What Causes Problem Gambling
- What Causes Problem Gambling
- What Causes Problem Gambling Disorder
- What Causes A Gambling Problem
- What Causes Problem Gambling Definition
Gambling Addiction 101. Gambling disorder was once considered an impulse control disorder, until research found that people who are addicted to gambling shared many of the same characteristics of alcoholics and substance abusers, both in terms of their brains and their behavior. FDA Warns Antipsychotic Drug Can Cause Compulsive Sex and Gambling. By Charlotte Alter May 3, 2016 6:50 PM EDT T he FDA warned Tuesday that the antipsychotic. Gambling can cause a person to develop relationship problems, financial and legal issues, and may cause a person to experience loss of employment and poor health. Without proper intervention, gambling can cause a person to lose control of their life completely.
What is gambling addiction?
Gambling refers to an activity in which a person risks something valuable to them in order to win something in return. Common forms of gambling include betting in casinos or on sporting events.
But problems can arise when an increased desire to take risks causes harm. This includes problem gambling, which is estimated to affect as many as 1% of the population. When you have a gambling addiction, an area of your brain called the insula may be overactive. This hyperactive region may lead to distorted thinking. This can cause you to see patterns in random.
Gambling disorder describes a loss of control of gambling behavior that causes significant problems with finances, work, or personal relationships. Sometimes it is also called compulsive gambling or problem gambling. People with a gambling disorder are unable to control their gambling activities.
How common is gambling addiction?
Compulsive gambling affects an estimated two to four percent of the population in the United States.
What causes gambling addiction?
An uncontrollable desire for the rush or excitement of winning can lead to compulsive gambling. There is no known cause for this disorder. In some cases, the condition runs in families.
What are the symptoms of gambling addiction?
Signs of gambling addiction include:
- Thinking about gambling more often; having a craving for gambling that grows in intensely
- Gambling money or possessions you don’t have
- Needing to make bigger bets more often to achieve the rush of excitement
- Becoming irritable or restless when trying to stop or slow down gambling
- Chasing losses (gambling after losing money to win back the loss)
- Continuing to gamble even when it negatively affects finances, work, or personal relationships
- Lying to keep gambling activity secret
- Difficulty controlling gambling activity
- Gambling when feeling anxious or agitated or to manage other uncomfortable feelings
- Seeking financial assistance from others due to money problems from gambling
Some people may be gambling for fun whereas the rest of the people gambling because they are suffering from compulsive gambling or gambling addiction. Most gamblers also think that they can get a lot of money from gambling. You may not realize that you are suffering from gambling addiction. Here, we will give you information about this problem and anything you should know about it.
About Gambling Addiction
You may play specific games such as slot machines, cards, blackjack, poker, and many others a few times. Then, you start to have a desire to play betting games over and over again. It starts to be an addiction if you think that you can only solve your financial problems by gambling. In this condition, you intend to gain a large amount of money. At the same time, you have a desire to get your money back when you lose the games by spending more money on betting or gambling. As a result, it turns to an unpleasant behavior for family and friends.
The Causes of Gambling Addiction
What Causes Problem Gambling
The causes are various. It may start when you play in a high-risk bet. The incredible thing is that you win the bet. Because of the unexpected result, you think that you should try it again and again. It seems your adrenaline pumps anytime you make risky bets. There is also a case that someone is in bankruptcy and needs a lot of money. Then, he or she thinks that gambling can solve the problem. They put the rest of the money they have in a betting game and expect big money from it. You can suffer from a gambling addiction problem if you have a dream to become a successful gambler. You will play gambling games until you get your goal. The simple cause is that you always miss the gambling atmosphere. You will go to the gambling arena or play betting games anytime you have a problem. Just like an alcohol addiction problem, it seems that gambling helps to forget your problems for a while.
The Symptoms of Gambling Addiction
You should check the symptoms. If you have the symptoms it means you are suffering from gambling addiction. The most common symptom is that you start to enjoy the atmosphere of the gambling arena and everything about it. You always want to go or play betting games anytime you want. This condition leads you to a difficulty to control your gambling habits. You must play betting games despite your financial and family condition. What you know is playing betting games all the time. Indeed, gambling when you can’t afford to is a serious symptom of gambling addiction. In this condition, your family and friends realize that there is something wrong with your gambling habit. They even feel uncomfortable about your gambling behavior. The worse symptoms are that you feel anxious and depressed. You even think to end your life because you are losing everything because of gambling. You feel hopeless about your condition. You think that there is nothing you can do anymore. In some cases, you can also lose weight and suffer from a sleeping disorder. This is because you only think about playing betting games all the time.
The Effects of Gambling Addiction
You should treat gambling addiction immediately. The earlier you know the symptoms, the better, so you can treat the symptoms right away. The effects of gambling addiction are serious. Most gamblers turn to drugs, alcohol, and other activities related to the gambling lifestyle. In this condition, you have two serious problems which are gambling addiction and drug or alcohol addiction. All of them take time to treat. Another serious effect is that you will lose your family and best friends. Gambling breaks your relationship with all people you love.
The Way to Stop Gambling Addiction
You can’t solve gambling addiction instantly. Just like alcohol and drug addiction, it takes time and even intensive care. It also depends on your condition when you stop gambling. That’s why you can test yourself. Just try to stop playing betting games in a day and see how your body and mind react. Commonly, you feel anxious and uncomfortable. This condition is known as the urge to gamble.
Anytime the urge to gamble appears you can take some deep breaths and try to relax or calm. This simple action is to make you slow down and focus on what you want to do. Then, you can find other activities to distract the urge of a gamble. Just pick activities that make you calm or relax such as take a bath, reading a book, listening to music, watching TV, cooking, exercise, or anything as long as it prevents you from thinking about gambling. It is better to set goals, so you can fight the urge to gamble stronger. Let’s say, you can think about your beloved family and best friends. Just imagine that they will be proud of you if you can stop playing betting games or gambling. You can also find someone who can help with your problem.
Gambling Addiction Rehabilitation Program
In case your condition is getting worse and you can’t control your gambling habit, you should join a gambling addiction rehabilitation program. There are two rehabilitation programs you can take. You can take the inpatient rehabilitation program. In this program, you will stay at the treatment center. The main function is to prevent you from going to casinos or gambling areas. The idea is to limit access to gambling while taking additional treatments. Commonly, it takes 30 days up to an entire year. You can also take the outpatient rehabilitation program. Unlike the inpatient rehabilitation program, the outpatient rehabilitation program doesn’t force you to stay at the rehabilitation center. You only have to attend classes, group sessions, or one-on-one therapy. Then, you will continue the treatment at home. You will also do some outdoor activities to keep you away from gambling. Let’s say, you can do something in school, work, social organization, and others.
In case you feel depressed and uncomfortable due to your gambling addiction, the doctor suggests you take medication. The thing you have to understand is that the drugs are not to overcome your gambling addiction. There are no drugs that can treat gambling addiction. The drugs are to treat the depression and anxiety caused by gambling addiction. Commonly, you have to consume anti-anxiety and antidepressant medicines. The idea is to treat depression and anxiety first. It will be easier to break the cycle if you feel calm and relax. Since you have to consume specific drugs, you should consult it with your doctor. Just make sure that you are okay and in good health to consume the drugs. It helps to limit the side effects of the drugs for your health. You are not allowed to buy the drugs without any prescription from your doctor. It is a serious problem and you can only consume the drugs under the doctor’s prescription.
The Support from Family and Friends
What Causes Problem Gambling Disorder
It is better not to leave your family or friends who are suffering from gambling addiction. Try to ask them to stop right away and do the treatment. It will be great if they can go to the rehabilitation center. Then, you must support them to fight against the addiction problem. Remember! They are in deep depression and anxiety. They need someone to hold and relay on. Your support may boost the positive result of rehabilitation and treatment. Your support will make them have their hope back. They have more spirit and strength to finish the treatment immediately and go back to the family and friends. Gamblers who don’t get any support from their family and friends often fail to finish the treatment. As a result, they will go back to their bad habit again and again. It seems that they don’t care about anything anymore. What they know is playing betting games and gambling. In the end, they have to suffer from various problems, including drug addiction, alcohol addiction, health problems, financial problems, emotional problems, and others. It will be hard to treat people with complex problems. So, the earlier you bring them to the rehabilitation center, the better.
Conclusion
What Causes A Gambling Problem
Now, you know that gambling or playing betting games can cause bad effects on you. You are not the only one who feels the bad effects but also your beloved family and best friends. You have to stop it right away before it turns to the gambling addiction problem. The longer you treat gambling addiction, the harder to solve this problem. Don’t be afraid to go to a rehabilitation center. Experts at the rehabilitation center understand what you have to do to get your normal life back. They even know how to prevent you from keeping away from your bad habit. It seems that you will forget everything about gambling and start a new life with your beloved family and friends. Just think that everything will be better if you don’t get involved in gambling. On the other hand, you also have to pay attention to your family or friends who may have gambling addiction symptoms. Get immediate help for them, so they don’t have to suffer from a serious gambling addiction.
What Causes Problem Gambling Definition
Author: Kampus Poker