Gambling addiction
Since time immemorial, people have engaged in different games. It becomes an addiction when a person cannot refrain from playing the games. Gambling also referred to as betting, involves taking risky actions with the hope of winning cash.
Gambling addiction is the pathological attraction to games caused by emotional and psychological addiction. Gambling addiction is a disease that should be treated with the same seriousness as alcoholism or any other drug addiction. Gamblers not only require psychological treatment but also drug treatment. Different types of gambling games are included hier:
- Casino ( cards, roulette)
- Games of the fast turnover of cash (betting, lotteries, sweepstakes)
- Security market games such as in-stock exchanges and forex.
- Computer games; online games, consoles.
How and why do people become addicted to gaming?
Gambling addiction is rooted in social, psychological, and physiological factor and not leaving out:
- Disorders, mental illnesses, and phobias
- Financial constraints result in stress. As a way to deal with the stress, they end up gambling.
- Creative and impulsive natures make the gamblers obsess over the games.
- Closure and lack of communication.
Gambling companies also play a huge role. They captivate people by showing the exclusivity and happiness of the games. Everyone loves to be happy, and games make people happy. When they put a reward or a bonus, it stimulates the production of dopamine – the happiness hormone. People will expect to win every time and continuously keep putting their money on the bets and the chances of winning are very minimal. With continuous gambling, the gambler keeps on turning their life and those dependent on them into a tragedy.
Consequences of gambling addiction
Gambling addiction has the gambler going through detachment, psychosis, fear, uncontrollable aggression, panic attacks, depression, and over-excitability. The gambler then begins to experience physiological changes on their bodies including: dryness and redness of the mucous membranes of the eyes, disorders related to the hormonal and cardiovascular systems, memory disorders, and sleep disorders. The gambler spoils their relationships with people around him such as family, friends, and their workmates. Their lives are reduced to gambling all the time hence, they can no longer support their immediate families.
How to cure addiction.
To cure gambling addiction, there are several to help curb gambling addiction. These phases include,
- Motivation is the first key direction to solving a gambling addiction. A gambler cannot stop gambling unless they want to. They must be willing to stop and motivated enough to work through it.
- Drug therapy- this is cleansing the body and restoring the systems of the brain together with organs that have been affected.
- Ibogaine therapy – this involves treatment of the addiction at the subconscious level.
- Psychotherapy which includes hypnotic methods helps patients through treatment and after treatment.
Conclusion
Gambling addiction has dire consequences, deteriorating mental health, their physical health is threatened due to stress and they lose touch with all their relationships due to irresponsibility. Gambling addiction can be cured, as long as the gambler is willing to stop and wants to be helped. Also, psychotherapy, Ibogaine therapy, and drug therapy are the other few ways of treating gambling addiction.
