Who is called a gambling person. How to get rid of gambling addiction

Gambling addiction can lead to the emergence of stable psychological dependence. The development of the disease occurs imperceptibly for humans. The game becomes the only thing that he constantly thinks about. Both adults and children cannot resist addiction. Any game can be a source of temptation: computer or card games, slot machines or sweepstakes.

Definition of the concept

An addiction to games that develops on a psychological level is called gambling addiction. Other names can often be found in the medical literature: gambling and gambling addiction. They occurred as a result of the literal translation of the term from foreign languages. The word "gambling addiction" in Latin means passion. The term "gambling" comes from the English "gambling".

Gambling addiction is a disease that is expressed in the fact that a person cannot but play. Excitement so strongly absorbs that the game becomes the only meaning of life.

As a result of such behavior, moral and family values are completely destroyed, a person forgets about family and friends, breaks his career.

Gambling is widespread throughout the world. Their popularity is due to the fact that in the process a person experiences the strongest psycho-emotional stress. With a strong heat of emotions, he experiences feelings that he does not experience in everyday life.

Most of us are calm about gambling, perceiving the game as a certain type of leisure that allows you to relax and have a good time. People who have a persistent addiction to play cannot cope with this problem on their own. This is how gambling is manifested. This disease so strongly subjugates the will of a person that it is impossible to get rid of this habit without medical help. The disease is treated by qualified specialists.

Gambling addiction as a mental illness is included in the classification of diseases. According to statistics, the largest number of gambling addicts is registered in America (4%), 3% in the post-Soviet space and 2% in Australia, Sweden, England, Canada.

The greatest demand among people suffering from gambling addiction is used by cards, slot machines, lotteries... Computer gambling addiction is a popular type of gambling addiction.

Possible consequences

This disease manifests itself as an unhealthy addiction to gambling and is expressed in a mental disorder. Its effect can be compared to alcoholic, narcotic or nicotine.

It is important to distinguish between the simple desire to play and the pathological behavior.

Gambling addiction manifests itself in a different way. A person cannot resist the inner urge to play. It is so painful that the addict does not have the strength to resist. In this state, he agrees to make any bets just to feel euphoria.

According to doctors, this mental illness is periodic. Quiet intervals are replaced by active cycles. Excitement controls the player so strongly that he:

stops working and learning;
wastes all the family's savings;
breaks off relations with family.

Obeying his desire, he forgets about moral rules, begins to lead an asocial lifestyle, putting everything on the line. Over time, gambling addiction begins to progress inexorably. This means that the patient will not be able to recover on his own, the bad habit will drag on more and more.

Causes

The main causes of gambling addiction in a person are associated with psychological characteristics of personality development. External factors also have an impact on gambling addiction. Let's consider the reasons for the appearance of gambling addiction in more detail.

Internal motive. The desire to take part in the game pushes a person to sit at the card table or start the computer. The first motive is the desire to be a leader and to show your dominant qualities, allowing you to win over weaker opponents. The second type of motive is getting satisfaction, euphoria and joy from the game, while in real life a person is surrounded by only disappointments and failures. This mental illness can arise as a result of curiosity and the desire to try their hand at unfamiliar business. Pleasant sensations, multiplied by the ability to get quick money, reinforce this harmful desire on a subconscious level.
Family reasons. Of great importance are the problems associated with the wrong upbringing of the personality. Many children's complexes and fears, self-doubt push a person to gambling. Gambling can arise in those people who were brought up in families where there were no correct role models, where indifference to the child reigned, or constant conflicts and quarrels.
The personal factor. Low self-esteem, a tendency to depression, inability to correctly perceive criticism - all these character traits can become factors that push a person to gambling addiction. This form of behavior contributes to the rapid onset of the disease.
External factors. The availability of gambling, the legal operation of casinos and slot machines, and widespread advertising in the media affect a person's gambling addiction.
The economic factor. Companies that own a gambling business are actively promoting gambling addiction. As a result, a person develops a wrong understanding of life values, and his behavior changes. Instead of realizing professionally and growing creatively, taking care of the family, the player starts chasing quick money, trying to feel significant. Viewings of game shows that are broadcast on television can lead to negative consequences. They quickly form gambling addiction.

These factors can easily provoke the development of gambling addiction, which is difficult to overcome. The disease has serious consequences that can completely change a person's life.

Stages of addiction

Gambling addiction develops gradually. The disease has several main stages, and at each radical changes in the psyche occur.

Preparatory, when a person develops susceptibility to gambling. Due to a personal crisis and self-doubt, accompanied by life troubles, family and work problems, a person begins to look for a source of joyful sensations.
Winning. At this time, a person succumbs to excitement and is more and more involved in the process of the game. By winning, he feels his worth. In gambling euphoria, the gambler thinks that he is in control of fate and can move mountains without seeing the real danger that this harmful hobby is fraught with.
Losing. A kind of circle is formed that characterizes the life of the addict. A person's gambling behavior is accompanied by a loss. He does not know what to do with his addiction, therefore he succumbs to the pernicious attraction, trying to recoup. Periods of normal behavior gradually disappear, which leads to conflicts with people around him who do not share his needs. At this stage, the disease manifests itself so clearly that a person realizes that he is addicted. This leads to the player trying to get rid of his illness.
Disappointment. Addiction is so detrimental that he deliberately destroys his life. The manifestation of deviant behavior begins with the fact that the player is emotionally unstable: he is always nervous, worried and angry about a loss. Any attempts of relatives and friends to influence him are perceived with hostility. Anyone who tries to help him automatically becomes enemies. During this period, alcohol and drugs become frequent companions of gambling addicts, they help relieve stress and improve mood. In an attempt to win back, a person loses not only his savings, but also the money borrowed by his friends and acquaintances. He begins to take loans, takes values out of the house, leads an asocial lifestyle.
Hopelessness. Even not believing in his victory, the person still goes to the casino. He hopes that this time, luck will be on his side. This period can last up to 10 years, in most cases it takes only 3 years for the onset of addiction and the development of the disease.

Symptoms

You should definitely alert if your friend or relative:

talks only about the game;
ponders rates;
feels a sense of excitement during excitement;
unable to control their negative emotions;
loss is accompanied by a fit of intense anger, anger and irritation;
in case of failure, he tries to recoup;
without play experiences severe apathy and withdrawal.

As a result of the syndrome of game personality degradation, which develops during the first year of the onset of addiction, a person changes beyond recognition.

Those who are addicted to play often suffer from withdrawal symptoms. As a result of trying not to play, he begins to feel bad.

Sleep worsens, appetite disappears, constant headaches, vegetative-vascular dystonia develop, as a result of endless experiences, the body's defenses are reduced. Bad moods lead to prolonged depression and suicidal thoughts.

Correction methods

At the initial stage of the manifestation of gambling addiction, you can try to cope with the illness at home, normalizing the family environment, solving problems with loved ones and removing the source of endless conflicts.

For an addict to heal, you need to switch his attention, directing all his efforts to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, looking for hobbies and developing his talents.

Since the fight will not be easy, you need to be patient. What to do if all efforts were in vain: Seek qualified help.

When gambling addiction has developed into a serious illness, a psychotherapist will help to fight it, who will develop an individual recovery program. Treatment consists of three main areas.

Psychotherapy, which is based on solving problems associated with the relationship between the player and the people around him, the study of children's complexes and fears.
Medication. The player is prescribed medications that relieve feelings of anxiety and fear, help to normalize sleep, and improve mood. Antidepressants and antagonists of narcotic analgesics cope well with psychological dependence.
Self-help groups. This is a separate type of psychological work based on mutual support of gambling addicts.

The game is a kind of adrenaline rush. In order not to experience constant temptation, psychologists recommend using tips that will help you effectively get rid of this addiction.

What you need to do to defeat this disease:

Suppression of the desire to play. A person's awareness that he is addicted to gambling. This is already a big step towards a healthy life. Often doctors recommend that their patients undergo coding as an effective measure to help suppress the urge to play.
Motivation. A strong motive will help you undergo treatment for gambling addiction. A specific goal in life that a person wants to achieve within a certain time frame will be an excellent substitute for gambling addiction. It is important to determine what you want to change in work, personal life, creativity. The patient must understand what sensations he wants to fill in this way.
Reward.
Any achievement should be encouraged with pleasant things.
Employment.
Gamblers should not be bored, this feeling pushes them to seek new sensations. A person who is trying to get rid of this addiction must be in business all the time: to be engaged in work, creativity, active rest.

Understanding of family members plays a huge role in this difficult period. The support of family and friends will help you get through this difficult test. Personal growth courses, which enable a person to believe in themselves, become more confident and purposeful, help to cope with gambling addiction.

Conclusion

Game addiction is a problem that many face. In case of successful recovery, the risk of relapse is very high, even after returning to normal life, the former gambling addict will need constant psychological support.

The abandoned wife of the player suffers And the mother of a son who wanders wherever. Burdened with debt, fearfully looking for money, He goes at night to the house of other people
Rigveda, "The Gambler's Anthem". Translated by Elizarenkova T. Ya.

Online poker has been actively developing in the Russian segment of the World Wide Web since the second half of the 2000s. The devastating consequences for a person from an addiction to playing poker and other card games are expressed no less noticeably compared to such addictions widespread on the worldwide network as pornography, online casinos, and network games.

World religions such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, unequivocally interpret the craving for gambling as an unnatural and sinful urge. For a person on the path of spiritual development, the desire for gambling should be nipped in the bud.

For example, in Buddhism, the reasons for the negative attitude towards gambling can be traced to the four noble truths - the main teaching of the Buddha. The second noble truth speaks of the cause of suffering - this is desire, an insatiable longing. This insatiable desire is also present in the craving for an easy way to make money by participating in gambling.

Online poker began to grow at an especially fast pace - in the world and in Russia in particular - after the victory of the amateur Chris Moneymaker at the largest poker tournament in Las Vegas in 2003 (the so-called "Moneymaker effect", which the poker industry did not fail to take advantage of) ... In the same tournament in 2008, Russian professional player Ivan Demidov took second place, which gave an additional impetus to the spread of poker in Russia.

In popular social networks, gaming applications are widespread that allow you to play poker with other people for conditional money. Is poker the art of reading an opponent and counting the odds in the pot or a heavy gambling addiction that destroys a player's personal life and prevents a person from becoming a person in ordinary spheres of life? Controversy on this topic has not subsided to this day.

Of course, if a player is fluent in poker mathematics, understands psychology, knows how to “read” opponents and determine their level of play, is calm and reasonable and does not give in to “tilt” (inadequate emotional state caused by a loss or win) - such a player will win more than to lose. Why? Because most players are amateurs and cannot make much progress in the game for various reasons.

According to some reports - the exact data poker sites do not like to disclose - about 90% of online poker players lose. The remaining 10% (or less) are professional poker masters who make a living from amateur poker players.

Some fans of the card game consider poker as a leisure time that allows you to tickle your nerves and experience excitement for reasonable money. Others may spend more free time playing poker, thus losing more money, but controlling their passion. The third category of losing players can have serious psychological problems, the cause of which is a painful addiction to the game (gambling, gambling addiction, gambling addiction).

And this third category is not so small. Young people who spend a lot of time on the Internet and pay attention to suggestions on how to easily make money without leaving home are especially susceptible to the acquisition of gambling addiction.

Many themed sites related to leisure, the gaming industry are full of offers of poker rooms (poker rooms where the game is played directly). Poker rooms offer tempting deposit bonuses, special offers and newbie promotions.

The real money poker rooms have a tense and unfriendly atmosphere. After all, the goal of the player is to defeat the opponent and add the money of the defeated one to the money on the account of the more skilled and successful player. It is a common occurrence when a lost player begins to swear in the chat and curse the offender at all costs. In fairness, it should be noted that most players try to behave with dignity, despite the psychological stress.

Here are just a few facts about the perniciousness of gambling addiction:

Stewart Errol Unger, who won the World Series of Poker Main Event three times, spent most of the money he won on sports betting and drugs. Unger died at the age of 45 as a result of drug-related heart disease;
professional poker player Ernest Scherer was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his parents in 2008. The motive for the cruel crime was the desire to alleviate the difficult financial situation in which Scherer was at the expense of inheritance;
poker player Alessandro Bastianoni committed suicide in 2013 after a string of significant losses;
Andre Moore, in October 2013, during a card game with his brother, discovered that he had cheated and, in a fit of anger, fatally wounded a relative with a pistol shot.

The above examples of the detrimental effect of play on human behavior make you think seriously.

In some countries, poker and other gambling are recognized not only as illegal, but as a real evil, for which you can get a real prison sentence or become the object of public beating. These are Afghanistan, Indonesia (including the ban on online games), Bhutan, Algeria, the Vatican. In Israel, the game of poker was banned in 2008, and residents of the country are prohibited from playing even at home with friends.

But, unfortunately, formally online poker is practically not prohibited anywhere, including in Russia. It is also sad that many countries only pretend that they are somehow struggling with this problem, but in fact they are only trying to control the cash flow by collecting taxes from this business. So the game doesn't stop, but it gets a little harder for the end users ...

There are countries that recognized poker as a sport, and Russia was no exception (in August 2009, they approved poker as a game of chance and introduced a ban on participation, but established 4 gambling zones). And here the saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" will be appropriate. Of course, the opinion that sports poker increases the intellectual and ethical development of the individual, helps to distract citizens from negative and bad habits and asocial forms of behavior and is a useful and pleasant form of spending free time, has the right to exist, BUT ... Almost all people associate poker with the opportunity to earn easy money, and an innocent, at first glance, hobby can provoke the appearance of mental disorders and the formation of serious addiction. Statistics show that there are far fewer people with drug addiction than those who gamble.

International classification of diseases: disease No. F60 "A disorder consisting in frequent repeated episodes of a person's participation in gambling, dominating in the life of the subject and leading to a decrease in social, professional, material and family values." Pathological addiction to gambling leads to the fact that for a person, gambling is the only way to relieve stress, forget resentments, a way of communication, a pursuit, a dream to get rich, to assert one's importance, gain recognition, a way to fill a certain void. There is a process of destruction of the personality, which is aggravated by social consequences, i.e. impoverishment, job loss and family breakdown. It is very difficult to realize this dependence, because it is a psychological programmedness and keeps the thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions of the player under control. In gambling addicts, even the biochemical composition of the active substances of brain cells changes, which manifests itself in the form of perverted emotional reactions. Instead of being afraid of a sense of danger, players begin to experience euphoria, an intoxicating feeling. The very important neurotransmitter dopamine, which is responsible for positive feelings for others, feelings of satisfaction and joy, is reduced to incredibly low levels.

In poker itself (or any other type of card game), in the opinion of an ordinary person, there is nothing illegal or unacceptable. At the same time, does play help a person achieve something really important and valuable, does it contribute to the development of your noble qualities or opens up a deeper understanding of the world and your destiny? The card game takes up time and energy - the most important resources at the disposal of the individual, and is capable of manifesting in the human person terrible feelings and disgusting urges that will ruin the player's life, turning it into one big stupidity ...

So is it worth wasting such a valuable life in the human body so as not to actually be present in it, plunging into the world of the game?

The decision is yours, I hope we will be on the same side!

Such online casinos are represented by various lotteries, card games, Internet roulettes, video poker, and online slot machines. In such online casinos, addicted people can find absolutely anything they want.

Most people who are addicted to gambling are able to control themselves. They just enjoy the game without becoming addicted. Some players get carried away so much that it becomes a kind of insanity or even a disease. For such people, play is no longer just a bad habit, they develop a difficult emotional one. Excitement in them already causes addiction, and not just euphoria. The player wants to experience more and more pleasure from the game.

Online casinos are doubly dangerous. The Internet itself is addictive for many people. While playing on the Internet, people cannot evaluate their actions even with that small degree of adequacy that is present when playing in the real world.

The formation of a severe pathological addiction to gambling goes unnoticed by others. At first, it looks like a harmless human attempt to spend free time. But gradually the player stops interacting with the appearance, and shifts all his attention only to the game. He feels an ever stronger desire to escape from the reality that often does not suit him and brings discomfort. There is a decrease in all normal human needs in order to please the game.

A person who has embarked on the path of gambling can commit criminal acts in order to get money to satisfy his addiction. Gambling addiction often becomes the cause of financial bankruptcy, a threat to a professional career. In especially severe cases, patients may even lose the support of relatives and friends, their families.

People with gambling addictions are socially degraded in the same way as people suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction. Addiction leads to the rapid development of social isolationism. A person experiences constant feelings of shame and guilt, tries to hide the fact of addiction to the game. There is an integration into a kind of environment typical for gamblers. After a while, there is absolutely nothing left in the life of a game-addicted person except the desire to continue the game. Ultimately, a person's life is destroyed.

The consequences of gambling addiction can also manifest themselves on the physical level. Various psychosomatic symptoms await a person here, for example, stomach ulcers, headaches, strokes and heart attacks.

Who is he a gambler? Maybe this is a player who has taken an intermediate position between a cold-blooded bettor and a gambler? Or someone for whom bets are more than entertainment? Let's try to understand these issues and draw a psychological portrait of a gambler.

The king's last argument

In a situation where parity is established between a balanced decision and an impulse, the gambler will always choose the second option, that is, the emotional impulse. Because it is often more interesting and looks intriguing. Often, the bettor ignores the last reasonable reason in order to clear the way for a solution that is closer to his soul.

Money is money, and the game is a game

As it was sung in the unforgettable song "Everybody needs money always". They really decorate the victory like nothing else, but the game itself is no less important for the gambler. After all, there are many ways to make money. Work on oil fields in the Tyumen region promises much more profit. However, it is boring and difficult, which cannot be said about the game. The very sweet anticipation, the languishing feeling of choice, the excitement that makes you bet more than you intend to - this is what the player expects from the bets.

The importance of decision autonomy

The gambler is pleased with the fact that he makes all the decisions himself. A tedious, corrosive newbie torments experienced comrades, stares at the computer monitor until his eyes hurt, but here it does not smell of excitement. But a real bettor comes for him. Excitement implies the independence of the bet, which in turn means the involvement of luck.

In other words, having won, such a player wants to feel pride that it was his opinion that attracted luck, that he himself was able to unravel the tangle of doubts and put on the robe of the winner. Your decision, your victory and, as a result, self-confidence.

Losing won't discourage

As if the player is walking in deep snow. One step - the crust withstood, and the next - failed. Each defeat for a gambler is just a step to the next action. And if he is attentive to his failures, in the future he will be more careful, but he will still play.

The gambler resembles a slalom athlete. The obstacles that arise on his way, he bypasses, may fall, but the movement towards the goal continues. A gambler will not just give up gambling.

Professionalism jars him

A gambler is always an amateur. But not in the Olympic meaning of the word, which implies a financial disinterest in the results, but in the original British meaning, where an amateur is someone who takes part in an event, including a sports one, for pleasure. Amateurs in Great Britain are traditionally treated with respect. So, the professional approach to the game does not suit the gambling bettor. A professional may not play, since there is no suitable event, or bet, when there is no heart for it, according to the system. The gambler knows many secrets of skill, but uses them as long as they do not limit the pleasure of the game.

Involvement in what you love

He talks about it everywhere. He listens to acquaintances about their successes and fiasco, but does not take anything as useful baggage. He discusses his plans and past events, but is not going to listen to someone else's opinion. He is also interested in sports broadcasts in terms of rates. And the player carefully notes the events that he managed to predict in his internal bookmaker's office.

He puts in several bookmakers, but looks at the sites of others. Full immersion, but without the psychosis so characteristic of gambling addicts. Just a parallel course of life, which from time to time approaches the main deep loop-shaped amplitude.

Innocent surprise

Sometimes you are amazed at the childish expression on the face that appears on the bettor who won good money. There is deep satisfaction in him, and disbelief that this did happen, and disbelief that such things happen at all. Passionately believing in victory and declaring on every corner his confidence in winning, gamblers still get from him a mixed feeling of surprise and joy. And their story about him is reminiscent of a detective story in which the player was trapped by the imminent danger of failure. But they are once again showing brilliant confidence about the future. And I want to play.

Hobby

A hobby has always been considered an appendage to a person's professional activity. First, when they meet, they ask about work, then about hobbies. But a hobby is immeasurably more important for a person. Most of them work only for the sake of money, in this sense bettors do not differ from the mass of other people. A hobby is what the heart keeps and the soul demands, what fills free time and colors it. While the excitement is comfortably placed in the fragile framework of your favorite business - this is a hobby, if not - addiction. A favorite hobby consoles and warms the soul of a gambler.

Internet addiction is one of the most pressing problems facing humanity today. This is due to the perception of the Internet as a means of satisfying many needs: in a quick, convenient and accessible receipt of information, in establishing contacts with other people through communication on forums, correspondence and dating on social networks, and the like. This can lead to the fact that a person spends more and more time on the Internet, prefers staying in it to other types of activity, feels an obsessive desire to return to the Internet - a person develops an Internet addiction.

The danger of the formation of Internet addiction is due to inadequate perception of the Internet, the use of which turns into an end in itself, the lack of a culture of using the Internet, insufficient introduction of preventive measures aimed at preventing the emergence of Internet addiction. The famous psychologist Kimberly Young identifies five main types of Internet addiction: cybersex addiction (attraction to visiting porn sites and engaging in cybersex); passion for virtual dating; passion for online gambling; endless surfing on sites and searching for information; addiction to computer games.

We are, of course, interested in gambling addiction. Let's take a look at where it comes from and how to avoid it. But first I suggest that all readers take a gambling addiction test. If you answer the questions "Yes" more than seven times, then this article is about you.

Have you missed work or school to gamble?
Did you feel unhappy after the game?
Has gambling ever affected your reputation badly?
Have you ever felt remorse after playing?
Have you gambled to pay off debts or solve your financial problems?
Has gambling diminished your ambition or work efficiency?
After losing, did you feel that you need to get back into the game as quickly as possible and win back?
After winning, did you have a firm conviction that you need to get back in the game and win even more?
How often do you play until you lose every last one?
Have you ever played with debt?
Did you have to sell anything in order to play?
Is there a concept for you “money to play” that you only use for gambling?
Has gambling caused significant financial harm to you or your family?
Have you ever played longer than you planned?
Have you ever played to forget about your troubles when you are bored or lonely?
Have you ever broken the law to get money to play?
Have you suffered from insomnia due to thoughts of gambling?
Do problems, frustrations or frustrations make you want to get away from all this playing?
Are you in the habit of celebrating your gambling victories?
Have you ever thought about suicide after losing?

According to social studies conducted in the United States, gambling addiction was diagnosed in 1-1.5% of the total number of players surveyed. I hope that the percentage of gamblers among the visitors to the Casinoz portal is not higher. Check it out? Please write in the comments how many times you answered "Yes". I think everyone will be interested.

Formation of gambling addiction

Playing online is more likely to be addictive than playing offline because it provides faster impact and allows you to play alone. It is mainly young people who are captured by gambling because of their immaturity, although people of mature age may also be inclined to gambling. Only a small number of addicted gamblers prefer specific types of gambling. Boredom and a feeling of emptiness can lead to pathological gambling. Some are looking for relaxation and relaxation in the game, while others, on the contrary, are looking for thrills. Most play to win, but some play to lose or be convinced of the possibility of winning. Despite the fact that all over the world one way or another they try to control gambling, gambling business is legal in most countries. Therefore, it is difficult to draw a line between culture and disease.

To explain the mechanisms of this dependence, its criteria should be highlighted: accessibility, control and arousal.

Accessibility is explained by the fact that with the advent of the Internet, a person got immediate access to many virtual casino sites, to web pages with the latest stock information, to online stores where you can find almost any thing. This makes the internet especially attractive for gambling.
Control means personal control of your own actions in cyberspace.
Arousal is realized as receiving peak emotional experiences that appear both in the case of winning and losing.

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