The excitement of playing for money is well-known from the very beginning of humanity. This type of entertainment goes back in time for thousands of years. Gamblers started to realize the danger of this kind of activity when some people could not stop and spent all of their money and their family savings in the process. Their excitement and rush were so intense that they didn’t realize when to end the game. Growing money loans and risky ways of living made them lost their beloved ones and closest friends, lose all their social connections and relations. You might need professional help and caring if you feel the same conditions when you visit online and regular casinos.
Do you have a problem with gambling?
Every professional will agree with the fact that the first step to handle the addiction is to accept the fact that you are addicted. Don’t waste your time! This problem needs to be solved immediately. To understand if your relatives are in trouble is far more difficult. To do so, you’ll need to consider a few factors that we’ve listed below:
- The addicted person could not stop playing, no matter how much money they lose. Bets got more significant, but one could not pay the bills or buy the things they or their relatives certainly need.
- All other kinds of activities could not excite you or your family member anymore, and gambling becomes obsessive. It could ruin one’s private life and work: growing spends from casinos could cause some trouble, especially for the troubling gambler himself.
- It becomes noticeable for everyone that all of your free time is set for gamble. Even placing small bets once in a while could cause significant lifestyle changes.
- The gambler becomes involved in one of the psychotic cases where a person just can’t stop itself from repetitive algorithms of thinking and/or moving.
Gambling Disorder
The psychiatric definition of compulsive disorder caused by gambling describes it as an uncontrollable urge, and it is a process with stages:
- Win. OK, now you’re a winner. That brings a whole lot of joy, excitement, and money for sure. But the continuous attempts to win more could lead to total desperation: you always can lose everything, even though you had won a great loot a day before.
- Lose. If you gamble much more than you usually do, you are going to lose sometime. Gambler goes for a loan to cover his or her bills and lose again. That way, the endless borrowing leads to endless sorrow.
- Desperation. At that point, you are desperately trying to win back some money from the casino, but don’t fool yourself: casinos always win. That is their business: entertain you for your money, but it is always your choice when to stop.
- Hopeless. This is the worst part when the subject goes down the drain. One addiction leads to another, and many people with gambling disorders started to take drugs and alcohol. The statistics about the suicide rate is also very high amongst the ones with compulsive gambling.
What causes problem gambling?
It is hard to imagine a situation where the case of gambling disorder happens only for one reason. It is most likely a complex subject.
Scientists distinguish three causes of it:
- Psychological. It s hard to imagine what is going on in someone’s mind. Besides, there is a lot of people believing in lucky coins and special numbers. In other cases, a game could become a break in routine life, a relieving time just for yourself. None of these situations lead to a healthy mindset. Be aware.
- Social. The things and people around you have a great influence on your life: some guy you work with could drag you into online casinos, and things went wrong or nasty commercial that stuck in your head lead you to the specific gambling site. Maybe for someone, this is the only way out, or they want it to be, but these things made for you to be kept excited.
- Biological. Every living person on this planet is a unique lifeform. And even inside the two almost identical human bodies, you don’t know what reason can cause a serotonin rush in the brain, and the reasons differ from one to another. A list of human addictions is endless: someone likes to eat chocolate too much, others can’t turn away from their TV, smartphone, or laptop. No need for specification: even the smallest changes in the brain working process can cause very unpredictable results in behavior.
Gambling Safely Online
Try to prevent the conditions that lead to reckless gambling. Games are made for entertaining: you can not earn money for a living playing them.
Here are some tips that can help you avoid gambling addiction:
- Remember that addictions lead to each other. Alcohol itself can be a bad idea, but combining it with gambling could be the worst. Once you’ve lost control, you can not stop. You bet more, play longer, make bad decisions.
- Put the limit on your spending on online casinos. You can use special bank cards for online gambling. Mobile bank apps allow you to set a certain amount of money to spend.
- Try time control for online gambling.
Who can help?
You should always remember that there’s hope. A lot of people all around the world suffered from gambling disorder or cases of deep addiction to casinos.
There are numerous organizations that try to manage this problem:
- Gamblers Anonymous. The concept works well for other kinds of addictions: if you want to stop, just contact them. You can call for help by telephone or use the web site.
- BeGambleAware. A helpful organization for people with gambling disorders in the United Kingdom.
- Gambling Help Online. Australian resource that provides 24/7 live chat support for addicted people.
- Lifeline. A charity that helps people with various problems on a national level.
- Relationships Australia South Australia. Try to reach their Gambling Help Service.