We live in the times, which – despite many facilities – are becoming a source of many dangerous temptations. Constantly increasing stress, rat race for success and the onslaught of duties make us notice an increasing percentage of addictions every year. Today’s society – especially of big cities – is not only troubled by the problem of alcoholism or reaching for drugs. The hunger for gambling is becoming more and more popular. So how can the treatment of addiction to gambling look like?
Addiction to gambling – the distress of modern times
Research on society and various addictions proves that the problem of gambling mainly affects men from large cities, between their 30s and 40s. Seemingly innocent entertainment consisting in a visit to the casino or participation in online games for money, can quickly turn into a hell. Therapists and psychologists clearly indicate that this type of addiction is a simple way not only for physical and psychological degradation, but also for problems with the law, family breakdowns and even suicidal death.
Symptoms of addiction to gambling. When does the danger begin?
Before we learn a little about the main assumptions of the therapy, it is worth looking at some schemes related to the symptoms of gambling addiction. If a person close to you has changed his behavior and life priorities, you should take a closer look at their actions. Here are some of the main addiction symptoms:
- an addict feels a strong need for continuous play and allocating all cash (or other means) in it – even those borrowed,
- there is a tendency to raise rates and shift the perception of risk, and hence – no real assessment of the situation,
- an addict will be able to sacrifice the last coin for his addiction – without consulting it with the relatives
- family ties slowly disappear, an addict prefer to lie more often
- one of the main threads of addiction to gambling is the progressive spiral of debts, and consequently – extortion and theft,
- a problem co-exist with alcohol or drugs,
- psychological breakdown, social isolation, depression, anger, aggression.
How to treat addiction to gambling?
All of the symptoms listed above pose a serious risk to the addict. Therefore, you can’t hesitate to try to persuade a person to take the appropriate therapy as soon as possible – which can restore a normal, valuable life. The first and key moment is a need for the sick person to realize that they have a real problem with gambling addiction. The most difficult part is usually admitting to personal (understood by them) failure. Then, specialists help to explain the psychological and neurological cause of addiction by helping to find motivation for change.
The most important thing is that the addicted person:
- need to know and understood their mistakes,
- have given up the need to feel the thrill of emotion typical of gambling,
- changed their thinking about themself and reality,
- learned to re-build social and family relationships,
- could handle stress and negative emotions,
- undertook a personal development
- The key in therapy also lies in the selection of appropriate techniques
Depending on the scale of the problem, the visit of a psychologist may be sufficient, otherwise – therapy in the appropriate center will be necessary. At that time, specialists can propose various methods of treating addiction, including individual therapies, the Minnesota model, conversations with Anonymous Gamblers or mastering effective relaxation techniques. The fight against any addiction is not easy but taking action and the desire to return to reality will effectively reward all hardships – both for the person with the problem and those close to you!