Gambling Addiction – Disease or Addiction? 4 treatment methods

In our age of rapid development of information technology, computers and computer games, online casinos and other platforms, including gambling, have become very popular among people of all ages. However, not every addiction to games can be called gambling addiction. In this article we will understand what gambling addiction is, how it arises and how serious the consequences can be.

The causes of gambling addiction in the modern world can be different.

What is gambling addiction

In order to become more familiar with the phenomenon of gambling addiction, first of all, it is worth knowing the definition of this word. What is gambling addiction? Gambling addiction or, in other words, gaming addiction (persistent habit) is a person’s mental dependence on gambling, computer and other types of games. The peculiarity is the manifestation of gambling addiction - addiction is expressed in frequent repeated involvement in the gaming process. The same phenomenon is also called gambling, gambling addiction or gambling addiction.

Gambling addiction is not a new phenomenon for society - betting on sports and sports competitions appeared in Ancient Greece. The main component of gambling addiction is gambling. Some experts explain the passion inherent in a person with the desire for superiority and leadership in a social group. After all, even in primitive society, the leader was chosen by the one who brought the most booty.

Is gambling addiction a disease?

Experts from various fields are still debating whether gambling addiction is a disease. To answer this question, let's look at the pathogenesis of gambling addiction (the mechanism of development of manifestations):

Representatives of the first group classified gambling addiction as a type of impulse control disorder and put it on a par with kleptomania (a painful attraction to committing thefts) and pyromania (an attraction and uncontrollable desire to commit arson).
Another group classified gambling addiction as a behavioral addiction, also calling it a disorder.
Proponents of the third point of view believed that gambling addiction is an obsessive-compulsive disorder, characterized by obsession and a special attraction.

The opinion of the second group acquired the greatest amount of evidence, which was confirmed by subsequent studies. Gambling addiction is now considered a non-chemical addiction, that is, it is directly determined by a behavioral disorder. Thus, gambling addiction is still a disease of the human psyche. However, to define gambling addiction as a disease, gambling addiction as a disease must meet the largest number of inherent criteria.

Gaming addiction has been included in the list of mental disorders since 2007. The World Health Organization recently included computer game addiction in its list of diseases. Computer gaming addiction will be included in the International Classification of Diseases, which will come into force in 2022 (ICD - 11).

How a game turns into a disease

How do people turn from ordinary game lovers into gamers? Any behavioral or mental addiction sooner or later becomes dangerous both for the addicts themselves and for their loved ones. But at what point does infatuation become a disease remains a question, since each individual case has its own characteristics and factors.

The desire to win as much money as possible, to defeat the “system” - these thoughts subjugate the will of the gambler, he ceases to control the situation. In this sense, he becomes like an alcohol addict. In both cases, a person denies his problem, tries to find funds for his “hobby,” isolates himself from friends and relatives and finds himself in a difficult social and (or) financial situation. This is how gaming addiction begins in adults and even children.

Mania is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the usual recreational habit of gaming.

How does gambling addiction manifest itself?

Gambling addiction does not manifest itself overnight; it is a rather long and at first completely unnoticeable process. The first obvious manifestations occur when a person has problems in different areas of life, for example:

Financial problems: debts, credits, loans;
Social problems: isolation from loved ones, family conflicts, aggression, loneliness;
Personal problems: mental disorders, neglect of life values, indifference to previously favorite hobbies and activities.

How to distinguish gambling addiction from hobby

The most important difference between gambling addiction as a disease and an ordinary hobby is control. An ordinary person who does not have a disorder knows in advance how much time he is preparing to spend playing games, how much money he is willing to spend.

Gamers, on the other hand, are unable to control the gaming process; they are haunted by obsessive thoughts about playing and winning. Gambling addiction is an addiction in which all the desires of a gambler revolve only around the game, he forgets even about ordinary natural needs, sacrifices sleep and meals in order to spend this time on the game. And the longer this continues, the worse the gambling addict’s condition becomes.

The ability to self-control is a hallmark of addiction addiction

Consequences of gambling addiction

Now you know what gambling addiction is and how it differs from ordinary hobbies. Gambling addiction is, first of all, a disease of the human psyche, which is why the consequences greatly influence the entire life of a gambler and affect his physical health.

Gamers cease to feel responsible in many, if not all, areas of life - they may even refuse their parental responsibilities. Also, in search of funds for games, they are prone to committing thefts from home, crimes and other forms of deviant behavior. During the course of the disease, they feel uncontrollable aggression and show increased uncontrollable aggression towards others, especially close people. Even those people who are calm and balanced by nature are prone to aggression during the course of the disease.

Short breaks in the gameplay are accompanied by quite sharp mood swings - a person falls into a depressed state and feels anxious. Such conditions affect health in the following way:

Changes in appetite, eating disorders and resulting weight loss or gain

Frequent headaches

Sleep disorder, often insomnia

Disorders of the autonomic and cardiovascular systems

Most often, long-term gambling addiction is accompanied by anosognosia, that is, the phenomenon of the patient’s denial of his disease.

Gambling addiction and sports betting in Russian legislation

Russian players who have suffered from gambling addiction in bookmakers do not yet have special legal protection. But in October 2019, the Ministry of Finance submitted for consideration a bill to amend the Federal Law “On state regulation of activities related to the organization and conduct of gambling and on amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation.” The amendments suggest the following algorithm for protecting gamers:

the person himself or his guardian submits an application to specialized SROs of bookmakers;
on the basis of such petitions, a nationwide list of persons who should not be allowed to play bets is created;
exclusion from such a list may take place no earlier than in a year, subject to the submission of certain documents: legislators will clarify their list;
Perhaps legal bookmakers will be required to introduce special restrictive tools on their sites so that each player can set his own daily or general “ceiling” of bets.

Such changes in legislation are only at the stage of consideration by the Presidential Council for the Codification and Improvement of Civil Legislation.

In the meantime, it is important to remember: sports betting, gambling addiction, and responsible gambling are interconnected phenomena, and finding a balance between them is the most important task for any player.

This article was published thanks to the Championship Betting Academy and FONBET

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Why people often treat people who play games badly

In 2019, the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM) conducted a survey among Russians about their attitude towards video games, which showed that 58% of respondents consider them harmful due to the following consequences:

The emergence of addiction (26%);
Decreased visual acuity (23%);
Negative impact on the human psyche (13%);
Decreased mental abilities (10%).

The generally accepted stereotypes that all gamers are addicted and sick people are inherent in adults who are distrustful of computer technology, or their loved ones or relatives (and perhaps they themselves) have experienced gambling addiction. A person’s immersion in games of any kind makes them detached from society, their thought processes and perception of the world differ from the accepted ones, in some cases, gamers simply “escape” to the virtual world, which alarms other people living in reality. It is believed in society that the greatest harm from gaming occurs when people are involved in online casinos and other types of gambling.

Gambling is a major problem among gamblers

Not everyone who plays games is a gambler

Many people have tried to play some kind of game at least once in their lives, for example, cards on the train - also a game of chance, most often for money. However, not all people who enjoy gaming from time to time are gambling addicts.

A gamer does not mean a gamer. Those whose hobby does not become uncontrollable cannot be called gambling addicts. If computer games are not a person’s only hobby, then it is difficult to talk about pathological changes or disorder.

Gambling addiction or gambling is particularly common when a person is literally obsessed and strives to constantly be in the gaming process. His behavior and reactions undergo changes not for the better, and the hobby itself becomes an addiction (dependence or addiction).

Why games are usually good

According to the same VTsIOM survey mentioned above, some respondents noted the positive impact of games on a person, among them:

Development of logical thinking (10%);
Increased attentiveness (4%);
Increased reaction speed (6%);
Reduced stress levels (8%).

Experts, in cases of normal, not excessive interest in games, note that games of various types have a positive effect on a person and his condition. All people from childhood begin to experience life through gameplay - and this is a completely normal phenomenon. The gameplay can interest even a small person in learning and memorizing. Experts also identify a number of factors that positively affect a person during games:

Games help fight accumulated stress. During the game, the happiness hormone is produced and the release of dopamine is activated;
Stimulate active brain function. Some logic games, puzzles, and especially chess develop both hemispheres of the brain, improve concentration, strategic thinking and allow you to learn faster;
Playing games together helps develop teamwork skills, team building, and improved relationships with other people.

In addition, in addition to the factors mentioned above, gaming in the 21st century allows you to process visual information faster and more efficiently, develop motor functions and increase mental flexibility.

Modern computer games are part of culture and art

Svetlana Kovalenko

Psychologist, clinical psychologist

Ask a Question

My appeal is more relevant to parents whose children are enthusiastic and spend time playing on the computer with great interest. Today, games are not meaningless plots, they are real stories that are in no way inferior to the books that we read as children. Modern video games carry many correct and moral messages. If your child is passionate about it and enjoys it, this does not mean that he or she is developing a gambling addiction. Try to find out what he plays, what the plot of this or that game is about, try to support his interests. Nowadays games have a lot of cultural and social meaning.

Why are online casinos dangerous?

The hobby of online betting looks quite innocent, but virtual coins are bought with real money. According to surveys, up to 28% of players note that it is easier to spend money on the Internet.[2] Electronic payments allow you to transfer any amount with one click.
Finding out about casinos is very easy: aggressive advertising with the promise of millions in winnings is inserted into pirated versions of popular films. Almost everyone knows about the possibility of betting on the Internet.
The desire to get “easy money”, colorful pictures and round-the-clock availability tempts you to make the first bet. At the start, many sites promise bonuses: double winnings, a minimum amount in the account, etc. The excitement of anticipation of winning becomes a kind of drug, which is very difficult to refuse on your own.

Let us help you get rid of gambling addiction

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Main signs of gambling addiction

Gaming addiction differs in its characteristics from alcoholism or other addictions, however, they may not appear openly for a long time, and the player himself tries to hide them carefully and for a long time. Psychology considers the main signs of addiction to gambling, as well as computer games:

Mood swings associated with the results of the game or being in it. When winning, the patient feels causeless joy, fun, and euphoria. When you lose, the fun gives way to a depressive phase.
Increased irritability, anger, aggressive attitude towards other people and events.
Avoidance of society, the desire to isolate yourself alone with the game.
Apathy, indifference to past hobbies, other activities besides gaming.
Sleep disorders – insomnia, interrupted sleep.
Constantly being near a computer, phone or other gadgets.
Increased tension, obsession with the game, constant thoughts and an irresistible desire to return to the gameplay.
Constant increase in unexplained expenses, lack of financial resources, debts. The player constantly borrows money or takes it on credit, however, it immediately disappears.
Lack of desire to take responsibility or be responsible for your family and children. While in the game, the player stops thinking about the harm that he can cause to his family, including financially. Forgets about his loved ones, responsibilities towards children.
Panic attacks, increased emotionality, anxiety and worry.

Gaming mania is characterized by special symptoms

How to overcome addiction to computer games?

Computer gaming addiction has become a real disaster for many families, not only non-believers, but also churchgoers: someone’s son drowned in the virtual world, someone’s husband spends his days fighting monsters... And it’s good if a person somehow understands that there’s something wrong with him, but, as a rule, gambling addicts are happy with their gambling life and certainly don’t consider themselves sick people. Meanwhile, it has long been recognized: gambling addiction is not only a disease, but also a severe obsession with passion that damages the human soul.

How to be? How to cope with this disease for those who suffer from it? What medicines does the Church offer? And how can his relatives help a gambling addict? Pastors share their advice.

It is important to recognize your addiction

Hegumen Luka (Stepanov):

– If a person is aware of his addiction and is ready to fight it, then it’s a win-win situation. If he often confesses, reproaches himself from the heart and exerts the will to expel this harmful addiction from his life, God’s help will not be delayed and the addiction will be rejected. If the damaged person considers himself happy with the opportunity to achieve the next stage of degradation for successfully completing virtual tasks, then things are bad. All that remains is to pray for him, and if you have power over him, simply prohibit the use of these soul-crushing devices.

Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev:

– The Scripture says: “Everything is lawful for me, but not everything is profitable; “Everything is permissible for me, but nothing should possess me” (1 Cor. 6:12). And any painful passion or addiction is dangerous for a person. For, as is well known: “Whoever is overcome by someone is his slave” (2 Pet. 2:19). In other words, when a person himself becomes a console for a computer game, then this is already an illness and a problem.

There is no place for a computer in a gamer's house

Archpriest Pavel Gumerov:

– Addiction to computer games is a problem that has already been recognized by doctors as a disease, similar to addiction to alcohol or drugs. Alas, popular games, according to official statistics that take into account those who use licensed versions of these games, have several million “fans”, add to them millions and millions of those who have pirated versions installed...

Online games especially develop addiction, because they create the illusion of communication with “partners” in the game. Plus excitement and adrenaline. And if this is, for example, a game of poker, then there is also a dependence on the passion of love of money, because a person naturally wants to win. So the passion for the game is greatly enhanced by other passions associated with it. For these reasons, addiction to computer games turns out to be more severe than addiction to the Internet, which is still easier to cope with.

If I am not in control of the situation, then only the Lord can help me. Understanding this is the first step to healing.

What should someone who wants to overcome their addiction to games do? Getting rid of any passion begins with the awareness of my weakness, with the understanding that it is no longer I who control my life, but it is controlled by my passion, this demon that makes me sit and play for days, forgetting about loved ones and close people, about work, about important matters, like forcing a drug addict to take his last money to a drug dealer in order to buy a dose from him. And if I no longer have control over myself, then I cannot stop playing at any moment. And if I don’t control the situation, then only the Lord can help me. Understanding this is the first step to healing. The second step is, naturally, turning to God. Because in general, any passion is driven out by prayer and fasting. We must pray: “Lord, give me strength, help me! I can't do anything! It’s not I who control life, but this passion...”

The next step is to abstain from this passion. If you have a computer at home with a paid Internet connection that is always on, it will be a very serious temptation, it’s the same as if you keep a bar or fill the refrigerator with beer in the house of a person prone to alcoholism. The most important factor in alcoholism and drug addiction, by the way, is precisely the availability of alcohol and drugs. And when alcohol or drugs are within walking distance, it is impossible for a person to get rid of them. So it is with gambling addiction. Therefore, I advise you to abandon your home computer altogether. Make a strong-willed decision and cut off the Internet, give someone a computer. This is very difficult, but when a person realizes that his life is going downhill, I think he will make this sacrifice - and immediately it will become much easier for him.

Let me note, by the way, that addiction develops, as a rule, in those who are not professionally involved with computers. Because if you work on the computer all day, then at home you have no time for it and no time for computer games. And all my computer geek friends can’t look at a computer at home. At most, they will check your mail.

But what about the situation if you can’t give up your home computer because someone close to you works on it at home or uses it for study? Set very clear time frames for your “computer sessions”, and only access the computer for business purposes, and refrain from games. But it’s better to try to get rid of the computer completely.

So, I repeat: turning to God with a prayer for support in the fight against passion, fasting and abstinence from the object of passion. But this is not enough. A holy place, as we know, is never empty. And therefore, when some passion is expelled, its place must necessarily be filled with something. This is the law. The Gospel says about him: “When the unclean spirit leaves a person, it walks through waterless places, looking for rest, and, not finding it, says: I will return to my house from where I came; and, having arrived, finds it swept and put away; then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and live there, and the last thing for that person is worse than the first” (Luke 11: 24-26). What to fill the empty space with? Naturally, some normal human dominants, a way of leisure that will be both pleasant and useful: communicating with friends, doing some things together with them, sports, fishing, other hobbies... Reading, this forgotten useful activity. After some time, a person will develop a habit of these activities and will enjoy them.

And a very important point: you need to find out why you are playing. A person often hides in virtuality from some problems of reality. From problems in the family, for example. Or from communication problems - due to their lack of communication or harmful nature. So he looks for virtual friends and plays with them. Yes, he’s just running away from life’s difficulties. A person turns to alcohol as an instant way of obtaining joy, and here too. It takes effort to build relationships with real people and do good things. And in order to go to an Internet cafe or start playing at home, you don’t need any effort, you also need very little money...

Getting rid of addiction - any addiction - is a huge job. This must be clearly understood. The addiction itself is acquired easier and faster; good skills must be developed over a certain period of time.

Where medicine or psychology cannot help, God's grace will help

Priest Valery Dukhanin:

– Computer game addiction is one of the most dangerous and insidious. Outwardly, the person does not seem to be doing anything bad, does not get drunk, does not inject himself with drugs, does not go fornication, but just sits in front of the monitor and presses buttons. In fact, terrible changes are happening to his soul. Actually, computer addiction is a drug, fornication, and intoxication. Because the soul loses integrity, loses contact with loved ones, exchanging them for a virtual intoxication, becomes intoxicated by games and cannot live without them, just as a drug addict cannot live without drugs.

The consciousness of such a player lives more in the colorful world of the game, completing levels and achieving new victories, rather than in real life. Everything around him seems gray and ordinary, but there, inside computer entertainment, is “real life.” For her sake, he will sacrifice everything: free time and health, money and career growth, communication with loved ones and basic self-care. This is also a kind of mental illness, a split personality: a person seems to be here, but in fact he is completely lost in pseudo-reality. Computer games themselves are idols to which everything is sacrificed, but which in themselves are soulless, and through them demons deceive us.

What to do?

Don't be fooled: getting out of addiction to computer games is extremely difficult. The difficulty is precisely that such dependence deforms the personality, for her life has become a virtual game, taking away the game is perceived as taking away life. And this means that parting is possible only when the gambler feels some new, higher and richer in inner colors of life.

Let me give you an earthly example. If a young man falls in love with a girl, then everything changes inside him, even his interests may change, and what previously attracted him loses meaning, because all his thoughts are about something else. It is unlikely that any pitiful toys will be relevant for him, because the wealth of personal living experiences is incomparably higher than anything artificial. The one who has fallen in love is completely overwhelmed by thoughts about his beloved, these thoughts crowd out everything, previous attractions lose their attractiveness. The palette of inner feelings in live communication and in living love is always higher and more attractive than the flat excitement of chases and shooters on the screen.

People break up with addictions not because of someone’s lectures, but when a person’s inner world changes

I gave this example to explain: people break up with addictions not because of someone’s notations, but when the inner world changes, when what was previously valuable now loses its meaning. That is, it is important to switch attention from the artificial to the real world, and the very consciousness of a gambler needs to be reformatted. And if falling in love is still an earthly and short-lived feeling, exciting and inspiring for a while, then true transformation can occur during a personal, intimate meeting with God in the depths of the heart. Obsessive ideas of the game move away from a genuine super-valuable idea that embraces the soul, and only God can be such a super-value.

This is, in general, a well-known fact: people radically change their lives when they turn to God, when old sinful addictions are cut off and a completely new experience appears - the experience of overcoming sin. Another thing is that turning to God is in a sense a secret, you cannot convert someone by force, we can only pray and ask the Lord to find ways and means to save a person suffering from gambling addiction. He himself has to do the hard work of working on himself, fighting his attachment.

The fight against computer addiction is the same experience of struggle as with any sinful passion. Everything inside is aching, passion demands to satisfy itself, the soul is torn, loses activity. Passion says: “Well, try at least one more time, it’s okay.” Therefore, you should take it as a principle: “I’d rather die, but not sit down to play games.” It’s better to break all your computers, go to a monastery somewhere and get a job as a laborer, cram all your time with work, affairs and prayer rules, so that in the evening you fall on your bed exhausted, rather than spend your life in such a pitiful, destructive state.

Freedom from passion has never been achieved the easy way. It is easy to lose freedom, but it is very difficult to regain it. But where medicine or psychology cannot help, God’s grace will help. In the end, there is only one way out: go where the grace of the Holy Spirit is - to the temple, communicate directly with confessors, try to acquire grace, and it itself will make changes in you that you are not even aware of.

You need to start “correcting your loved one” with yourself

Priest Dimitry Shishkin:

– Any addiction is a very serious and difficult problem, a disease that has its own history of development and a long “tail” of causes, so most often there is no need to talk about “instant” healing. Of course, we know that instant healing is possible, but this requires such faith, such a confluence of circumstances (including those unconscious to us, which we call the Providence of God) that these cases happen probably one in a hundred, if not less often. We know that the Lord, when He was here on earth, constantly healed the sick and those possessed by demons. But what was the “percentage” of those instantly healed from the total mass of sick people who turned to the Lord? I think it's also small. And the point here, as we know, is primarily in the faith of those who turned to the Savior, but also in those very “paths” unknown to us, according to which some were healed, while others were not and continued to get sick. Maybe for humility, maybe to atone for some previous sins, maybe to avoid possible sins that a person would undoubtedly commit if he were completely healthy...

The effectiveness of our prayer for a loved one directly depends on how much we ourselves try to improve our lives

But in any case, the first thing that is required of those who are heartbroken for their loved ones, obsessed with the destructive passion of gambling addiction, is to seriously reconsider their lives and work to correct themselves. In the image of the “friends of the paralytic,” seeing whose faith the Lord healed the unfortunate man. This is our main contribution to the healing of a loved one - the fulfillment of faith by our very way of life, because the Lord Himself says: “Why do you call Me: Lord! God! “And you do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). The strength and effectiveness of our prayer for a loved one directly depends on how much we ourselves try to improve our lives. And if we try, then “the fervent prayer of the righteous can do much” (James 5:16), and we can say that here we are talking not only about some people of exceptionally high spiritual life, about saints, but about every Christian who truly tries to live according to God's truth.

Well, this is what concerns prayer, and if we talk about the rest, it’s up to the Lord to tell you, because both people and circumstances vary and the variety is endless. For some, it may be enough to simply remove the computer from the house and that’s it. Close this topic once and for all. And the child will obey, and then wean himself from his dependence. And someone, even when fulfilling this requirement, still needs to be patient, because a child can become angry and rude in a cloud and go somewhere “out of spite”, look for an opportunity to realize his passion in another place, and here you need to show great patience and firmness with prayer. We must survive this time, surrendering everything into the hands of God. And somewhere you need to resort to the help of specialists - psychologists. But in any case, it is necessary, I think, to treat the child himself with love, with heart disease, and try to help him switch his attention to something else - useful and good. Attention not only in the momentary meaning, but in the meaning of the interests and priorities of life...

In a word, there may be many means of helping your neighbor, but only one thing is clear - you need to start “correcting your loved one” with yourself, and working on yourself, coupled with heartfelt and persistent prayer to God, will certainly bring its good fruits. Maybe not right away, but definitely. There is no doubt about this, because the Lord sees both the pain and sorrow of our heart for a loved one and our humility and labors and never leaves it unanswered. After all, He Himself said: “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matthew 7:7).

We must pray for the gambler with all our might and means.

Priest Igor Silchenkov:

– Of course, one must pray for a gambling addict with all the forces and methods available in the Church.

The main prayer takes place at the Divine Liturgy. Submit notes more often for the commemoration of health - the Bloodless Sacrifice - and for custom Liturgies. You can order magpies - where the Liturgy is served every day: for example, in monasteries. Sorokoust is a commemoration for 40 days in a row.

You can also pray purely at home, reading a certain rule that the priest will bless. You need to come to the temple and take a blessing for additional prayers to your rule in order to pray for your neighbor who is sick with gambling addiction. The priest will tell you what prayers to read.

And, of course, in order for God to be pleased with our prayers, we ourselves must be active members of the Church, please and serve God. Do His holy will. Go to Liturgy every Sunday and the evening before to the evening service from beginning to end, confess and receive the Body and Blood of Christ at least once every three weeks, read morning and evening prayers in full every day.

When a person serves God, fulfills His holy will, he begins an interesting life, filled with various good events and a lot of joy, he knows what he lives for.

And gambling addiction arises from the fact that people do not fulfill the will of God, do not take communion, rarely go to church, or even do not go at all. And their life becomes uninteresting, meager, joyless. And then they run away from this life into virtual reality - bright, interesting, dynamic - but non-existent. And having become addicted to this imaginary world, they can no longer leave it for a long time; they are enslaved to the sin of gambling.

Therefore, a person, if he is aware of this spiritual illness of his and wants to recover from it, must take those spiritual medicines that I wrote about: confession, communion, prayer and special prayer for healing from this and other sins.

If a person does not realize his spiritual illness and does not want to get rid of it, then we must work hard and do it for him instead.

And the merciful Lord will help us and hear our prayers. For He sometimes allows sorrow to our loved ones for our admonition. So that we come to God. And they brought our neighbors to Him too. God help you! Work and save yourself from sinful destruction and help our neighbors to be saved.

Priest Maxim Gorozhankin:

– If a person is addicted to computer games, it is necessary to try to fight it. Limit computer use. It’s reasonable to judge how much time he devotes to computer games and how much, for example, to reading serious literature. Or how much time he devotes to prayer, if he is a believer - this also happens. People who are churchgoers, unfortunately, can also be addicted to computer games. So you need to look: how has my time been spent since I started playing games? And from this, draw the appropriate conclusions and, after praying to God, try to fix something.

The most important thing is prayer. Pray to God and ask the Lord to deliver you from addiction, to grant you freedom, to give you strength in the fight against addiction, and to manage your life so that it develops in the service of God and your neighbor.

Symptoms of gambling addiction

Despite the fact that the primary symptoms in most cases are difficult to associate with the development of gambling addiction, including due to the secrecy of the gambling addict, experts have identified two groups of characteristic symptoms that arise when this disorder occurs. Let's look at them in more detail next.

Psychological symptoms

Like any mental disorder, gambling addiction affects changes in a person’s mental activity. Changes in the psyche are provoked in each individual case in its own way.

Reluctance to discuss the problem and denial of its existence, as well as an aggressive reaction to any talk that it is a problem. Gamblers are trying in every possible way to prove their conscious choice of game.
Uncontrollability even with a series of losses, including large ones. The person does not stop, but rather “dives” even more in the hope of victory.
Lack of concentration on all other matters and events.
The emergence of feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and suicidal thoughts.
Mood swings and changes for no apparent reason.

Uncontrollable anger and aggression are the first symptoms of gambling addiction

Physiological symptoms

Psychological disorders and addictions also lead to changes in physiological processes. Due to the influence of gambling and computer games on the level and balance of hormones, the general condition changes and symptoms appear at the physiological level. For example, during gameplay the hormones of fear, pleasure, stress, joy and others increase. Their balance is disrupted and hormonal changes occur. Such as:

nervousness, nervous exhaustion

constant fatigue

eating disorders

photophobia

problems with the heart and deterioration of blood vessels

sleep disorders

Reasons for the formation and development of gambling addiction

Currently, there is no one specific reason for the formation and development of gambling addiction. This could be a seemingly insignificant life event or a combination of reasons. Experts divide the reasons for the development of gambling addiction into several groups depending on the nature of the factors. These factors are also called the mechanisms of a person’s involvement in addiction. Next, we will consider each selected group.

Social and economic accessibility

The media, the Internet or television advertise gambling by publishing information about promotions, quizzes and any other ways to get “easy money”. Thus, the availability of games increases especially on the Internet, where their activities are difficult to control.

Personal motivation

Scientists suggest that factors associated with personal motivation are the most common, leading causes of gambling addiction. This is due to three types of motives:

Getting satisfaction from being inside the game process. The opportunity to dominate, take risks, and take leadership positions captivates those people who find it difficult to achieve this in real life or those who want to experience these sensations over and over again.
Gaining satisfaction from escaping reality, existing life problems or other influencing unfavorable factors.
Superficial motives. There can be a large number of such motives:

When a person plunges into the previously unknown and wants to thoroughly understand and study the process;
The motive for winning. Lack of financial resources often prompts a person to gamble, which promises large wins in a short period of time.
The desire to win back to regain what was lost through losses.

Personal motivation for gambling addiction varies from person to person.

Family relationships

Family relationships or family factors are also a common cause of gambling addiction. It has been scientifically proven that the greatest influence on the formation of a person’s psyche is exerted by his immediate environment - family members, friends, and other relatives. The following family factors create a high risk of addiction:

Absence or violation of generational boundaries. That is, in the family there is either no or no understanding of what and how one can say and do in relation to another family member (elder or younger);
Family members do not have defined responsibilities within the family and do not adhere to their roles;
The difference in the reactions of different family members to the same event is double standards;
Conflict, unhealthy atmosphere within the family. Pressure or moral, physical violence;
Irrational planning of the family budget, including those situations when the budget does not take into account the needs and priorities of one or more family members.

Character traits

Character traits include factors such as:

Complexity, isolation, shyness of a person. Such qualities lead to the fact that the player tries to realize himself in an area where contact with other people is minimal.
The presence of social phobias (fears) encourages a person to hide from such inconveniences in virtual reality, where he can completely control what is happening.
The feeling of loneliness, uselessness and lack of communication leads to the fact that a person begins to look for an outlet in games.

Problems in socialization and lack of friends become the root causes of the development of gambling addiction

When should you contact a medical psychologist?

If you can’t stop playing on your own, then the only sure way out is to contact an experienced psychologist. The process of developing addiction should not be delayed. The sooner a person begins treatment, the higher the chances of beating gambling addiction forever. If measures are not taken, the addiction will develop further and lead to serious consequences.

The alarm should be sounded when a person tries to devote all his free time to the game. He stops worrying about household chores, he does not want to be interested in the lives of his family and friends. Such closeness from communication is already the first signal that it is time to visit a psychologist.

Types of gambling addiction

Modern technology development allows people to choose what they like without even leaving home. Therefore, everyone is able to choose a type of game that suits them completely and brings maximum pleasure and satisfaction, depending on their preferences. Experts identify several main types of gambling addiction.

Computer gambling addiction

Computer gaming addiction is most common among children, adolescents and young adults, as well as women and men aged up to 40 and above. In other words, computer gambling addiction is gaining popularity every year. A person can choose a suitable plot, game category and immerse himself in any fantasy world, as well as in one as close as possible to the real one. In addition, in recent years, e-sports have begun to gain popularity, where gamers earn money through the game and sometimes receive large sums for victories. In addition to games directly on the computer, computer gambling also includes games on phones, consoles and other similar gadgets.

Computer gambling addiction is mistakenly recognized as a disease of only the younger generation

Gambling addiction associated with gambling in casinos

Ludomania associated with gambling in casinos is considered a classic type. Some time ago, this type was especially widespread, because in every shopping center you could find a slot machine. The gambling business was developing rapidly and even children's gambling machines were created (of course, they played with toys or tickets, which could then be exchanged for the same toys).

With the introduction of the ban, there were fewer machine guns, however, this does not mean that they completely disappeared. Nowadays, casino games are easy to find on the Internet, but the money still remains real, even though it is deposited into an electronic wallet.

In Russia they are trying in every possible way to combat illegal gambling zones. Currently, Russian laws contain a large number of prohibitions and restrictions, which does not allow the illegal gambling business to develop so dynamically.

Commercial gaming and sports betting

Commercial games mean various quizzes and lotteries, which are most often carried out through television or radio broadcasts. Sports betting has always attracted people's interest. When participating in betting, a person tries to predict or, using intuition, predict the outcome of certain competitions. Experts assure that this type of gambling addiction is the most dangerous of all existing ones.

Gambling addiction associated with financial markets

Thanks to modern technologies, games on the financial and stock markets have become available to a large number of people. It is noteworthy that games on the Forex or cryptocurrency market are common mainly among adults.

In the modern world there are more and more ways to participate in gambling.

Activities of bookmakers in the fight against gambling addiction

Bookmaker websites offer the following tools:

information sections on responsible gambling;
special options when registering an account: you can set the maximum amount of money deposited per day, the number of allowed bets, and the time of playing live;
links to the websites of special international organizations that provide assistance to gambling addicts - Center for Ludomani, Gambling Help Online, Gambling Therapy, GamCare, etc.;
Players under 18 years of age are not allowed.

The operating principle of bookmakers:

How bookmakers work: what they are, how they work and how they make money

Stages of gambling addiction

Gambling addiction is, first of all, a process whose development takes a long time and depends on the frequency and duration of games. Experts identify several stages in the development of gambling addiction, each of which has its own characteristics, which we will consider further.

Preparatory stage

At this stage, the prerequisites for an attraction to games and gameplay appear. That is, the attraction itself does not arise, but a susceptibility to gambling appears. This often happens due to a person’s personality traits, personal motivation, and character traits. For example, low self-esteem, depression, agitation, anxiety or an obsessive desire to act. In such a precarious psychological state, a person is most susceptible to developing gambling addiction.

Win stage

Start of the gameplay. The person is drawn in, involved and immersed in the game. At the beginning of the winning stage, there may simply be an increased interest in the gameplay and a desire to pass the next level, learn the principles of the game or understand the “system”. Further, even with the beginning of small winnings, a feeling of personal superiority, belief in oneself, one’s luck and abilities arises. The illusion of control over everything that happens is created.

Losing stage

The player is completely immersed in the process. Apart from playing, he is no longer interested in anything; physiological changes begin in the form of changes in appetite and sleep disorders. Real life events no longer seem important. With losses, the frequency and duration of the game increases, a person loses more and more money, and ends up in debt.

Often only at this stage the player realizes his problem, but it is not always possible to stop playing or admit it to another person.

The losing stage only draws the gambler more into the gameplay

Stage of disappointment

Instability of emotional manifestations appears, relationships with loved ones deteriorate significantly or are completely broken, and everything grows for a long time. There comes a stage of disappointment in yourself, in life, in your abilities - literally in everything. The person feels hopeless and is prone to drinking alcohol. And the desire to recoup and get rid of all problems, including addiction, only grows.

Hopelessness Stage

The hopelessness stage is already considered a severe form of addiction. A constant state of stress destroys the psyche. Hopelessness, despair, and suicidal thoughts appear. Severe depression may occur, and with it psychosomatic symptoms.

Guarantees didn't work

Do you think we'll be talking about a massive online role-playing game? Or about a game with money bets? Or about advanced flight simulators or something else that, in the eyes of a normal person, is capable of somehow engaging?

No. Knowing my gambling nature, I was always afraid to get involved in this. I just wanted to unload my brain a little on something light and primitive. Primitiveness seemed to me a guarantee against addiction. I couldn’t imagine that a severe gaming addiction could develop even on some unfortunate “balls,” Lines? On this “favorite toy of secretaries”, where all you need is to place five balls of the same color on the screen in a row so that they collapse and free up space on the field...

And I was not alarmed that once upon a time I already had an attack of gambling addiction. Now I was sure that nothing threatened me, because I

- not an infantile teenager. I am a responsible adult, the mother of two sons. This doesn't happen to responsible people;

- not unemployed and not even a housewife, I have a lot of work and very little time to do such nonsense;

- not a janitor with unfinished school and a narrow outlook. My outlook is fine, I have two higher education degrees. What are you, what kind of “balls”?..

And yet I got myself into trouble.

What should the relatives of a gambling addict do?

Close people, friends and relatives of a gambling addict should be as careful as possible in their statements, because the addiction completely controls the player. The main task of loved ones is to detect destructive changes in time and begin to act in time.

Be patient if you want to help your loved one get rid of gambling addiction. Psychologists advise the relatives of a gambling addict the following:

Organize time together, try to distract the player with other activities, at least a regular walk on the street or a trip to the store, cinema, and so on;
Suggest seeking help from a specialist.
Look for support among those who have already encountered a similar problem, contact help groups (for example, “Gamers Anonymous”);
Limit free management of money or at least control the financial movements of your family’s money;
Do not under any circumstances ignore the problem or the person himself;
Keep your emotions under control, try not to criticize or harshly judge the addicted person.

It is very important to provide support and assistance to a gambling addict.

Set a limit

Set a timer to help you with this. Even if you continue playing after his signal, you will still know how much time you spent. And knowledge is the key to your salvation. Perhaps it will help to develop a rule, for example, to play only with friends or only on certain days.

There is no need to limit yourself too much, this will make the situation worse.

In addition to the time limit, set a monetary limit. Determine how many games per month you can afford.

Gaming addiction in adolescents and children

Teenagers and children are more susceptible to gaming, especially if there are factors that contribute to the risk of developing a gaming addiction. Such as the family situation, problems with peers, lack of self-acceptance, problems with adaptation and socialization. You can suspect a gaming addiction in a child based on the following signs:

The child takes money from family, borrows from friends and does not explain the reason for their need;
Significant and permanent changes in the amounts available to the child (too large amounts or, conversely, spending pocket money too quickly);
Decline in school performance;
Hides or denies his passion for games, has become suspicious and suspicious;
Changes in external and physiological indicators: sleep patterns, eating disorders, fatigue, apathy or irritability, self-isolation;
Frequently spending time on a computer, console or phone.

However, the presence of these signs cannot provide an absolute guarantee that your child has a gaming addiction. Perhaps this is how he is experiencing a difficult teenage period, or he has problems of a different kind.

Remember that games develop children

You shouldn’t immediately ring the bells if your child begins to spend more time on the Internet or play computer games. Now computer technology is our reality, so the use of gadgets by a child is inevitable. However, gaming, as we said earlier, is not always an addiction. Different types of games can develop different skills. For example:

Shooting games (shooters, shooters) develop attention and concentration. In the case of these particular games, parents should monitor the age restrictions and the number of scenes of violence in the plot;
Educational, logic games. Such games help develop a child’s thinking, memory and imagination.

It’s enough just to choose the right games and control the time your child spends on the computer to avoid the development of gaming addiction.

Children are more receptive to games

What to do if your child has a gambling addiction

First of all, you should talk to your child and understand the reasons for his uncontrollable desire to constantly be in the game. Also think about the level of your relationship with your child. Perhaps he was subjected to frequent criticism or excessive control, so it is easier for the child to disappear into the virtual world.

If a teenager or child has experienced gambling addiction, parents should contact a child or family psychologist. As a rule, children are not prescribed medications in such cases. Particular emphasis is placed on strengthening and correcting family relationships, treating phobias, and working with the child’s psychological attitudes.

Keep track of time

Computer games are an exciting process.
We may not even notice how we spent several hours on it. It's quite easy to get lost in fantasy worlds and plot twists that will keep you glued to the screen for "another 10 minutes." Psychologist John M. Grohol believes that time tracking can help in this case. Write down what time you start playing and what time you finish. At the end of the week, calculate how many hours you spent playing games. Most likely, this figure will make you think again.

Treatment of gambling addiction

Treatment of gambling addiction involves a large number of methods and methods. Next, we will consider possible treatment options for getting rid of gambling addiction.

How to convince a gambling addict to fight

Talk unobtrusively with the player about whether he is aware of his problem, whether he wants to get rid of it, and why he needs to start doing this now.
Establish a trusting relationship with such a person;
Talk about how addiction has negatively impacted you, your family and/or children.

Treatment methods for gambling addiction

Treatment of any addiction occurs comprehensively and continuously. Professionals use treatment for psychosomatic and mental manifestations, as well as getting rid of the subject of addiction itself.

A 4-step system of psychotherapy is often used.

Consultation and conversation with the patient. It is possible to use medications to eliminate individual symptoms;
Medical and social rehabilitation. The craving for games decreases, the nervous system normalizes;
Social and psychological rehabilitation. The specialist helps teach the patient how to control addiction;
Maintenance therapy to avoid relapses.

A specialist will help you get out of addiction quickly and effectively

Is it possible to heal on your own?

Self-treatment is possible if the stage of addiction is not advanced, and you yourself are aware of your problem and are ready to get rid of it. Psychologists advise:

Identify and write down all the negative consequences of your hobby/addiction. Imagine how good it would be if you could get rid of them.
Set play time limits for yourself and stick to the schedule, control yourself.
Find another activity that you also enjoy. Take up a new hobby and take your mind off the game.

Determining the scope of the problem

Since gambling addiction is recognized as a mental illness, it is important to approach its treatment with the utmost seriousness. Before looking for a solution to a problem, it is important to soberly assess the situation. Let's consider what criteria are used to determine its scale - we list three stages of pathology:

Slot machines have not yet become a necessity for people. He does not feel painful attachment, but the craving for excitement is growing. The player can still stop the development of addiction by recognizing it and following reasonable arguments.
The game takes up most of a person’s time, and it is quite difficult to tear oneself away from it. Control over the situation is lost. The player is haunted by the desire to win back, but the invested funds no longer pay off; any profit becomes an incentive to continue playing. Need help from a specialist.
The game becomes more interesting than reality, turning into the meaning of life. Any attempts to stop a person make him aggressive and cruel. In this situation, hospital treatment is necessary.

The stages listed above emphasize that coping with gambling addiction is not easy. Established unhealthy behavior patterns and psychological defense factors will hinder healing. The basis of recovery lies in the complete reconstruction of a person as an individual, the restoration of damaged and lost areas of life, the acquisition of new goals and moral principles.