Gambling addiction

Published: 01/30/2009 - Updated: 09/24/2018

Gambling addiction, also called compulsive gaming, is an uncontrollable need to play games of chance, affecting the behavior of the player in a negative way and not productive. This is a gambling addiction that is cause of many fights, arguments, neglect of household waste of money, neglect of personal and social (food, family relationships, sex, health, etc.), etc. causing divorces and other severe consequences. This condition has been associated with addictions such as alcoholism or drug addiction.

A compulsive player has all its focus on the game. Undoubtedly, the distraction is very strong and, like any addiction, uncontrollable. Many think that this momentum is a matter that involves only a need to earn money, but it seems that goes beyond words, he often plays compulsive gamblers by the only pleasure to be playing, and cannot be to stop.

Compulsive player is caught, then, by an uncontrollable impulse to take risks and, gradually losing consciousness of reality and begin to act against their own reason and common sense to obtain, and so constantly anxious, for the money, much of which escapes from their hands quickly.

Why people suffer from this addiction?

Like any addiction, it is likely that compulsive gamblers experience a severe emotional pain, can be a pain of rejection, no adaptation of misunderstanding, lack of love. If you often reluctant to seek professional help or do not have adequate guidance to help you understand your emotions, you will find a way to either escape through alcohol, drugs or other passengers delights as compulsive gambling.

Addictions are ways in which the individual seeks to reduce a strong emotional pain through a course pleasure. A compulsive player certainly try and ease away their dissatisfaction, loneliness, anger or rebellion in the moment of distraction, where the burden of adrenaline rises as indeed they forget about everything. Neglecting their health, their relationships and other reflects the avoidance to the same pain.

However, it is useless to put this pain away as it is enhanced, so that the player will increase the need to play and play and play. This is why in many cases, this addiction is also accompanied by alcohol, drugs, sex and all possible evasive. Affecting the emotional states of depression tend to be indisputable, and this is expressed in many ways, with rebellion, bad character, or victims are constantly affected by what they surround and attack or attack themselves, in many cases to arrive violence. These behaviors make them go down more in a state of loneliness or isolation that makes them need more external stimuli to isolate your pain.

Symptoms of Gambling addiction

The main sypmtoms of gambling addiction are:

  • Feeling anxious or desperate to get more money to play.
  • Need to gamble increasingly large amounts of money.
  • Feeling of loneliness, frustration and / or pain after playing.
  • Have tried to play less often without success.
  • Lying about the amount of time or money spent on gambling.
  • Committing illegal actions to get money for gambling.
  • Neglect and / or loss of work, relationships, studies due to gambling

What can be done?

The causes that lead a person to this addiction can come from long ago: in particular, lack of emotional culture that permits individuals to be mature and understand the feelings of frustration, pain, depression and all those experiences into the life that may be intolerant and later escape to determine what they feel.

Ideally, consult a professional in the case and bring the person concerned directly with him. However, the resistance of the person being helped is often a major impediment. In this case it is important that people around the compulsive gamblers avoid feeling guilty, hopeless or decline for the conduct of it. In fact these attitudes do not help at all and the only thing that will do is raise an atmosphere of tension and depression. It is best not to let sink for all.

How to control gambling addiction

However, when there are available to help affected, not only can seek professional help, but follow these tips as possible. If you are a compulsive player and no longer want to be, you can follow these tips:

1. You must be very aware of your situation and do not deny it or reject it, but admit it. Do not see something as bad or failing, do not punish you for playing out of control. Admit what you do, simply.

2. Make the effort to perform physical activity at least an hour a day, run, go to the gym, or try going on bike, whatever, but then you won’t go to play. Say to yourself: I will not play if I do not meet this exercise session. This, in addition to oxygenate and energize your brain, you go to help educate your mind.

3. Find readings that make you better understand what you feel and depth that make you more show all the talent you have.

4. Find any kind of music, dance, talking or some other activity that distracts you, you like and keep you busy creatively. At first you may not feel a great desire, there is much effort to overcome an addiction, certainly, but beginning to relate in a new environment little by little will change your emotional outlook. Do not say “I never will play”, that play is very interesting and also the thrill of winning. But remember that the game is over the unit where it starts.

5. There are many alternative therapies that can help and support, such as Bach Flowers, reiki, herbal medicine and bioenergy. The medicine is not only ideal to help you feel better and lower your anxiety, stress, and impulsivity, but to understand and mature your emotional energy, which is closely related to gambling.

About the author
  • K. Laura Garcés G

    Writer, therapist and lecturer. She is a lover of natural medicine and the power of mind and emotions in body and life. In addition, he has studied nutrition and develops appropriate diets to support this healing process.She has written more than 1500 articles in magazines in Spain and Mexico, winner of two literature contests. Linkedin.

2 Replies to “Gambling addiction”
  • Luke says:

    I once had this friend that became addicted to gambling and playing. I did know that he was in so much trouble and he needed to pay a lot of people he asked for money, even his family, so I think that one support as family is not saying yes to everything and avoid giving money to an addict as this will affect not only you but his mind too,

  • Stacy says:

    It’s really sad to see families torn apart by parents that suffer from gambling addictions. I’ve never experienced this myself, but some parents do go so far that they end up gambling all their money away, leaving their families without basic necessaries.