Signs of gambling addiction
“The main sign of gambling addiction is the constantly recurring participation in gambling, which continues, often deepens, despite the social consequences, such as impoverishment, loss of property and work, falling out of society, the destruction of intra-family relationships and personal relationships in general,” says Alexander Kurshev, narcologist, head of the network of clinics “RA”.
Gambling is present if a person:
- Remembers past games, plans future bets, thinks about how to find money for the next game;
- When playing, he gets excited and raises the stakes;
- Has difficulty trying to control or interrupt play;
- Feels anxious or irritated when it comes to limiting bets or stopping the game;
- Plays to escape from their problems or to cheer up (get away from feelings of guilt, anxiety, depression);
- Makes attempts to recoup the day after the loss;
- Deceives family members or therapist in order to hide the true extent of their involvement in the game;
- Commits illegal acts such as forgery, deceit, theft or embezzlement to finance the game;
- Causes the game to risk losing a job, close friends, the possibility of promotion or education;
- Reborrows money from others to pay off existing debts caused by the game.
The presence of addiction as a disease is indicated by the presence of four or more of the indicated symptoms.
In general, gambling addiction is characterized by all the common signs of addiction. Comparing with the most common and well-studied alcohol addiction, we see that despite the difference in the nature of the subject of addiction itself, three stages can be distinguished in the course of the disease.
In the initial stage, a person shows an increased interest in the game, but retains the ability to abandon it, switch to another, positive type of activity. In the second stage of addiction, the refusal to play is accompanied by certain difficulties. The player is already deeply addicted to the game, and his consciousness is transformed, he is characterized by certain “thinking errors”, such as believing that if you play constantly, you will definitely win, or that you can pay off debts only by winning back.
Then comes the third, final stage of addiction. The patient is completely immersed in the game, no external circumstances and events can distract him, he spends most of his time in the game, his appetite and sleep are disturbed, gross changes in the psyche occur. In the game, the patient experiences the so-called state of the game trance – it is quite comparable with the manifestations of dependence on narcotic and psychotropic substances, says Rysin.
How to get rid of gambling?
Even if the test results showed the presence of gambling addiction, you can try to cope with it yourself. The recommendations of the California Council on Problem Gambling can help with this.
1. Decide in advance how much time and money you allocate to the game.
2. Play with the knowledge that you are more likely to lose than win, so play for as much money as you can afford to lose.
3. Make thoughtful decisions about your game – consider randomness.
4. Consider gambling as entertainment, not as a source of income.
5. If you got a good win – rejoice. But remind yourself that this may never happen again.
6. Don’t gamble when you are tired, bored, agitated or angry.
7. Regularly write down how much time and money you have spent on gambling.
8. Take your game and friends seriously. If they are concerned about your game, they may be seeing something you don’t.
9. Play only with your own money. Don’t borrow.
10. Realize that in most types of gambling you do not have the opportunity to influence the outcome of the game, it is random.
11. During the game, take a break, walk, go outside to clear your head.
12. Keep your mind clear while playing, limit your alcohol intake.
13. Balance gambling with other recreational activities.
14. Go play with someone who doesn’t have a gambling problem.
15. Don’t make matters worse – don’t try to win back losses.
16. When you go to play, do not take bank cards with you.
17. Set a time limit for the game.
18. Make your own decisions about gambling. Don’t play just because others want to.
19. Don’t use gambling as a way to avoid negative situations.
20. If you are concerned about your gambling addiction, talk to someone you trust.
If all these recommendations did not help, it is obvious that it is necessary to turn to psychological help. Thus, the diagnosis and treatment of gambling is the same serious medical problem as addictions that are considered the most severe, such as drug addiction.