Recently, the problem of gambling addiction has become an extremely popular phenomenon. This is due to the widespread distribution of online slot machines, many new online casinos, as well as bookmakers. All of them have beautiful designs and attractive advertisements which stimulate people to play and feel an easy winning opportunity.
How did the gambling addiction develop?
Gambling addiction begins easily and spontaneously. A person just wants to try luck, get rid of stress, have fun with friends, try himself as a movie actor and put on black. And then, people fall into the trap and want more adrenaline, dopamine and other neurotransmitters produced by the brain. The moment of winning gives such strong sensations that the player comes back to them again and again.
Moreover, while playing in some cases there is relaxation, removal of emotional stress, distraction from unpleasant problems, and the game becomes a pleasant activity. Based on this mechanism, gambling addiction gradually begins to develop.
Types of gambling addiction
There are several types of gambling addiction:
- online casinos,
- slot machines,
- sports betting,
- card games,
- gambling bets.
How Do I Know if I Have an Addiction?
Types of of addiction to gambling are divided into four groups. They all depend on each other, and become even worse together. You are in danger if they act together, and it is impossible to get out without the help of a psychologist:
- Psychology. A person is constantly under stress, experiencing depression, with a strong addiction. Sometimes, suicidal thoughts begin to visit him.
- Physiology. Problems with sleep, poor appetite, headaches and muscle pains, problems with the cardiovascular system. Sometimes people drink more alcohol and eat more fast food, which leads to nutritional imbalance.
- Social life. The gambling addict loses social skills, gradually loses friends and relatives, spoils relationships with others, which leads to social isolation.
- Finance. Gambling addicts constantly borrow money, get into debts.
Stages of gambling addiction development
Winning stage. When the taste of success comes, the gambler falls into an emotional loop. He/she wants to experience euphoria again and again. At this point, we can witness the beginning of gambling addiction. In the very beginning, it’s the easiest to help the patient, but it is at this stage that no one thinks about the coming disaster.
- Losing stage. Since it is impossible to win every time, and the only winner is the casino, the gambler starts to lose more and more money. With a desire to win back, a person begins to borrow money wherever possible, takes loans, sells staff. Other moments in life move into the background. The main thing is the process of the game and the hope to win back. A player tries not only to return the money, but to feel again that feeling of euphoria at the winning stage, but it doesn’t last long.
- Despair stage. At this stage, the gambling addict no longer has any money or close relations. Anything that tries to top him/her becomes absolutely evil. At this stage, there is a chance to go crazy and steal money, as well as threaten people. Occasionally the addict may have thoughts of stopping and quitting, but even with the biggest desire, it will last a couple of days without a game.
- Despair stage. This is a dead end for a gambling addict. He/She is completely disappointed in the game, understanding that it’s destroying him, but cannot stop. The addict is in depression and despair, often suffering from upcoming diseases like alcoholism or drug addiction. Suicidal thoughts approach them, and statistically, for a gambling addict, this is the way to get rid of problems. Nowadays, the patients are ready to fight this addiction.
How do Casinos help with Gambling Addiction?
Top online casinos NZ provide a set of restriction which limit a players game when notice a problem. Generally, online casinos can do the following:
- Set the deposit limits
- Block the account after a period of time
- Set the betting limits
- Freeze all action for some time
Check out the online casino with Responsible Gambling?
Help with gambling addiction
Gambling addiction has a powerful psycho-biochemical basis, and this means that it is almost impossible to recover on your own. The question: how to get rid of gambling addiction clearly arises when the gambling addict is on the fourth stage. Before that, a person denies a problem in every possible way.
Therefore, the first and most important step on the road to recovery will be realizing that there is a gambling addiction, and it exists.
Often this will require several conversations with a specialist doctor – psychotherapist.
Gambling Addiction Test
These questions are developed by scientists on the problems of gambling addiction. Everyone who may have problems in this area can do the test and roughly understand himself whether he is an addictive gambler. Ask these questions honestly!
- Have you missed work or school to gamble?
- Has gambling ever caused unpleasant situations?
- Has gambling ever affected your reputation badly? Have you ever felt pity after playing?
- Have you played to pay off your debts?
- Has gambling lowered your ambitions?
- After losing, did you feel that you need to come back and win back as soon as possible?
- Did you have a strong belief that after you won, you should come back and play even more?
- How often do you play until you lose everything?
- Have you ever borrowed to gamble?
- Did you have to sell anything in order to play?
- Does the concept of money for gambling exist for you, which you use only for gambling?
- Has gambling caused significant financial harm to you or your family?
- Have you ever played longer than planned?
- Have you ever played to forget about your troubles?
- Do problems or frustration keep you from playing?
- Have you ever broken the law in order to have money to play?
- Have you suffered from insomnia due to thoughts of gambling?
- Do you have a habit of celebrating your victories in gambling?
- Have you ever thought about suicide after losing?
If you answered yes to seven or more questions, you are advised to contact a specialist. The doctor will be able to more accurately determine your addiction and will help resolve your situation.
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