Gambling addiction, or an obsession with gambling, is an uncontrollable desire to constantly gamble, despite the loss of life that gambling brings. Is it possible to control this disease and how to get rid of it?

With a tendency to gambling, a person in any situation puts on the line, lies, hides his actions, is forced to engage in theft and fraud in order to be able to play.

Painful gambling addiction is a serious condition that can be life threatening. Although gambling addiction is difficult to treat, many gamblers have found help by contacting qualified professionals.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of gambling addiction are:

Achieving nervous excitement from a risky game
The constant increase in risk in gambling
The state when a person is completely absorbed in thoughts only about gambling
Replaying past game scenes in memory
If gambling becomes a way to get away from problems, feelings of helplessness, guilt or depression
When time is wasted on gambling to the detriment of work and family
Seeking to hide participation in gambling
If money is borrowed or stolen for gambling
If attempts not to "get involved" in gambling do not lead to success
When they lie to hide their gambling

As a rule, painful addiction to gambling occurs in late adolescence. In rare cases, addiction can occur when a person makes the first bet in his life. But more often, the problem of gambling addiction gradually progresses over time. In fact, many people enjoy playing for years without any problems. But if you start playing more often, or under stress, the game can occasionally end up with something more serious. During times of stress or depression, the need to gamble can be especially overwhelming. As a result, a person suffering from gambling addiction is almost completely absorbed in gambling and the problem of where to get money for it.

Most gamblers bet not so much to win money, but to get excited. To maintain it, they begin to play with more risk and make higher stakes. Such bets may mean amounts of money that the player cannot afford to lose. Unlike most players, who play occasionally, gamblers are forced to keep playing in order to get their money back - a situation that becomes more and more disastrous over time.

When should a gamer contact?

If family members, friends, or co-workers express concerns about gambling, then such a player should listen to their words. Because denial is almost always a hallmark of addiction behavior, it is difficult for a player to admit that they have a problem and need treatment.

Participation in gambling becomes uncontrolled if:

Deteriorating relationships with people, financial affairs, or problems at work
More and more time and effort is spent on gambling
Unsuccessful attempts to stop playing
The player hides gambling from his family or medical professionals
The player goes to theft or fraud for the sake of money for the game
The player turns to outsiders for help to get out of the financial problems that have arisen due to the lost money.

Causes

There is not yet sufficient understanding of the reasons why some people become pathologically addicted to gambling. Like other diseases, gambling can result from a combination of biological, genetic and environmental factors.

Risk factors

Gambling addiction affects both men and women and knows no cultural or socioeconomic boundaries.

Although most people who play cards or place bets do not develop a pathological urge to gamble, certain factors are most commonly associated with gambling:

Other behavioral disorders and mood swings. People who become pathologically addicted to gambling may also frequently suffer from drug and substance abuse, mood swings and personality disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many gamblers abuse alcohol and many suffer from severe depression.
Age. Painful addiction to gambling is most often observed in young people.
Floor. Painful addiction to gambling is more common in men than in women. Women usually start gambling in more mature age. They are more prone to depression, and if gambling is a way for them to get away from problems, then they develop pathological addiction faster. However, in recent years, the features of the pathological attraction to gambling in men and women have become more similar.
Family influence. The risk of developing a painful addiction to gambling increases in people whose parents also suffered from this problem.
Medicines for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In rare cases, medications known as dopamine agonists have the side effect of morbid gambling.
Certain personality traits. An increased risk is seen in people who are highly competitive, workaholic, have a restless personality, or who get bored quickly.

Complications

Gambling addiction can have serious and long-term consequences, including:

Relationship problems with people
Financial problems, including bankruptcy
Problems with the law or imprisonment
Loss of a job or a stain on professional reputation
Development of related problems such as alcohol and drug addiction
Suicide.
Before visiting a doctor

Deciding to seek medical help for gambling is an important first step. The following tips will help you get the most out of your doctor visit:

It is necessary to write down all the sensations that the gambler experiences, even if they may seem unrelated to the problem. Particular attention should be paid to the reasons for the desire to gamble, whether there were attempts to resist the craving for gambling, and how gambling affects lifestyle.

The most important personal information should be recorded, including mention of whether the gambler has experienced significant stress and significant life changes in the recent past.

It is necessary to make a list of all medicines, as well as vitamins and dietary supplements that the player takes. It is even better to take the original packaging of medicines and prescriptions for their use to the doctor.

Analyzes and diagnostics

The American Psychiatric Association has published the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). According to the criteria of the Guidelines, for the diagnosis of gambling At least five of the following signs and symptoms must be present:

The state when a person is completely absorbed in gambling, for example, reliving situations of past games or planning ways to get money to play.
The need to play for large sums of money to achieve a state of nervous excitement.
Failed attempts are less likely to gamble.
A state of restlessness or annoyance when trying to play less often.
Gambling as a way to get away from problems or to alleviate feelings of helplessness or frustration.
Trying to win back after a loss, or trying to get back lost money by playing more and more.
When a person lies to family members, doctors, or others to hide how much they are into gambling.
Committing fraudulent activities, theft or other illegal activities for the sake of gambling.
When a person endangers or damages relationships with people, loses a job, educational or career opportunities due to gambling.
When in a hopeless financial situation a person asks for a loan.
Since excessive gambling can be a sign of bipolar disorder (manic-depressive psychosis), psychiatrists should carefully examine the patient to rule out this condition before making a diagnosis.

Treatment and medicines

Treating gambling addiction can be difficult. The complexity of treatment is due to the fact that many people find it difficult to admit that they have a problem. Moreover, in treatment it is important to ensure that a person realizes that he suffers from a painful addiction to gambling. If family members or an employer force a player to undergo treatment, they will most likely resist it. However, treating gambling addiction can help the gambler regain a sense of self-control, and possibly even mend broken relationships or improve their financial situation.

Treatment of gambling addiction includes three main methods:

Psychotherapy. Behavioral therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy can be successfully used to treat gambling addiction. Behavioral therapy focuses on the behavior the person wants to get rid of (gambling) and teaches skills to suppress urge to gamble. Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identify unhealthy, irrational and negative attitudes and replace them with healthy and positive ones.

Medications. Antidepressants and mood-stabilizing drugs help relieve problems that often accompany gambling, such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (ADHD). However, these medications do not always cure gambling addiction itself. Drugs known as narcotic analgesic antagonists, which are used successfully in the treatment of drug dependence and substance abuse, can help treat painful gambling.

Self-help groups. In addition to basic treatment, some people benefit greatly from participating in self-help groups such as Gamblers Anonymous.

Even after a course of treatment, a person can again start gambling, especially if he communicates with players, or gets into an environment conducive to gambling. If a person feels that he is again drawn to play, he should immediately contact a doctor or a person who helps him in order to prevent a return to addiction.

Addiction recovery and support

It is difficult to overcome the urge to gamble if you think that the next game will bring a win. Here are some practical healing skills to help you focus on overcoming the