Addiction to betting and gambling

Is it possible to become addicted to betting like playing slot machines, blackjack or roulette? What are the symptoms and next steps of falling into the clutches of a gambling addiction? How to treat gambling addiction and where to seek help if we suspect that we ourselves or someone close to us is a compulsive gambler? You will find the answers in the article.

What is the dependence on betting?

Gambling includes activities in which we risk (most often) money, even though the outcome of the event that is the subject of our action is the work of chance (and according to some fate). Betting is a form of gambling and although the player's skills are very important in them (sports knowledge, betting skills, mental predispositions, etc.), the so-called luck or blind fate is also of great importance here. Similarly betting addiction is a form of gambling addiction and is just as dangerous . Statistics on African indicate that about 2% of the population is addicted to gambling, but there are also estimates saying that this number is greatly underestimated, and in addition, the number of players at risk of addiction is much higher.

But what is gambling addiction? After all, not everyone who, for example, makes bookmaking bets, must become addicted to betting on matches – all games are supposed to serve only entertainment and should not affect other areas of the functioning of c$oviek. And this is the key moment: if a player begins to have problems that result from gambling, but still continues to play, we can talk about pathological gambling . These difficulties can arise both in family and professional life, touch the material and social spheres. Gambling addiction means subordinating all other values to having what and when to play for. Such a player ceases to be a recreational gambler and becomes a so-called compulsive gambler. This habit is classified as incurable disease that is, even if the addicted person returns to normal life, he can no longer even occasionally afford to make any bets. Any interruption of abstinence can destroy the entire long process of getting out of addiction. The good news is that it is possible to stop the development of the disease and regain control of your life .

Gambling addiction-causes

First of all, just betting on bookmakers does not mean that a person will definitely become addicted. You can play for almost a lifetime and not be addicted, and on the other hand, there are players who already after the first contact with gambling begin to show unhealthy behavior. Psychologists and therapists point to certain personality traits that favor this type of addiction. They include low self-assessment i linking it to the financial dimension and above average the need to be someone special and the best. It's coming to this risk-taking and the need for strong feelings which provide unique pleasure, and on the other hand, the so-called. ease of getting bored and not dealing with her. Any emotional problems (m.in. immaturity and emotional instability, impulsivity, problems with self-control), social (a sense of alienation, inability to form relationships, etc.) or generally inability to "cope with life" (with difficulties, stress, running away from problems in a fantasy world, etc. these are other factors that contribute to gambling addiction. In addition, if the player in over$osci manifested depressive tendencies and he fell in anxiety or abused alcohol, drugs is he took drugs . the likelihood of falling into a gambling addiction in his case is also greater.

In addition to character traits, it is also worth pointing out the factor that increases the risk of becoming addicted to gambling, which is directly related to the type of Game. The worst of these games are those in which the time between the game and its outcome is very short . For example, in Roulette or playing on slot machines, we bet money, and after a while we know whether we have won or not. In such games, the participant does not even have a moment to think about what he is doing. He flows with the flow of events and has no chance to take control of how much money he spends and how much time he already plays. In this regard, mutual bets, which usually take place over a much longer period of time, and the player has a lot of time to think about his next moves, are much healthier and dependence on betting is not so likely. Which doesn't mean it's impossible. Anyone who makes a bet on one another is bound to depend on them. the line between ordinary gambling and its pathological variety is really thin .

What are the stages of gambling addiction?

Addiction to betting on matches, playing poker or even random games occurs most often in 4 phases , of which only the first is filled in some sense with positive emotions.

This initial phase is called the victory phase, when this game is sporadic. During this period, the first wins appear, which cause great excitement and stimulate the player's imagination, and the feeling of pleasure is increasingly combined with the win. A person at this stage begins to over-trust their abilities and/or luck, and thus becomes increasingly convinced that they will always win. The simple consequence is to place more and more bets and spend more and more time on the game. Even if the player achieves a really high win, it does not satisfy his needs, but only stimulates the irresistible need to achieve another, even greater victory. The winning phase sometimes lasts for years, when the player seems to function quite normally in his professional and personal life, and his game even for the environment seems to be simply a form of entertainment.

Things get complicated when gambling addiction goes into the loss phase . Luck sooner or later has to leave the novice player, and as he plays more and more risky and bets more and more amounts, financial losses become more and more severely felt. Unfortunately, the addiction to betting or other gambling is precisely that the player does not want, and even can not stop playing. The compulsive gambler still believes that he is able to win back, and his need to win drives further play. Even when the funds allocated for gambling run out, this does not stop the addict from starting to borrow money – for a known purpose. Gambling addiction begins to negatively affect his family and professional life, lies begin and more and more intensive concealment of the problem. Despite this, the player still expects a big win, which is supposed to solve any problems, in the meantime, remembering the victories so far and downplaying the increasingly frequent failures.

Gambling addiction then enters phase of desperation . It is so bad that even the player begins to understand that he has lost control of the situation and is addicted, but he does not know how to cope with it himself. The game becomes the most important element of life – family, friends and work are far behind it. There is separation from loved ones and often loss of work, a debt spiral grows, which generates further loans, often theft or embezzlement, and as a result is often the cause of problems with the law. All this leads to a number of negative consequences in the emotional and mental area of the player: fear bordering on panic, a sense of helplessness, remorse and guilt, depression and total mental exhaustion.

The last phase is phase of loss of hope . The player has reached the bottom. He no longer hopes to get help from anywhere or from anyone, and above all, he ceases to believe in a win that will solve his problems. He feels the hopelessness surrounding him – he is completely alone, he has nothing, there are more and more threats from everywhere, suicidal thoughts appear, and the addicted player has no plan how to get out of these troubles. If such a person does not receive professional help, various black scenarios are possible. From addiction to alcohol, drugs or drugs, to prison, to suicide or death at the hands of unpaid creditors.

Gambling addiction-symptoms

Addiction to betting or other gambling is often not as easy to diagnose as it might seem. People who have a gambling problem most often deny this fact and subconsciously, but also intentionally mask these symptoms people who say they are addicted. Even though it is long list of symptoms that signal gambling addiction . The symptoms we list do not exhaust it, but they are certainly very important:

1. In the game itself you can see:

• Lost in the game and lack of control over the ever-growing: the time of the game and the amounts allocated to it, and the failure to adhere to the established limits.
• Gambling hunger – the irresistible need and compulsion to gamble, the inability to stop playing.
• Fantasies of huge wins.
• Gambling as a way of making a living.
• In the face of attempts to reduce or completely stop further play-various negative States, for example, a constant state of nervousness and irritation, permanent anxiety, discomfort.
• The game is a form of escape from real problems.
• As a result of the game often appear negative emotions, such as: $ OST, guilt, shame, humiliation, self-contempt (but even here the player as a solution sees... the next game, which is to bring a win and destroy $e well-being).
• Repeated attempts to take control of the game or "throw" it, which each time ends in a fiasco.
• The player continues to play despite any negative consequences in various areas of life.

2. In other areas of life they appear.:

• Financial difficulties, constant loans from friends or various institutions, as well as the sale of valuable things (in order to finance the game);
• Spending money for a different purpose (for holidays, to pay bills, etc.) for the game;
• Committing various crimes, even minor ones, such as theft, fraud, forgery;
• Lack of interest in previous interests, activities and any other things that have so far brought the player pleasure;
• Indifference and passivity towards other people (including loved ones), but also a lot of conflict;
• Lying to family and friends in order to hide the facts of the game and financial problems;
• Lack of care for their own appearance and health;
• Problems at work or even its loss, and in the case of people who are in education – problems with continuing education.

Gambling addiction-test

There are various methods to diagnose whether a player is affected by gambling addiction. A Test consisting in answering simple questions related to what it looks like in his case playing and how it affects different areas of life, can certainly be a good preliminary method to see if sometimes we play pathological. Such tests are easy to find on the Internet, and if their results are alarming, you should definitely seek help from a specialist.

Gambling addiction-treatment

Both people who are beginning to realize that they are addicted, and their loved ones, are looking for answers to the question, how to treat gambling addiction ? Can a player decide for himself: I don't play today, and that's enough? Unfortunately, most often lonely attempts to combat addiction end in failure. In practice, they consist of shorter or longer periods of abstinence, followed by repeated, uncontrolled throwing into betting or other game. This is because just stopping playing does not mean that gambling addiction has been defeated, although of course it is one of the conditions necessary for healing. What is the most effective remedy when it comes to addiction to betting and other games is the appropriate psychotherapy . Thanks to it, the player can understand what his problem is, how it affects his life and acquires the ability to cope not only with the addiction itself, but also with something more general, that is, his own emotions. In terms of Pharmacology, there are drugs that help to survive the most difficult moments of abstinence , silencing negative emotions, however, these are ad hoc measures that absolutely they don't cure disease .

How to help gambling addicts?

Unfortunately, even a close person or even a larger group of friends and family members is not able to independently help someone who has become addicted to betting, random games, etc. Anyone who is wondering how to help gambling addicts should first of all take any action to induce the compulsive gambler to seek treatment . If he does not have the motivation to go to therapy, you can start with family therapy – even if it was to take place without his participation. After all, people who want to support an addict also have a lot to learn. The role of the close is above all support sick in the process of recovery. However, before this happens, they usually have to realize to him that there is a problem that needs to be solved and that he will not be alone with him, because loneliness is probably the worst thing that can happen to a sick sheep.

Gambling addiction-therapy

When an addict decides to go to a specialist therapy (of their own free will or under family pressure), a long and multi-stage process begins. The key here is to build an inner, authentic motivation to actually change – this stage can take years, but this is only the beginning. W the first phase as a rule, the addicted player does not want to admit that he has a problem with gambling, and the psychotherapist tries to make him aware of the real situation (for example, by confronting the opinions of others or the consequences of playing). When it comes to phases of reflection although the player begins to understand that gambling addiction affects him, but for now he postpones the decision to radically abandon the game. Only in the third phase, active preparation , a sincere motivation to overcome gambling addiction begins to form. Treatment consists of continuous work on awareness of the disease and its nature and understanding that recovery means an irrevocable cessation of playing.

Action phase this is the time of trying to change the lifestyle of an addict, when the ability to control the addiction and previously manifested behavior is tested. Then the therapy passes into fixation phase therapy, during which the patient acquires or rebuilds and perfects various social and emotional skills, such as coping with conflicts and their own emotions, building relationships with others, assertiveness, etc. Further, it is necessary to work on the awareness of addiction and acquire practical skills to prevent relapses of the disease. This skill is also the main point stages of relapse prevention. The player must have a lasting awareness that addiction to betting and other gambling and the so-called gambling hunger will be present in him forever, but accepting this thought is a condition in order to be able to control the disease. These are not all the steps you need to go through when treating gambling addiction. Therapy should also include real loss assessment as a result of gambling. Only a deep understanding of how negatively gambling has affected the life of a compulsive gambler and his loved ones is the key to the success of treatment and allows you to fully take responsibility for what and how it is done.

Where to treat gambling addiction?

Not only anyone who suspects that he is addicted to gambling, including bookmakers, but also people from his environment can get help in many different places in South Africa. Below is a list and description of the available forms of assistance.

Telephone and other useful telephones

If it comes to us that we or someone close to us, for example, bet on bookmakers in an unhealthy way, the situation is probably already very serious. In this case, we certainly care about time, but also about anonymity . Therefore, a helpline that is the fastest way to contact and providing the opportunity to seek the advice of a specialist dealing with this type of addiction may be the best way out at first. The phone is operated by the Institute of Health Psychology of the Africana Psychological Society and is intended for all people affected by behavioral addiction (e.g. addiction to betting, internet, shopping, etc.). Trained consultants are available throughout the week from 5 to 10 p.m. The phone number is: 801 889 880 .

In addition to the helpline, there are many other telephone numbers where dependent or co-dependent persons can get help and where to report. These include numbers:

• 881 488 990 - phone organization Gamblers Anonymous, offering support to people addicted to gambling,
• 22 823 65 31 - the Monar Addiction Prevention and therapy helpline, which provides support to people with various addictions (daily from 9 am to 9 pm),
• 116 123 - Crisis Helpline, designed for all people who seek psychological help (daily from 14 to 22),
• 22 425 98 48 - Telephone Psychological First Aid (Mon. - Fri. at 17 – 20 and sat. 15-17).

Public and private counseling and addiction treatment centers

Of course, the help provided by phone is only the first step to overcoming gambling addiction. However, the most important thing is to take therapy led by a psychotherapist – preferably one that specializes in gambling addiction. Throughout the country, there are many centers where addicts can be covered for treatment reimbursed by the National Health Fund. These are both public as well as non-public clinics, hospitals or specialist addiction clinics . The therapies carried out in them can be of an open, closed or open and closed nature and consist of individual, group or individual and Group treatment. It should be noted that the waiting time for admission for treatment in a closed ward in most state institutions is quite long. To find the nearest center that treats gambling addiction, you can use, for example, a practical search engine located on the site UzaleznieniaBehawioralne.pl. List of facilities this type can also be downloaded from the website of the National Office for Drug Control (which also deals with other types of addiction). In addition to telephone address data and working hours, it contains basic information about the assistance offered, including the type of therapy and counseling, additional workshops and forms of consultation, assistance provided to loved ones and possible payments.

In addition to the facilities where the insured person can use the assistance free of charge, there are also private addiction treatment centers and clinics in which participation in therapy is possible only in full. Very often, treatment includes a several-week or even a couple of months stay in a particular resort, and costs such treatments are really big. Before deciding to use the offer of a given institution, in addition to the price list, you should first check, does it implement a specialized program aimed at people addicted to betting and other gambling is it rather aimed at the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction. A much more effective treatment is a therapy prepared specifically for the problem of gambling addiction. Assistance in such centers can be provided both in closed and open mode.

We have prepared a list of centers that seem to be the best of this type in South Africa. The list includes both public and private centers, divided into individual provinces. There you will also find information about the most prominent specialists dealing with this issue. The list of centers and specialists is available here .

Self-help groups

Self-Help Groups for gambling addicts created and run by people who themselves are addicted to gambling and this is analogous to AA groups, or Alcoholics Anonymous. The best example of such a self-help group are Gamblers Anonymous, who operate throughout African, and their meetings take place regularly in larger cities. To be able to join this group, just want to stop gambling – no need to sign up and provide any data, pay fees, sign attendance lists, etc. The main feature of the group is anonymity all her c$ones. The key therapeutic effect is here regular meetings with other gamblers those who understand the problem of the dependent person well and give him / her much needed support. Moreover, the c$onks of the group who have overcome addiction add faith to others, providing living proof that it is possible to get out of addiction. C$onks of anonymous gamblers meet at meetings, some of which are closed (only for addicts), and some open, while the rules of the group are written in Recovery program, $married with 12 steps .

Although Gamblers Anonymous is the most dynamically operating Organization of this type in South Africa, there are also many independent self – help groups-they are often organized at addiction therapy counseling centers, such as the provincial addiction and co-dependence therapy counseling centers (WOTUW).

Of course, anyone who wants to overcome gambling addiction should get help from all available sources. Nothing stands in the way and even highly it is recommended to combine therapy , conducted by a professional therapist participation in a self-help group in which the compulsive gambler strengthens himself in the determination to fight addiction.