do something like this. And if it happens, it is a surefire indicator that you
have gambling issues. How
to Deal with Gambling Addiction You have several approaches when it
comes to dealing with gambling addiction:
Can
You Help Another Person Addicted to Gambling? Did you notice that your friend has
gambling issues? Is your partner spending hours and losing a lot of money on
playing casino and other games? The first step in helping someone is
to recognize that they have a problem. The next is to understand which steps
will truly help them. Covering them for hours while they head to a gaming
facility won’t assist the gambler fight with their addiction. Loaning them the
money is also pointless because they will probably lose it. Start by finding the right way of
telling them you think they are addicted. Don’t be judgmental, but pinpoint
that you would like to help. Recommend potential ways of treatment, such as
group support and counseling with a professional. Compulsive
Gambling Stages According to experts, a compulsive
gambler will go through four stages:
What
Are the Risk Factors for a Gambling Addiction? Are some people at more risk of
becoming addicted to gambling than others? The answer is yes, which is why you
should take the time to understand the risk factors. Gambling
Availability Some countries ban gambling, which means
you can only play illegally. That reduces the overall number of players, as
well as those addicted. But the majority of countries legalized gambling, and
you can play in both online and land-based facilities. That means you can
access a gaming platform around the clock, which makes it easier to get hooked. Confidence
Overload Nobody plays a game without hoping
that they will win. However, those having overconfidence issues might be at
more risk for gambling addiction. They believe they will win every time, which
makes it easy for them to start losing money and get addicted. Impulsivity Gambling addiction is an impulse
control disorder, and people who tend to act impulsively are more prone to it
than others. That factor can be quite risky if it is combined with
overconfidence. Rough
Life Patches Whether you are out of work, or you
lost a beloved person, you might need a way to escape reality. Some people see
gambling as the way to do that, which makes rough life patches and feeling
vulnerable a risk factor for addiction. Economic
Status Did you know that people who earn a
lot of money tend to act more responsible when it comes to gambling? It depends
on the individual, but those with low earnings might resort to gambling to
improve their economic status. Genetics
and Family Factors Some experts claim that those who
have parents with a gambling addiction are more prone to developing one.
Research indicates that those coming from a family where there are records of
gambling addiction, alcoholism, and substance abuse are more likely to get
hooked to gambling. Also, the earlier you start playing, the more odds you have
to develop an addiction. Are
Age and Gender Risk Factors for Becoming a Gambler? People of both genders and all ages
can develop a gambling addiction. However, it seems that teens and the elderly
are the most vulnerable groups. Teens try gambling because they want to look
cool, but they might have a hard time putting it under control. Elderly people
might be having a hard time making peace with the fact they are retired or
going through a divorce, which triggers gambling addiction. As for gender, more men are addicted
to gambling at this moment. However, the number of women is increasing every
day. Common
Gambling Addiction Myths If you are going to overcome or help
someone deal with a gambling addiction, it is important to understand the
disorder. Take a look at the most common misconceptions people have about this
condition. 1.
Addiction Requires Gambling Every Day A gambler might be a fan of a
particular lottery game. They might like playing in a specific casino, or they
only bet on basketball. The gambling events might not occur every day for the
gambler to be addicted. The crucial criteria for determining it is the
frequency of wagering and sums invested. 2.
It Is Not a Problem If It Doesn’t Cause Financial Issues for the Gambler Rich people might be able to afford
huge losses. However, that doesn’t mean gambling addiction can’t affect your
life otherwise. You could experience mental health problems like anxiety and
depression, and ruin relationships with other persons. The point is that
addiction has severe consequences that could go far beyond finances. 3.
Gambling Addiction Happens to Unintelligent People Who Don’t Have a Strong Will Addiction plays with your brain, and
even the smartest and strongest people are vulnerable. For example, if you are
a math wizard, you might overthink and trick yourself that it is possible to
design a strategy to guarantee a win. It is crucial to note that people of
all ages, genders, nationalities, social statuses, education levels, and
intelligence levels can become addicted. 4.
You Should Help a Gambler Get Out of Financial Problems If you give money to a gambler, the
chances are they will lose it quickly. That is no long-term solution, and it
only supports their addiction. Instead of doing that, recommend them to consult
a therapist or start attending group support. How
to Help Yourself If You Have a Gambling Problem Although gambling addiction is a
serious problem, you can overcome it! However, you need to be persistent and
ready to invest plenty of time and effort. Here is a list of tips that could
help you in overcoming gambling problems! 1.
Admit You Have a Problem Everything starts by admitting that
you have a problem. As long as you are rejecting the idea that your gambling is
an issue for yourself in others, it will be hard to get better. Once you
understand you have a problem, you can work on the right moves to deal with it. 2.
Understand That It Will Be Hard The second step goes hand in hand
with the first one, and it involves discovering the reason why you are
gambling. It might be the adrenaline rush, escape from reality, but also the
desire to win and improve your finances or life overall. The thing to understand is that it
is virtually impossible to beat an addiction until you start realizing the
opponent’s strength. It is important to get ready for the battle and doing
whatever is necessary to put your life in control again. 3.
Join a Support Group It is always better to have people
by your side than going through a tough period alone. That is why you should
consider joining a support group. If staying anonymous is important, you can
look for online support groups. Apart from classic meetings, you can
also join classic programs. Gamblers Anonymous implement a 12-step rehab
program similar to the one when withdrawing from alcohol. These meetings occur
weekly, and you discuss your progress during the recovery. 4.
Visit a Therapist If you feel like you could use extra
support, there is no reason why you wouldn’t visit a therapist. Look for a
professional counselor who has experience in the gambling industry. Alternatively, your therapy doesn’t
have to focus on gambling. If you feel your relationships have suffered, you
can attend couples therapy. Professionals can always assist to go through a
rough patch and repair relationships. 5.
Are Medications a Solution? Addiction plays with your brain and
might make you anxious and depressed. It might be easier to handle the cravings
with medications that would replicate the hormones producing while you are
gambling. A medical professional like a
psychiatrist can analyze your current situation, and whether there is a need
for medication. 6.
Organize Your Schedule The idea is simple – if you spend
time doing something else, you cannot gamble. That is why it is essential to
organize your schedule to the smallest detail. Apart from work, try to fill it
up with as many fun and exciting activities as possible. The idea is to
preoccupy your brain and stop it from thinking about gambling. 7.
Handling Gambling Cravings and Potential Alternatives Be prepared to experience gamble
cravings occasionally. Once that time comes, it will take a lot of strength to
push through them. It might be wise to look for
alternatives that provide a similar feeling:
8.
How to Treat Gambling Addiction Here is an in-depth look at how you
can treat gambling addiction by visiting various professionals:
Can
Family Members Help a Person Who Has Gambling Problems? If a gambler is beyond the point
where they can help themselves, family members can be of assistance. Everything
starts by protecting yourself, and that includes both your finances and
emotions. That is especially true if you are part of the same household. You
will need to keep things under control, which is why taking care of yourself is
imperative. You can consider asking for help
from other family members or friends. It might be a problem to admit that someone
close to you has a problem, but the more help you have, the easier you will
push through the problem. Don’t forget to set limits for money
spending, and never agree to loan money to the gambler. You can consider a loan
to pay their debts, but insist that you make the payment even then. Remember,
gamblers might be lying about why they need money. It is important to stay
strong and reject all their requests Tips
for Gamblers’ Partners
Frequently Asked Questions Q:
I had a lapse while dealing with gambling problems. What should I do? A: Lapses are normal because
fighting an addiction is difficult. Talk to your mentor, support group, or a
trusted person. The important thing is to keep going and ensure lapses are
minimized. Q:
My partner has a gambling addiction, and they are mentioning suicide. What
should I do? A: Always take any suicidal
thoughts seriously. Find a national helpline for suicide prevention or consult
a medical professional that specializes in that area. Q:
I feel guilty that my partner started gambling. What should I do? A: Understand that, as adults, we
all take responsibility for our own actions. Gamblers might try to rationalize
their bad habit by blaming other people or their surroundings. The truth is that
they are the only ones to blame. Regardless, you should find a way to help them
deal with the issue. Final
Thoughts We underline once again that
gambling addiction is a serious problem. That issue can affect your finances,
relationships, mental health, and overall quality of life. The critical thing is to recognize
addiction, whether it is in yourself or a person close to you. From that point,
you can consider the right steps to fight it. Always remember to count on your
friends and family, but don’t hesitate to rely on helplines and medical
professionals for additional support! |
This is your brain on gambling...
Posted on June 22, 2017 at 9:03 PM |
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How the Brain Gets Addicted to Gambling Ferris Jabr 10-13 minutes When Shirley was in her mid-20s she
and some friends road-tripped to Las Vegas on a lark. That was the first time
she gambled. Around a decade later, while working as an attorney on the East
Coast, she would occasionally sojourn in Atlantic City. By her late 40s,
however, she was skipping work four times a week to visit newly opened casinos
in Connecticut. She played blackjack almost exclusively, often risking
thousands of dollars each round—then scrounging under her car seat for 35 cents
to pay the toll on the way home. Ultimately, Shirley bet every dime she earned
and maxed out multiple credit cards. “I wanted to gamble all the time,” she
says. “I loved it—I loved that high I felt.” In 2001 the law intervened. Shirley
was convicted of stealing a great deal of money from her clients and spent two
years in prison. Along the way she started attending Gamblers Anonymous
meetings, seeing a therapist and remaking her life. “I realized I had become
addicted,” she says. “It took me a long time to say I was an addict, but I was,
just like any other.” Ten years ago the idea that someone
could become addicted to a habit like gambling the way a person gets hooked on
a drug was controversial. Back then, Shirley's counselors never told her she
was an addict; she decided that for herself. Now researchers agree that in some
cases gambling is a true addiction. In the past, the psychiatric
community generally regarded pathological gambling as more of a compulsion than
an addiction—a behavior primarily motivated by the need to relieve anxiety
rather than a craving for intense pleasure. In the 1980s, while updating the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the American
Psychiatric Association (APA) officially classified pathological gambling as an
impulse-control disorder—a fuzzy label for a group of somewhat related
illnesses that, at the time, included kleptomania, pyromania and
trichotillomania (hairpulling). In what has come to be regarded as a landmark
decision, the association moved pathological gambling to the addictions chapter
in the manual's latest edition, the DSM-5, published this past May. The
decision, which followed 15 years of deliberation, reflects a new understanding
of the biology underlying addiction and has already changed the way
psychiatrists help people who cannot stop gambling. More effective treatment is
increasingly necessary because gambling is more acceptable and accessible than
ever before. Four in five Americans say they have gambled at least once in
their lives. With the exception of Hawaii and Utah, every state in the country
offers some form of legalized gambling. And today you do not even need to leave
your house to gamble—all you need is an Internet connection or a phone. Various
surveys have determined that around two million people in the U.S. are addicted
to gambling, and for as many as 20 million citizens the habit seriously
interferes with work and social life. Two of a Kind The APA based its decision on
numerous recent studies in psychology, neuroscience and genetics demonstrating
that gambling and drug addiction are far more similar than previously realized.
Research in the past two decades has dramatically improved neuroscientists'
working model of how the brain changes as an addiction develops. In the middle of our cranium, a
series of circuits known as the reward system links various scattered brain
regions involved in memory, movement, pleasure and motivation. When we engage
in an activity that keeps us alive or helps us pass on our genes, neurons in
the reward system squirt out a chemical messenger called dopamine, giving us a
little wave of satisfaction and encouraging us to make a habit of enjoying
hearty meals and romps in the sack. When stimulated by amphetamine, cocaine or
other addictive drugs, the reward system disperses up to 10 times more dopamine
than usual. Continuous
use of such drugs robs them of their power to induce euphoria. Addictive
substances keep the brain so awash in dopamine that it eventually adapts by
producing less of the molecule and becoming less responsive to its effects. As
a consequence, addicts build up a tolerance to a drug, needing larger and
larger amounts to get high. In severe addiction, people also go through
withdrawal—they feel physically ill, cannot sleep and shake uncontrollably—if
their brain is deprived of a dopamine-stimulating substance for too long. At
the same time, neural pathways connecting the reward circuit to the prefrontal
cortex weaken. Resting just above and behind the eyes, the prefrontal cortex
helps people tame impulses. In other words, the more an addict uses a drug, the
harder it becomes to stop. Research
to date shows that pathological gamblers and drug addicts share many of the
same genetic predispositions for impulsivity and reward seeking. Just as
substance addicts require increasingly strong hits to get high, compulsive
gamblers pursue ever riskier ventures. Likewise, both drug addicts and problem
gamblers endure symptoms of withdrawal when separated from the chemical or
thrill they desire. And a few studies suggest that some
people are especially vulnerable to both drug addiction and compulsive gambling
because their reward circuitry is inherently underactive—which may partially
explain why they seek big thrills in the first place. Even more compelling,
neuroscientists have learned that drugs and gambling alter many of the same
brain circuits in similar ways. These insights come from studies of blood flow
and electrical activity in people's brains as they complete various tasks on
computers that either mimic casino games or test their impulse control. In some
experiments, virtual cards selected from different decks earn or lose a player
money; other tasks challenge someone to respond quickly to certain images that flash
on a screen but not to react to others. A 2005 German study using such a
card game suggests problem gamblers—like drug addicts—have lost sensitivity to
their high: when winning, subjects had lower than typical electrical activity
in a key region of the brain's reward system. In a 2003 study at Yale
University and a 2012 study at the University of Amsterdam, pathological
gamblers taking tests that measured their impulsivity had unusually low levels
of electrical activity in prefrontal brain regions that help people assess
risks and suppress instincts. Drug addicts also often have a listless
prefrontal cortex. Further evidence that gambling and
drugs change the brain in similar ways surfaced in an unexpected group of
people: those with the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson's disease.
Characterized by muscle stiffness and tremors, Parkinson's is caused by the
death of dopamine-producing neurons in a section of the midbrain. Over the
decades researchers noticed that a remarkably high number of Parkinson's patients—between
2 and 7 percent—are compulsive gamblers. Treatment for one disorder most likely
contributes to another. To ease symptoms of Parkinson's, some patients take
levodopa and other drugs that increase dopamine levels. Researchers think that
in some cases the resulting chemical influx modifies the brain in a way that
makes risks and rewards—say, those in a game of poker—more appealing and rash
decisions more difficult to resist. A
new understanding of compulsive gambling has also helped scientists redefine
addiction itself. Whereas experts used to think of addiction as dependency on a
chemical, they now define it as repeatedly pursuing a rewarding experience
despite serious repercussions. That
experience could be the high of cocaine or heroin or the thrill of doubling
one's money at the casino. “The past idea was that you need to ingest a drug
that changes neurochemistry in the brain to get addicted, but we now know that
just about anything we do alters the brain,” says Timothy Fong, a psychiatrist and
addiction expert at the University of California, Los Angeles. “It makes sense
that some highly rewarding behaviors, like gambling, can cause dramatic
[physical] changes, too.” Gaming the System Redefining compulsive gambling as an
addiction is not mere semantics: therapists have already found that
pathological gamblers respond much better to medication and therapy typically
used for addictions rather than strategies for taming compulsions such as
trichotillomania. For reasons that remain unclear, certain antidepressants
alleviate the symptoms of some impulse-control disorders; they have never
worked as well for pathological gambling, however. Medications used to treat
substance addictions have proved much more effective. Opioid antagonists, such
as naltrexone, indirectly inhibit brain cells from producing dopamine, thereby
reducing cravings. Dozens of studies confirm that
another effective treatment for addiction is cognitive-behavior therapy, which
teaches people to resist unwanted thoughts and habits. Gambling addicts may,
for example, learn to confront irrational beliefs, namely the notion that a
string of losses or a near miss—such as two out of three cherries on a slot
machine—signals an imminent win. Unfortunately, researchers estimate
that more than 80 percent of gambling addicts never seek treatment in the first
place. And of those who do, up to 75 percent return to the gaming halls, making
prevention all the more important. Around the U.S.—particularly in
California—casinos are taking gambling addiction seriously. Marc Lefkowitz of
the California Council on Problem Gambling regularly trains casino managers and
employees to keep an eye out for worrisome trends, such as customers who spend
increasing amounts of time and money gambling. He urges casinos to give
gamblers the option to voluntarily ban themselves and to prominently display
brochures about Gamblers Anonymous and other treatment options near ATM
machines and pay phones. A gambling addict may be a huge source of revenue for
a casino at first, but many end up owing massive debts they cannot pay. Shirley, now 60, currently works as
a peer counselor in a treatment program for gambling addicts. “I'm not against
gambling,” she says. “For most people it's expensive entertainment. But for some
people it's a dangerous product. I want people to understand that you really
can get addicted. I'd like to see every casino out there take responsibility.” This article was originally
published with the title "Gambling on the Brain" |
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