Slot machines are not always harmless entertainment. Sometimes they cause serious addiction, negatively affecting all areas of life. Officially, game addiction began to be considered a disease not so long ago, but it has been around for a long time. To stop playing slot machines in casinos, you need comprehensive work.
- Causes and development of addiction to casinos
- Signs of a ludomaniac
- Stages of gambling addiction
- Ways to treat gambling addiction
- Useful tips and recommendations
- How to help a gambler
- The issue of co-dependence on relatives
- Frequently asked questions
Causes and development of casino addiction
Ludomania (gambling addiction) occurs quickly, but it is often difficult to identify its onset in time. The main causes of formation:
- Lack of control.Having started the game, a person can not stop.
- Tendency to addiction.To ludomania are people with bad habits: smoking, alcohol abuse, etc.
- The desire for easy money.A common cause of addiction. With the first win a person gets a dose of adrenaline. He tries to catch luck again. In the absence of analyzing actions, it leads to serious losses.
- Psychological factors: feeling of needlessness, loneliness, lack of close relationships.
- Dissatisfaction.People often try to realize themselves in the game.
- Mental disorders.Any problems can seriously affect the development of gambling addiction. People easily succumb to gambling entertainment, and the disease progresses. Individuals who have been treated for mental disorders are at risk.
Ludomania is a disease that develops rapidly. In the absence of help, the craving kigramactively grows, destroying life.
Signs of a ludomaniac
There are users who play slot machines, have fun and do not lose a lot of money. Such a hobby is not imprinted on their lives. But if a casino gaming addiction develops, it negatively affects many aspects of life. There are signs by which you can recognize a ludomaniac.
Personality traits
Ludomaniacs are characterized by a thirst for excitement, thrills, adventurism, maximalism. Often these are people who have a lot of energy with a limited range of interests. They are good organizers, but poor performers, can generate ideas, but not implement them.
Igromania is manifested by the following symptoms:
- A person is constantly occupied with thoughts about the game. He is always thinking about the machines, imagines the possible reward, plans successful bets.
- It is more difficult to concentrate on his tasks.
- The gambler becomes irritable. He constantly feels discomfort and anxiety.
- The game takes more time. If earlier the ludoman visited the casino once a month, now he devotes several hours daily to the machines.
- As soon as the addict starts playing, his mood improves. Being in normal life irritable and nervous, in the casino he literally blossoms, feeling something similar to narcotic intoxication.
- Man spends more and more on gambling machines. He puts in them the money to lose which previously considered insanity.
- From winning the attention shifts to the process. Serious financial losses are no longer frightening. Over time, debts and loans appear.
Addicts often lie. This applies to place, time, amounts of losses, etc.
Family relationships
Ludomania destructively affects the family. It is not only that a person spends money uncontrollably.
Often gambling is a means of escape from psychological problems. Dependence on them leads to the fact that the machines replace family or friends
Often gambling is a means of escape from psychological problems. Dependence on them leads to the fact that machines replace family or friends.
Regular entertainment of relatives can affect the psyche of children. This is a frequent factor in their further manifestation of gambling addiction.
Examples of famous gamblers
Ludomania – a disease not only of our time. Some famous writers suffered from it. Among them:
- Fyodor Dostoevsky.
- Alexander Pushkin.
- Leo Tolstoy.
- Nikolai Nekrasov.
Among our contemporaries are famous gamblers – Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Jordan. Affleck once won $800 thousand in a casino, because of which many clubs blacklisted him. Michael Jordan once lost more than $150 thousand in the casino and $1.25 million on bets. But even this did not make him give up gambling.
Stages of gambling addiction
Like other addictions, gambling addiction develops gradually. The earlier to start treating addiction to slot machines, the better. Distinguish such stages of development of the disease.
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Winning | Having experienced luck, the addict plunges into euphoria and wants to get this feeling again. This is how addiction begins to develop. To help a gambler is best at this stage, but, as a rule, then no one thinks about the problem. |
| Losing | It is impossible to win constantly in the casino. The ludomaniac loses more and more money. He tries to get even, so he may take out loans. Other aspects of life become secondary. The main thing is the machines and the desire to win back. The user tries not only to get the money back, but also to experience the euphoria of being lucky again. |
| Recklessness | At this stage, the gambler loses money and relationships with loved ones. He hates everything that interferes with gambling entertainment. Rarely does a ludomaniac want to stop and quit gambling, but when he tries to struggle, he usually can’t last more than a few days without machines. |
| Despair | The stage of deadlock. A person feels disappointed in the game, realizes that it leads to problems, but can not stop. Depression and despair set in. Sometimes gambling addiction is complemented by addiction to alcohol and drugs. There may be consequences up to suicide. |
At the last stage, many patients are ready to be treated. But it is more difficult to help them.
Is it possible to overcome the disease on your own
Self-fighting with slot machines is possible at the initial stage. The following methods help in this:
- Stabilization of the family atmosphere, avoiding scandals and conflicts that aggravate addiction.
- Raising the status of a person. He should feel significant not only in the game, but also in the family or at work. He will realize that life without casinos can also be interesting.
- Switching the addict to other hobbies: traveling, sports, hobbies.
At medium and severe stages, the gambler requires the help of specialists. As a rule, complex treatment according to an individualized scheme is necessary.
Ways to treat gambling addiction
Like any addiction, game addiction is based on a powerful mental-biochemical basis. Therefore, specialist help is often needed. The most important step is for the patient himself to recognize his addiction. This may require the help of a psychotherapist.
Drug therapy
At neglected stages, when gambling addiction is complemented by depression, neurosis, suicidal thoughts, medications are indicated. Drugs are selected individually. Such drugs are used:
- Neuroleptics.
- Anticonvulsants.
- Tranquilizers.
- Antidepressants.
- Receptor blockers.
- Neurometabolic drugs.
In cases of severe depression and suicidal tendencies, inpatient treatment may be necessary.
Work with a psychologist
To get rid of casino gambling addiction, you need the help of a psychologist. The task of the specialist – to determine the cause that caused the development of addiction, as well as to select methods of solution. During consultations, a person rethinks his life and understands how to properly dispose of it. If a gambler does not recognize addiction, the psychologist conducts a motivational conversation with him/her.
Coding
The technique of coding is actively used in different types of addictions, in particular, in gambling addiction. The specialist puts the patient into a hypnotic trance and gives him the settings, after which the craving for gambling entertainment disappears. The person receives a suggestion that gambling addiction is the cause of failure in his life. The coding is valid for a certain period of time. After the addict, as a rule, does not return to gambling.
Rehabilitation period
Rehabilitation includes individual and group sessions with a psychologist, trainings, where patients are shown the charms of life without addiction. The final stage is socialization. With the help of specialists, a person learns to adapt to society without gambling. He recovers social skills lost during the period of addiction.
Useful tips and recommendations
To get rid of addiction, the gambler himself must want to do this. It is worth taking into account such recommendations of experts.
Finding the causes and recognizing the problem
Gambling is not a bad way to relax. But if they take a lot of time, a person should realize whether he is not trying to avoid reality in this way, and what he is trying to compensate for. It is important to learn how to solve problems in other ways. For example, if there are conflicts in the family, it is worth discussing them with relatives, rather than running away to the slot machines.
The most important step is to recognize your addiction. You cannot deny or ignore the problem. It is important to recognize it and try to find a solution
The most important step is to recognize your addiction. You can’t deny or ignore the problem. It is important to recognize it and try to find a solution.
If a relative suffers from gambling addiction, it is worth avoiding judgment. It is better to find a specialist who will help them understand the problem and encourage them to start treatment.
Setting time and financial limits
Gambling requires not only time, but also money. Often users start with small amounts. However, gradually the stakes increase. To avoid a financial hole because of the casino, it is worth determining the amount of spending on games. It is possible to set a limit on the card for online payments. It is important that the person himself is aware of this ban and does not try to circumvent it.
Time control is also necessary, because gambling is addictive. Before you start, you can set a certain value on the timer. After receiving a signal, it is necessary to finish the game. Gradually the time is recommended to reduce. So a person will accustom himself to play less.
Creating a system of rewards and punishments
It is important for the addict to praise himself for any achievement in the fight against ludomania, for example, reducing the time of the game. It is necessary to understand that besides machines brings pleasure, and use this as a reward. This will help to feel the joy of life and avoid depression.
When breaking the rules, you can punish yourself. It should be something useful, but something that you often do not want to do, such as sports or learning foreign words. When failing, it is important not to blame yourself. This will lead to a loss of confidence and cause stress and breakdowns.
Proper prioritization
Addicts prioritize the game first, and professional, family and household issues later. It is worth developing a rule to fulfill important responsibilities before gambling. Appliances can be used as a reward for some useful action. This will motivate a person to do other things. He will begin to realize that the game is not the whole life, but only a part of it.
Sports and referral to specialists
Players spend a lot of time on the computer or phone. This is fraught with deterioration of health, loss of muscle tone, overweight. Exercise will help to distract otavtomatovi will bring benefits. Regular exercise becomes a habit. As a result, you do not want to spend a lot of time online.
If you can not quit playing slot machines on your own, do not be afraid of experts. It is not shameful and not scary. It is important to find a good psychologist. He will help to understand yourself and find ways to solve the problems that provoked gambling addiction.
How to help a gambler
At first, ludomaniacs control the situation. Relatives understand the addiction when there are consequences: debts, loans, problems at work, etc. The gambler, however, denies the disease and does not want to be treated.
Relatives should help the person to realize the problem. This should be done without pressure and criticism. Relatives are not responsible for the decision of the gamer. It is impossible to force him to be treated. But if he already realizes the addiction and agrees to fight it, together with him it is necessary to take such actions:
- For some time, the addict must give money to relatives. Documents should be left at home, so that he does not take new loans.
- It is necessary to help the ludoman to realize that the game is not a livelihood, and that he must give up thoughts of revenge.
- It is important to help the addict find a hobby: sports or other hobbies. Enjoying some kind of activity, a person restores the biochemistry of the brain, which has been disturbed by addiction.
It is worth helping the patient to lead a healthy lifestyle. It includes a daily regimen, proper nutrition, refusal of bad habits. This is important, because gamers prone to addiction often replace one harmful passion with another.
There are several reputable organizations that support Responsible Gambling. These include GamCare, BeGambleAware, Gambling Therapy, Gamblers Anonymous, and national regulators. We provide players with access to clear and effective self-regulatory tools such as limits, timeouts and self-exclusion features. Our goal is not just to comply with formalities, but to make responsible gaming principles actually work.
The issue of co-dependency on relatives
Relatives of people with addictive behaviors can suffer from co-dependency. It is as if the loved ones are “infected” by the disease and feel its effects. Such people depend on the behavior of another person.
Co-dependence prevents normal perception of the current situation and problem solving. Relatives are constantly depressed. They can not assess what is happening in a realistic way, which prevents them from helping their loved one
Co-dependency prevents normal perception of the current situation and solving the problem. Relatives are constantly depressed. They cannot assess what is happening in a realistic way, which prevents them from helping their loved one.
Those who are prone to co-dependence, it is worth changing the attitude to the gambler. It is important to realize that a person should be treated, not pity or blame. It is necessary to let him be responsible for his actions and give more time to himself. This does not mean that the gamer should be ignored, but the measure is important. Helping an addict should be correct and effective.
Frequently asked questions
Pathological addiction to gambling is present in 2-10% of online users.
Yes. Awareness of the problem and a comprehensive approach are needed.
It is prohibited by law. But sometimes compulsory treatment can be achieved through the court.
Women are less likely to suffer from gambling addiction. But it is more pronounced in them.
The policy of good casinos involves a number of restrictions. Minors are not allowed to play. It is possible to delete the account or connect the function of self-restriction.
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