The element of risk versus reward gives players a small rush of excitement, even if they don’t win, and mostly, it’s enjoyed as a social activity. This applies whether it’s playing poker with a few friends or betting on a sport like racing.
But as is the case with many different substances and activities that make us feel good, such as eating, drinking alcohol, or shopping, engaging in excessive behavior can change a sporadic enjoyment to a mental dependence. This is true even if the behavior in question is something as simple as eating.
The portion of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) that deals with substance-related and addictive disorders were most recently revised in 2013. Gambling addiction was understood as a compulsive behavior driven by the urge to escape uncomfortable feelings.
Signs of Gambling Addiction
Since there are no evident physical indications or symptoms, gambling addiction is the mind’s addiction and is sometimes known as a “hidden sickness.” This is in contrast to addictions to drugs or alcohol, which do have such signs and symptoms.
Problem gamblers frequently ignore or downplay the severity of their gambling addiction, even to themselves.
On the other hand, you may know you have a problem with gambling if you:
1. Feel Compelled to Keep Your Gaming Activities a Secret
You can gamble in secret or tell lies about the amount you risk because you are afraid that other people won’t understand or that you would shock them with a large gain.
2. Have Difficulties Keeping Your Gambling Under Control
Can you stop gambling if you’ve already begun? Or do you feel obliged to gamble until you’ve spent your very last dollar, increasing the stakes in the hope of winning back the money you’ve already lost?
3. Gambling Even if You Don’t Have Any Money
You could gamble until you’ve spent your last dollar, and then you might start betting with money you don’t have, such as money you need to pay your bills, your credit cards, or buy your children stuff.
If you need money for gambling, you could feel compelled to borrow or steal it.
4. Have Your Loved Ones Concerned About You
Staying in denial stirs up problem gambling. If concerned voices come from friends and family, pay close attention to what they say. Asking for assistance is not an indication of a lack of strength.
There are a lot of elder gamblers who are reluctant to reach out to their adult children if they have gambled away their inheritance, but it’s important to remember that it’s never too late to make improvements for the better.
What Makes People Get Addicted to Gambling?
The response to this is not as straightforward as saying that people enjoy gaining money and enjoy winning it even more, which is why they go to excessive lengths.
Gamblers typically have genetic or psychological predispositions that make them prone to gambling too much, leading to major changes in how the brain sends chemical messages. These elements have the potential to start a person on the path that leads to addiction.
After weeks, months, or even years of repeated exposure to unpleasant stimuli, the brain’s wiring becomes so distorted that it can no longer function normally unless the negative impacts of those periods are removed.
Self-Help Tips for Gambling Difficulties
Recognizing that you have a problem is the first and most important step toward recovering from an addiction to gambling.
Admitting to this requires incredible fortitude and bravery, particularly if you have lost a significant amount of money and had strained or severed relationships with others.
Don’t give up hope, and don’t even think of going it alone. Many people have been in your position before, successfully kicked the habit, and rebuilt their lives.
You can do it as well.
Figure out how to alleviate uncomfortable sensations in more healthy ways. Do you gamble when you’re feeling lonely or just plain bored? Or after an emotionally draining day at the office or a fight with your significant other?
Gambling may be a means to self-soothe uncomfortable feelings, relax, or mingle with others. Exercise, spending time with friends who don’t gamble, taking up new hobbies, and relaxation methods are healthier, effective ways to manage your moods and relieve boredom.
Develop your existing network of support. It is difficult to overcome any addiction without assistance. Therefore, it is important to seek help from friends and family members.
You don’t have to rely on going to casinos or gambling online to meet new people and expand your social circle; there are various other methods.
You may try reaching out to coworkers, signing up for a sports team or reading club, enrolling in a class to further your education, or volunteering for a charitable organization.
Participate in a peer support team. For instance, Gamblers Anonymous is a rehabilitation program after the Alcoholics Anonymous program. The program was founded in 1953.
Finding a sponsor, someone who has gambled before and has experience staying clean from addiction, and can give you crucial counsel and support is essential for the program.
Seek assistance for underlying mood issues. Compulsive gambling can intensify mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, stress, and drug addiction, which factors in the onset of gambling problems.
It is good that you find solutions to these issues because they will continue to plague you even after gambling is eliminated from your life.
Treatment for Gambling Addiction
Overcoming an addiction to gambling is never easy, but getting expert help does not indicate that you are incapable of managing your issues or weak.
However, it is essential to remember that each gambler is the same. As a result, you want a rehabilitation program adapted precisely to your requirements and circumstances.
Have a conversation with your primary care physician or another mental health expert about the many treatment choices available to you, including:
Inpatient or residential therapy and rehabilitation programs. These are designed for people with such a serious gambling addiction that they cannot abstain from gambling even with help available 24 hours a day.
Treatment addresses the underlying illnesses that are contributing to your gambling addiction, such as drug misuse or mental health issues such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This may involve psychotherapy, medicine, or adjustments to one’s way of life.
Since a gambling issue can occasionally be a sign of bipolar illness, your physician or therapist will likely need to rule out the possibility of this diagnosis before establishing a diagnosis.
Cognitive-behavioral treatment (often known as CBT). Changing problematic gambling habits and thinking, like rationalizations and erroneous beliefs, is the primary emphasis of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for gambling addiction.
It can also educate you on how to resist the impulse to gamble and address difficulties related to finances, employment, and relationships generated by excessive gambling.
Therapy has the potential to equip you with lifelong coping mechanisms that will help you deal with the effects of your addiction.
Therapy for families and marital, career, and debt counseling. These can assist you in going through the specific difficulties that have been developed as a result of your problem gambling and build the framework for restoring both your relationships and your financial situation.
Is Gambling an Addiction? Final Word
Realizing that you’re addicted to gambling can be quite challenging. However, even after the realization of the addiction, denial kicks in.
Luckily, help is available for people with a gambling problem, and the internet contains a wealth of information about spotting problem gamblers.
If you or someone you know has a gambling addiction, do not hesitate to ask for help. You can break loose from those addiction chains!
