A third of European teens play free online gambling. In the U.S., 90% of teenagers are entertained by slots demos. For the majority, PlayAmo games are just entertainment. But how many users in the future will continue to bet with real money and earn gambling addiction? Learn how to recognize a gambling addict and cure this terrible disease.
Causes of Gambling Addiction
The reasons for gambling addiction are quite banal: loneliness, family problems, melancholy, infantilism, psychological immaturity, dissatisfaction with their own lives, low self-esteem and financial difficulties.
Doctors distinguish a genetic predisposition and a deficiency of serotonin and norepinephrine in the blood. Because of this deficit, gambling addiction is compared to chemical addiction. After all, the process of betting on slots affects the body not only mentally, but also on the physical level.
Stages of Gambling Addiction and Its Symptoms
There are several classifications of the stages and symptoms of addiction online. We will tell you about one of these classifications. There are 4 stages of psychological addiction to slots:
- Stage One. Interest. A newcomer got a taste for playing slots, he likes the gameplay, the picture and the sound. All the more that you can win and solve financial problems. At this stage the addiction is not yet formed, and the game is not a constant. A person periodically bets in the casino, and gets pleasure from it. But the game is not the first place in his life.
- Stage Two. Passion. A gambler plays regularly. If there is no opportunity to play, a person is looking for it. If there were unforeseen circumstances that prevented the game, a gambler eliminates or ignores them.
- Stage Three. Addiction. Only 15% of gamblers reach the stage of addiction – the rest are done with interest and passion. But those who are in the 15%, feel a strong need to play for real money, constantly increasing rates. This need becomes as strong as the need for food or recreation. Self-awareness and values change. The person tends to minimize social contacts, limiting the circle of communication only to like-minded people. If at this stage, the gambler has to limit himself to playing for a while, he experiences irritation, emotional decline, and depression. He is always on the lookout for money, experiencing joy when he plays, and reaches despair when out of the game. The attitude toward playing slots becomes similar to that of an addict toward drugs.
- Stage Four. Attachment. This stage occurs after treatment or self-limitation, reduction of gambling activity of the gambler as a result of abstinence from gambling. It is characterized by a decrease in interest in gambling. A cured addict does not gamble. But he still feels a certain need to bet, a psychological attachment. When he hears the news about the release of a new slot, interest in the game temporarily increases, but quickly returns to its previous level. For most gambling addicts, this stage lasts a lifetime, so it is not recommended for them to return to the game even occasionally.
And now let’s get to the main point. How to get rid of pathological cravings for games? Is there an effective treatment for gambling addiction? Let’s look into it!
Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Prevention
Is gambling addiction treatable at all? Yes, gambling addiction is treatable, and that’s the good news. The bad news is that treatment is long and hard. There is no “magic pill” for gambling addiction. There is no medication to cure it. Consequently, there is no need to talk about a course of 2-3 weeks, after which the problem will simply evaporate.
Besides, at first, there are no pronounced symptoms of gambling addiction. For this reason, patients of rehabilitation centers and clinics become addicts who have been gambling for a long time.
Treatment takes place in several successive stages:
- Making a diagnosis.
- Psychological recovery.
- Social adaptation.
Effectively addiction is treated in the hospital conditions of the rehabilitation center, when the patient around the clock is deprived of the opportunity to play but receives support from comrades in misfortune.
Gambling addiction is treated using psychocorrection, reflexology, and psychotherapy techniques. The basis of treatment is work with a psychologist, self-restraint, and isolation. A cured addict is forbidden to gamble in the future. Since the probability of relapse is high, rehabilitation of this disease is lifelong.
