A gambler in the family, what to do? gambling addiction

Hello, Yana!

Like many readers of your LJ, I want to express my gratitude to you for having you :)) You are always interesting, beautiful, informative and with a soul. Hope it lasts forever! :))

I always read the “question-answer” section and am amazed at how you find the right words and non-standard solutions to human problems. In my case, it’s hardly possible to find a non-standard solution, but a few encouraging words would definitely help me now.

It so happened that for several years now I have been living not in the country where I was born, but where I moved to join my husband. There are a lot of good people around me here, but I don’t want to burden many of them with my problem, and there isn’t such a strong proximity for me to do this. My friends and relatives who remain in my homeland also don’t know what’s going on with me, with a few exceptions.

My problem, in fact, is that my wonderful husband in many respects is in reality not at all what everyone imagines him to be. Everyone thinks that he is a kind, open guy, a cheerful fellow and the life of the party, not entirely lucky, sometimes childish, but overall quite a nice person. In fact, he was completely consumed by the devil of gambling addiction. He plays in a casino and, as I am now beginning to understand, he is unlikely to be able to reverse this situation. This became clear about six months ago and was accompanied by his impressive repentance and my hope that now everything would change. Along with repentance, a lot of unpleasant details came to light about his perverted lies, which he was engaged in throughout our relationship. A great number of incredible stories that happened to him and led to the loss of another large sum of money were told by me from his words to many of my friends (like, can you imagine how unlucky we are!), which is why I don’t really want to introduce them into the real course now affairs. Because they helped me with these stories, lent me money, supported me as best they could.

By the way, until I personally encountered such a situation, I would never have believed that people are capable of inventing such detailed and reliable stories to cover up their vicious and sometimes vile lives. But it exists, so people, be careful. I can’t live without trust, so after his repentance, after a while I forgave him everything and began trusting him with money again, not double-checking his words, etc. And today I found out that he continues to play and we have a lot of debts again. I write “with us” because how else could it be? We have a common budget, we have common bills to pay and a common refrigerator. Recently, my income has been greater and he again, by hook or by crook (mostly the latter), extracted money from me.

And if last time I had some hope that he really came to his senses, that everyone makes mistakes, but we will overcome it together and blah blah blah... now I absolutely see that the man is sick and does not control himself, that his moral standards are already too distorted. At the same time, in our small country there are hardly any psychologists who can help him (although I will still take him to a psychologist). Therefore, all day long only one question pulsates in my head - what should I do? How to live with a person who can never be trusted, who can set up those closest to him (there are a couple of examples), who is unable or unwilling to overcome his addiction, although he understands that it is completely killing his wonderful life?

At the same time, breaking up with him because of this, in my mind, is equivalent to breaking up with a person who is sick. Oh, are you seriously ill? Sorry, we're not on the same path! No, I can’t do that, we’ve been together for a long time and I love him. What can be done for him, besides the help of psychologists?

Sorry that there are so many questions and the text is so confusing - I’m still writing under the impression.

Thank you very much in advance for your participation. Even for reading this.

Hello!

Because I saw this up close, I have the very first advice: by hook or by crook, block access to money! When such people are cut off from oxygen, they begin to try to get to any resources using the most unkind means, and after a very short time they use all the means they can think of!
The second is to go around/call all relatives, tell them that there is such a problem, and ask them not to give money under any pretext.

The fact is that all other problems can then be solved through joint efforts, or not solved - it’s a very long story. But first we need to try to resist the fusion of all available money, this happens wildly quickly and irrevocably!

In our circle of friends there was such a case - so there, when problems began, the patient first promised and swore to everyone that he would go for treatment, stop everything and control himself. Then he managed to kill distant relatives who lived in Russia. while part of the family and he were in Germany), and in some unimaginable ways he persuaded them to sell the apartment and send him all the money, supposedly for a reliable business that he and his wife were opening. (These were his wife’s relatives, and he managed to turn everything around in such a way that they did it without even talking to the wife herself). As you probably already guessed, his relatives were left without an apartment, they will never have enough for a new one, the money was all spent in a short time, and he himself will never earn that much either. As a result, the elderly people there live in their dachas; they believed him that by the end of summer he would get everything done and send all the money back. with high interest. This was several years ago.

What I mean is that these amazing rotational abilities will be put to use in all instances in order to get all the money that can be obtained.

Unfortunately, the next thing such people do is to borrow money in completely dark places. And from these dark places, after a while, bandits begin to come and threaten wives and children, and other family members, because their husband/son owes them very large sums. And usually this is the moment when wives leave their husbands, not because they are tired of everything or something like that, but because they are scared, for themselves and their children. Knowing that this can develop in this direction, you can try to beg your husband in advance to at least not do such a stupid thing - but whether he will hear the calls is a big question.

I also worked in a casino in Berlin for some time, so I have a pretty good idea of ​​the clientele that is found there. And I’ve seen enough of these stories. I don't know about you. but in difficult cases it is possible for us to go around all the nearest casinos and ask the owners to ban this person from entering there. If things get out of control for someone and relatives and crying wives start walking around the casino, they usually do this. They simply meet halfway to remove these tragedies away from their business. It is clear to them that at this stage the person is already ruined, or close to it, maybe he will still bring this or that thousand there. But in fact, it’s already a matter of time before it becomes more trouble than it’s worth. Therefore, they quietly blacklist.
The next step is to go to court and ask the judge to rule the same thing - banning a person from entering all relevant establishments, because he is inadequate and does not know. which echoes. But, as already said, I don’t know if you have this.

I will also say that I heard such stories a couple of times, and they all ended when the family completely blocked such a person’s access to money. It’s just a matter of principle, and as a small, open text, because he can’t be trusted. Shared refrigerator - yes. Don't give money at all. What he earns himself apparently cannot be saved from him, this is his account and his money. What is yours must be removed and saved by any means necessary. Experience has shown that in such families all funds are quickly used up, so sometimes you have to literally give cards to relatives who do not live with you, sometimes withdraw only a little money, enough to live on, and not keep any funds unattended to which the person could get there. No checks, cards, passbooks, nothing to keep in the closets at home, where he will climb when no one is home. Agree with relatives and friends, move it away so that you can’t get to anything like this without directly asking someone you know, or two or three. Many people are very afraid to do this. because they are afraid of offending, or afraid of a scandal. But you need to understand that if you don’t do this, in the most open text, ALL the money will simply go down the drain - this will not stop for anything until ALL the money goes down there! And then you will really regret that you didn’t close all the shops earlier, trying to avoid open conflict.

If the process has really begun, and the person cannot stop (and judging by the description, this is it) - then all the most unpleasant scenarios will already happen, it’s a matter of time. And all the showdowns, scandals, insults, reproaches, everything, everything that can be said about this - all this is already provided for you. You can sit down and mentally prepare to answer all this. Such a person does not control himself, and he will never sign up for this. Accordingly, he will argue with you all the way, resist, be offended, and manipulate. put pressure on your feelings of guilt, then on pity, then he will pretend that he believed you. He agrees with everything, cooperates, and much more. And at the same time, there’s no point in not cooperating and sticking to your line

The good news is that some of these people stop when all their money is completely cut off. They, in essence, behave like drug addicts (they are drug addicts). But their withdrawal symptoms are still not the same as those of people on different substances. Therefore, when they are completely stumped, to start taking things out of the house, selling them, and losing the proceeds - this is not enough for them. Those. it's "too much" and then they stop.

Unfortunately - not all.

Many people still move on to this ugly phase. As a result, they are, of course, abandoned, because they simply begin to ruin their own wives and children.

Others are still going through the phase of borrowing money from bad places. And they stop after big troubles, greatly frightened. However, this also only works if you leave them alone with this problem. If in such a situation the wives, mothers, and relatives chip in to pay off his debts to the bandits, rest assured that in a month the bandits will come again, because... he (seeing that the end of the world had not come) went and did the same thing again.

Those. all the resources of other people will go down there as long as they are somehow allocated. Stopping can only happen if they all run out and he exhausts all of his. and he will bring himself to the point beyond which he himself is too afraid to live.

P.S. I don’t know what country you are in, but in many countries there are psychologists (or rather, they already need a psychiatrist) who treat this. But for this it is necessary for the person to go to treatment himself. Gambling addiction, as far as I know, can only be treated at the will of the patient.

P.P.S. Leaving a person with a severe addiction is necessary if living together becomes unbearable. And this is basic self-preservation. Staying with a drug addict out of a sense of duty, out of guilt, pity, or for some other reason is nonsense. All the same, if he is rolling down a hill, then it is only a matter of time before he drives everything into such a dead end that it will end the same way - you will run away from him. If you can’t control the situation in any way, run away before he burns through all your resources and puts even more debt on you. And make sure you don’t end up in a situation. when you repay his debts for 30 years. This is definitely not worth any relationship! No one should do this to anyone! And you shouldn't! This is something you should try to avoid.

P.P.P.S. If you can no longer trust a person at all, the relationship will still fall apart. If something is possible between such people, it is only after complete “zeroing” - this is when they ran away, he started everything all over again, proved for a long time and showed everyone) for many years!) that everything was really over and he fixed everything. If at all, then only very slowly and after serious changes. And if someone manages to jump off this at all, it is only after (and as a result) that all relatives and friends stop funding it.

I sympathize with you very much, and I wish you to escape from this horror with the least losses! “For the man to come to his senses and stop,” I also wish for you, but rather rhetorically. because (sorry) I don’t believe this. Those. I believe that this is possible, but only after a complete collapse. And without completely diving to the bottom, I believe the probability is about 0.01%.

The hardest thing for a player to bear is not the fact that he lost, but the fact that he has to stop playing.

Madame de Stael.

How do you understand that a simple game has turned into an addiction? When is treatment for gambling addiction necessary? Most people believe that gamblers are attracted to winning and winning, that they want entertainment and joy.

But if you listen to the opinions of gamers themselves, it turns out that addiction is more reminiscent of drug addiction. At first it’s fun and harmless, but then it’s simply impossible to live without it.

And the point here is not at all about the thirst for thrills. Gambling addiction is not a search for euphoria, not a bad habit, and not moral turpitude. This is a mental illness that belongs to the group of non-chemical addictions.

A person becomes a slave not to alcohol or drugs, but to a whole range of substances that his own brain produces. To obtain these substances, you don’t need to inject drugs or buy alcohol, but play a little. And then a little more. And then more.

Gambling – the scourge of the 21st century?

Gaming addiction is called a disease of the new millennium, but the first mentions of games and gambling appeared as early as 3000 BC. The Old and New Testaments, the Koran, ancient Indian and Chinese teachings contain stories about gamblers and the consequences of addiction to them.

Of course, the new millennium has created conditions for the spread of gambling addiction. A large number of gambling halls and casinos around the world, legal lotteries, sports betting and even harmless applications on smartphones are gradually fueling the excitement of adults and children. But it is impossible to say that gaming addiction appeared with the advent of the 21st century.

The entire history of mankind is riddled with laws banning games. Such measures only reduced the number of gambling establishments and imposed restrictions on gaming in public places; this, of course, did not completely eradicate gambling addiction.

The state pays attention only to gambling entertainment that requires cash injections; the bills do not apply to “harmless” games. It is legal entertainment that leads to the growth of gambling addiction; addiction is reaching epidemic proportions, which no one is tracking or even trying to treat.

Causes of addiction

All types of non-chemical addiction have common causes: difficulty expressing and understanding your feelings, inability to take care of yourself, difficulties in interpersonal relationships and problems with self-esteem.

But this is not enough for pathological gambling, and the game can become addictive only if additional factors are present:

1. Loneliness and lack of communication. Communicative games, in particular computer games, make it easy to satisfy the need for communication and give a sense of belonging to something larger than one’s own, uneventful life.
2. Game as income. Sparkling advertisements with offers of easy money attract not only young players, but also adults. Playing for profit gradually ceases to generate income, but the player cannot stop hoping for an improvement in his financial situation, and is in an eternal search for luck.
3. Dissatisfaction with one's own life. Personal crisis and awareness of problems in one’s life are the most common causes of addiction. The game allows you to feel like someone else, to realize those aspirations that you had to restrain before.
4. Stress. Many gamers first turned to games during a period of intense emotional distress and prolonged stress.

As a rule, the formation of addiction is influenced by several factors at once. And the addict himself usually denies the internal causes of his illness and really wants to shift responsibility to external factors, to others or to life circumstances. But, circumstances or the environment change, but the object of addiction remains the same.

There is such a thing as addictive tolerance. By analogy with pharmacological tolerance, this concept means “getting used to the game.”

To get the same sensations, you need to play more and more, either raise your bets, or constantly try new types of gambling. Without increasing the dose, “withdrawal” occurs, that is, a depressive disorder, which can result in a very serious condition, even suicide.

Types of gaming "drugs"

1. Legal "drugs". This category includes state lotteries, sports betting, computer games and applications on mobile devices.
2. Illegal games. These are card games for money in gambling establishments and underground casinos. There are countries where such leisure is allowed, but there are also countries where there is liability for this by law.
3. Bet. Arguing for money with friends and colleagues at first glance seems like harmless fun, but money bets can also cause addiction.
4. Exchange. Internet exchanges have led to the emergence of a new type of gambling, with addicts making risky bets. Professionals (brokers) do not belong to this category.

In the structure of gaming addiction, the leading place is occupied by addiction to computer games, while the age of the youngest gamers hardly exceeds 5 years.

How does addiction manifest itself?

Ludomania, gambling addiction, pathological gambling - all this is the name of one disease, which refers to non-chemical or behavioral addiction. The pleasure of gaming is due to the production of endorphins and stress hormones, and over time, gamers experience physical and emotional exhaustion.

The disease is chronic and incurable. Moreover, every gambling addict, just like every alcoholic or drug addict, may not gamble for an unlimited period of time, living in remission, like an ordinary healthy person.

Gambling is characterized by “tunnel vision”. The game becomes a means of controlling one’s emotional state:

• a way to calm down;
• a way to concentrate;
• a source of thrills that are so lacking;
• a source of pleasure and joy;
• relief and temporary relief from problems.

Devoting more and more time to the game, addicts gradually withdraw into themselves. Concern for one's own well-being fades into the background, family and loved ones receive less and less attention, the home environment becomes tense, and communication turns into a series of quarrels and scandals. At some point, the addict finds himself in confrontation: it feels like everyone wants to stop him from playing!

Gambling addicts have difficulty withstanding mental stress; they try to relieve any stress through a well-known and favorite method. At the same time, problems are not solved, but accumulate. Often, on top of everything else, there is the question of why money disappears from the family budget.

Poor health, hunger and the need for sleep do not stop the addict; the game can continue around the clock.

Loss of self-control is also a hallmark of gambling. It is easy for an addict to give up work and school, preferring to spend this time playing. Financial difficulties, political activity, government prohibition, family values ​​- there is nothing that would force a gambling addict to give up his addiction.

If gambling requires financial investments, then the player gradually gets into debt and spends all available money on entertainment. At first, a gambler may borrow money from friends and relatives, sell his property; in the later stages, an addict may break the law to finance the game.

Game drive

Among the clinical symptoms of gambling addiction, the most recognizable is the gaming drive. While outside the game, the addict imagines the gameplay in every detail, thereby immersing himself in his favorite environment. When fantasizing, a gambler imagines all possible options for winning or winning, and also looks for combinations of numbers, symbols and signs that bring good luck.

The addict convinces himself of future victories and his gaming capabilities, and the illusion of control over the game inflames the passion even more.

Fantasies about games are invariably associated with ideas about success: winning will bring respect, money and fame, and hitting the jackpot will make others respect the gambler and his aspirations.

Sometimes mental immersion in the game process is accompanied by the fact that the addict hears sounds characteristic of the game - this could be the noise of the gaming room, music in a casino, or a screensaver from a computer game. A dependent person falls into a state where there is no way to really play.

Obsessive thoughts and cravings quietly lead to active gambling; a breakdown can occur regardless of how long the remission lasted, several days or several decades.

Gamblers, trying to cope with addiction on their own, mentally return to their favorite entertainment, which leads to a breakdown, and the player returns to his usual environment.

Gaming trance

The initial goal of a gambler is to win, and for the sake of it the player is ready to spend hours and even days. But a long gaming session reduces the taste of the long-awaited victory, and the emphasis shifts towards the gameplay itself. The player is completely captivated by the excitement, and after 3 hours of continuous play:

• blood pressure increases;
• tachycardia appears;
• there is pain in the heart area;
• there is a decrease in concentration.

All rational attitudes and gaming professionalism come to naught, invented strategies lose their value. There is no adequate reaction to everything that happens in the game and outside of it. Aggression and anger arise both in response to the game and to requests from loved ones and friends to stop.

Some addicts, aware of this peculiarity of behavior, try to limit themselves in the game, allocating less than 3 hours for entertainment. But the main reason for the time frame in most cases is the weakening of gaming skills after prolonged concentration on the gameplay, and not at all negative changes in behavior.

At a certain stage of the game, there is a strong desire to stop, while winning is not at all important, and the player just wants to leave. In medical practice, this condition is called gaming exhaustion syndrome.

Win Syndrome

Winning the game lifts your mood to the point of euphoria, increases confidence in yourself and your abilities. On the wave of success, the player begins to fantasize about new victories, imagines new options and combinations.

Victory always remains in the memory as an important achievement, and an obsessive desire to repeat success appears. By the way, during the treatment period, the memory of major victories leads to relapses in addiction.

In the first stages of addiction, the pleasure of playing and winning can persist for several days; in the later stages, even a large win does not evoke strong emotions, and the elevation of mood persists for several hours or even minutes.

Losing Syndrome

Losing does not evoke positive emotions in a healthy person, and even more so in gambling addicts. A series of failures increases the addict’s anxiety level, irritability and anger increase. Often players look for the culprits and try to take revenge for their loss, calling on divine and religious forces for help. Some players seek support in talismans, rituals and conversations with the game and its attributes.

If a gaming session is unsuccessful, the gambler falls into a depressive state, and aggression spills out on others.

Losing evokes suicidal thoughts, and a painful state of mind is accompanied by:

• insomnia;
• nightmares;
• symptoms of asthenia;
• somatic disorders;
• lack of appetite.

Losing syndrome is also characterized by self-criticism and promises to stop playing. But, having cooled down a little from the failures, the player returns to his addiction in the hope of winning back.

Abstinence

Withdrawal syndrome is characteristic of all types of addiction, including gambling. Deprivation of the opportunity to play causes anxiety and depression, irritability and aggression increase. A severe mental state sometimes pushes people to commit crimes.

Almost all addicts at some stage of the disease suffer from sleep disturbances. Many people say that they constantly dream about shots and moments from their favorite game. The growing tension, which the gambler is used to solving with the help of the game, flows into emotional devastation and provokes suicidal thoughts.

When you refuse to play, vegetative and somatic disorders are observed:

• sweating increases;
• symptoms of the cardiovascular system appear;
• appetite decreases;
• headaches are noted;
• breathing is impaired.

The desire to return to the game in order to recoup, calm the nerves and feel success again are the main reasons for relapse. It will be difficult to cope without the support and help of a psychiatrist.

Stages of the disease

Gambling addiction has three stages of development, each of which has its own characteristics in the addict’s behavior.

Gambling addiction begins with the stage of compensation or winnings. At this stage, the addict does not devote much time to the game and can calmly abandon it. In his free time, the player has his first fantasies about games, searching for winning combinations and successful moves. Each victory evokes strong emotions, and the gambler begins to play even more often.

The subcompensation stage in gambling addiction is also called the loss stage. At this stage, the player is increasingly inclined to play, despite the planned activities. The addict skips school or does not show up for work, and serious conflict situations arise in the family. Financial difficulties arise, and the gambling addict begins to borrow large sums of money to sponsor games. “Signs from above,” “symbols of good luck,” and talismans become important, but losses do not attract the player’s attention.

The stage of decompensation or disappointment is characterized by a complete lack of self-criticism and assessment of the possible consequences of infatuation. The game continues to the last strength, and outside of it a person constantly thinks about his strategy. Emotional and physical exhaustion becomes obvious, but it is impossible to give up the game.

How to deal with addiction?

Treatment for gambling addiction can have a positive effect almost immediately, but it takes some time for a person to deal with deeper problems.

Pathological addiction to gambling is not bad behavior and a thirst for victory, it is an addiction that causes serious damage to the individual.

Among people with gambling addiction, about 25% have attempted suicide at least once. And if we take into account the fact that in more than 40% of suicide cases the cause of death is unknown, the statistics become even more tragic.

It is extremely rare to cope with gambling addiction on your own and only at the first stage of gambling addiction. It is almost impossible to suspect the disease at an early stage, and even in the later stages, patients are not ready to admit the presence of a problem and refuse the help of a psychiatrist.

Being forced to undergo a course of treatment causes an acute negative reaction in gambling addicts, and even if the addict agrees to go to rehabilitation, the therapy will be ineffective.

Psychiatric care

The first step towards getting rid of gambling addiction is recognizing the problem. There are 2 effective methods that can be used either separately or simultaneously:

1. Visiting Gamblers Anonymous groups.
2. Working with a psychotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrist.

A specialist will be able to provide competent assistance to the addict and help resolve intrapsychic and interpersonal conflicts. Of all types of psychotherapy, family therapy is best suited, since the root causes of addictive behavior always lie in early childhood and in the family structure.

A psychiatrist or other addiction specialist must choose the most painless way for the patient to combat addiction, and talk about all the methods of treating gambling addiction.

Does not bring particularly good and short-term results:

• auto-training;
• neurolinguistic programming;
• hypnosis.

Rehabilitation and visiting AI groups work best. The rehabilitation center where gambling addiction is treated uses group psychotherapy.

Groups of Gamblers Anonymous (AG) help change attitudes towards gambling. AI is a community of recovering men and women who openly discuss issues that are relevant to themselves and to newcomers.

Support and help from people with gambling addiction who are in remission instills confidence in their own abilities. Besides, who can truly understand a gambler if not another gambler?

Drug therapy

In difficult cases, when refusal to gamble leads to depression and psycho-emotional disorders, gambling addiction begins to be treated with medications.

Withdrawal syndrome is corrected by prescribing:

• neuroleptics;
• tranquilizers;
• antidepressants;
• opioid receptor blockers;
• neurometabolic agents.

Drug treatment in all cases is carried out in a hospital and under the supervision of specialists. If necessary, the course of antidepressants can be continued after discharge.

Hypnosis and coding

Treatment of gambling addiction with hypnosis and coding attracts people with addiction the most. Such treatment methods do not require dedication, and the problem is solved as if by magic. But in practice, hypnosis therapy and coding do not bring results, and the rare cases of improvement that can be found in reviews are caused by personal attitudes.

The use of these techniques in combination with psychotherapy can become a support at the initial stage of recovery, but this is only an additional, and not the main method of treatment.

What do gamers say about the effectiveness of different methods? Which one is the most effective?

Igor, 25 years old.

After I lost my job and my girlfriend, I realized that it was time to give up computer games. I didn’t want to go to a psychotherapist, I was afraid that my friends would find out, so I chose hypnosis. But I didn’t notice any changes after the session; the craving for games is still strong. Although, to be honest, I don’t even want to play anymore, because time flies by for days, it doesn’t bring me any joy, and then I walk around exhausted. I heard about Gamblers Anonymous, but I didn’t go to the groups, it seems to me that I’m not yet mature enough for that.

Marina, 45 years old.

My son plays constantly, spends at least 5 hours on the computer every day. He screams, gets angry and even hits furniture. On the advice of a friend, I took him for hypnosis, but to no avail. Apparently, I'll have to go to a psychotherapist. I heard about rehabilitation; my neighbor’s son was being treated for a casino problem. I was in the same department with alcoholics and drug addicts (already sober). He went out and didn’t play, he went to groups. But I don’t even know how to force mine.

Maxim, 42 years old.

I have been playing in casinos for more than 10 years, but over the past six months I have sold almost everything I owned for the sake of playing. I made an appointment with a psychotherapist, talked to him a lot, and then, on the advice of a friend, went for hypnosis. A senseless waste of money. The same friend invited me to an open AI meeting, and I went for fun. Now I’ve been going for 90 days, 90 groups... I found a mentor, I’m determined to get better. By the way, I haven’t played for 121 days now, I even started a calendar for myself to celebrate the year of purity.

Ask an expert a question in the comments

So, before we find out how to help a person suffering from gambling addiction, let's find out what kind of disease it is.

What is gambling addiction?

Gambling addiction, or in other words gambling addiction or gambling addiction, is, first of all, a mental disorder that characterizes a person’s strong craving for all types of gambling. Gambling addiction has long been a social problem in modern society. Not only the gambling addict himself suffers from this disease, but also everyone who has anything to do with this person. Often, such addiction leads people to poverty and even destroys families.

Main symptoms of gambling addiction:

- a person constantly talks and thinks about the game, trying to go and play in any way;

- while playing, a person completely loses control over himself and cannot stop;

- any slot machine attracts this person and he is unable to resist this temptation;

- friends of a gambling addict are the same people who are completely dependent on gambling;

- a gambler ceases to be interested in everything that surrounds him, which once brought him pleasure;

- in the eyes of a gambler, all desire for a normal life disappears;

-if such a person has not played for a long time, he becomes very nervous and irritable.

After a certain time, the symptoms of gambling addiction increase, and the person completely loses control over himself. The game becomes his meaning of life and the main way to hide from the daily routine. A gambling addict may even go to extremes and start stealing money for his gaming goals.

The main factors that predispose to gambling addiction:

1. Social: this factor includes the desire for “easy and quick money”

2. Genetic: based on field dependence, in other words, a tendency to various kinds of dependencies. For example, it is much easier for a person suffering from alcoholism to become a gambling addict than for a non-drinker. This is all inherent in a person’s genes.

3. Spiritual: This factor includes the understanding that money is everything. A person simply believes that only money can help him improve his life. In addition, thanks to such a hobby, the player fills his spiritual emptiness and builds his life goal.

4. Psychological: a person playing on a subconscious level thinks that by winning this or that game, he becomes the “king” of his life.

What is the danger for a person suffering from gambling addiction?

Gambling addiction greatly affects a person’s psychological state, which leads to constant depression, emotional instability and can even lead to a disastrous outcome (suicide).

Main stages of the disease.

First stage. At this stage, a person is just developing a desire and craving for the game, but the gambler is still able to refuse the game itself. Over time, a passion for inflating bets and frequent visits to gaming halls is instilled.

Second stage. It is already very difficult for a person to give up the game. At this stage, the gambler experiences an internal struggle between his craving for the game and the realization that this is not necessary. The gambler begins to visit gaming halls even more often and, due to his passion and confidence in victory, cannot stop playing at all. At the second stage, the gambler comes up with individual signs for his victory.

Third stage. At this stage, a person suffering from gambling addiction wants to play most of all. And therefore, when answering the question: “yes or no? “, the gamer, of course, will stop at the first one. A person is capable of spending a lot of money for the sake of his hobby. Whatever he does, he thinks about how to play. It is at the third stage that the person suffering from gambling addiction becomes absolutely indifferent to everything that happens around him. The game becomes his meaning of life, he begins to borrow money and nothing can make him stop playing.

How to help a person who is addicted to gambling?

1. A person suffering from gambling addiction, first of all, needs to understand for himself that gaming is nothing more than ordinary entertainment in his free time from other activities. In other words, a gambler must understand at his subconscious level that gambling is a waste of time and money. The main thing is for a person to realize this and reconsider his life priorities. To do this, you need to talk to him and let him know that he is not alone, and you will help him overcome his addiction.

2. To limit yourself from the craving for gambling, a gambler needs to occupy all his free time with something. Come up with a special activity for this person (for example, sports, fishing). Try to make sure that the gambling addict spends most of his time with his family. Invite friends into the house who will distract the player from his problems and help him see something other than games in life.

3. Try to completely stop all sources of funding for the gambling addict. No money - no game.

4. Under no circumstances refuse to hold a conversation with a gambling addict about games. If you ignore this topic, the person will withdraw into himself and his illness will begin to progress.

5. A special course of psychotherapy can effectively help a person overcome gambling addiction. This is one of the most effective ways to get rid of gambling addiction. Take the gambling addict to special sessions with a specialist, the purpose of which will be to detect and get rid of the factor that led to this disease. In addition, a psychotherapist will help the gambling addict recover socially and spiritually.

We all know that gambling addiction does not lead to anything good. The earners of easy money lose everything at once, and most importantly, they do not understand that they are seriously ill and need psychotherapeutic help. Modern therapists compare gambling addicts to drug addicts. Indeed, it is just as difficult to get rid of the passion for gambling as it is for drugs. Two groups of gambling addicts can be distinguished: gamblers who want to win a large amount of money and fans of computer virtual games.

Gamer people, who are they?

Many are sure: a gambling addict who spends his entire life sitting in a casino near the slot machines is a narrow-minded and limited person. In fact, it's not that simple. Psychologists distinguish three groups of players.

Latent players

Representatives of this group first try to win a big jackpot, and after they fail, they abandon the idea. Although they still periodically buy the lottery and believe in their luck. As a rule, these are different people, they can be intellectually developed and have a rich spiritual world. Their income is stable, but average. A latent gambler cannot afford to spend large sums on casinos or slot machines, and he also tries to adhere to basic moral principles.

Casino players, poker and card lovers

This group includes fairly developed people who know how to build a strategy, and they also have intuition. We can say about such people that they are talented and know how to succeed in life. Why then do they play? For them, earning money means nothing, and playing helps get rid of negative feelings. This way they relax. Some people go to casinos because they like to take risks and want to have some kind of experience. The scary thing is that players do not understand how dangerous their gambling is. Such players constantly increase their bets, nothing stops them, so they often lose everything they have managed to earn. Constantly visiting prohibited gaming clubs, they enjoy the excitement.

Slot machine lovers

Unfortunately, “iron boxes” have managed to ruin the lives of many; even children often play slot machines. And it all starts from an early age. For kids, they specially invented a machine into which you throw money and you can pull out a toy. Many parents cannot pass by this machine because the child flies towards it and rolls it up. Psychologists have proven that children don’t actually need toys; they enjoy the process itself. Please note that children should not develop a sense of excitement. Parents should promptly protect their child from gambling, explaining: “ Everything in life is hard to come by, there is no easy money».

It’s worth mentioning separately about casino owners and gambling developers. High-class psychologists work here who know that the more the game drags on, the more the player wants to win. The gambler thinks: “ Just a little more and I'll win everything" Also, often a gambling addict is given a chance - he wins a good amount of money, but this will never stop him. The gambler will definitely continue the game until he loses everything. These are terrible traps that, unfortunately, many people fall into. There are many cases when parents, relatives, and friends refuse to help a gambling addict; he withdraws into himself and thinks that life is meaningless. If you do not get help in a timely manner, a person may commit suicide.

Attention! The main problem of players is that they do not know how to lose. During a gambling trance, a large number of neurohormones enter the blood, so the player experiences strong emotions.

What happens to a gambling addict?

It is clear that when a person plays constantly, he still runs out of money. But in this case, the excitement does not go away, but only intensifies. The gambling addict begins to borrow money from relatives, friends, and may invent stories about illness, etc., but never admits where the money is actually needed. When a gambling addict loses everything again, he develops anger, resentment, and then super-emotions. They can be compared with those that appear after taking a potent psychoactive substance - cocaine, heroin.

A gambling addict is a sick person! Suffering from addiction, he completely loses interest in life, falls into deep depression until he finds another sum for a new game.

How to spot a gambling addict in a timely manner?

• The player constantly saves on everything, significantly reducing his income.
• Without saying anything, a gambling addict can take, or even steal, money from the house.
• Gamblers are constantly in debt. In order to lend them money, they come up with various fables.

Attention! Is your loved one a gambling addict? Take immediate action before it completely degrades.

Features of computer gaming addiction

The development of new technologies is not only a blessing, but also many problems. Our children no longer read books, don’t play hopscotch and catch in the street, and don’t jump on rubber bands. They realize themselves in computer games. As a child grows up, dependence on the virtual world increases. Immediately after school, children run home, instead of eating and doing homework, they spend hours, and on weekends, all day, sitting near the computer.

What to do? If you notice an addiction to the virtual world, watch how your children are deteriorating, try to radically change your life. Enroll your children in different clubs, let them play sports, dance and be constantly busy. Try to live a real life yourself, play sports, relax in nature, walk with friends.

How to help a gambling addict?

It is impossible to help a gambling person with severe psychological addiction on your own. This requires professional psychotherapeutic help. The player may have to be hospitalized for a while to return to reality. During treatment, psychotherapists completely change the worldview of gambling addicts, for this purpose they create new goals and offer to change their lifestyle.

It is also quite difficult to treat. This requires a cunning and extraordinary approach. Many parents make the mistake of intimidating their children and hiding the computer from them. As a result, children skip school, staying with friends or in an Internet cafe. It is best to give up aggression and try to interest the child in something else.

Thus, gambling addiction is a serious psychological problem that cripples the life of the player and those around him. Be extremely careful!