"I'm in control." 12 signs of gambling addiction

Shyness, fear of failure, inability to build relationships and calmly defend one’s boundaries. For those who are familiar with these feelings, the likelihood of becoming addicted to computer games is very high, experts say. However, not only these people can face a similar problem. Many of us prefer to escape from aggressive and demanding reality into the virtual world. Psychologist and radio host Anetta Orlova told AiF.ru how to understand that you or a loved one are among the avid gamblers .

Emotional boost from the game

Computer addiction can arise as a result of excessive stress - someone in such a situation becomes depressed, someone discovers the virtual world. In fact, it's just an escape from reality. The psyche fails and itself turns on the destructive mode.

The first alarm bell is that during the game the condition of a person with addictive behavior improves. He experiences a powerful emotional uplift, because his skill in the game is growing, and his authority in the community of like-minded people is correspondingly increasing. Often, the status of an addict in the virtual world is very different from the status in real life; the latter, most likely, does not suit him. Naturally, as soon as a person has free time, he immediately begins to play, plunging into another reality.

Related article They don't work. 4 stupid mistakes in the fight against a child’s addiction to gadgets

Types of computer addiction

Psychologists distinguish two types of harmful cravings:

• Network addiction or online addiction is a constant desire to be on the Internet, check social networks, and “surf” websites.
• Cyber ​​addiction or addiction to computer games.

This division is conditional - cyber addiction can be interconnected with network addiction, especially since many games are only available online (MMORPG). Often, specialists do not make any divisions, but make a general diagnosis of “ computer addiction .”

Lost interest in spending time together

When close people, partners, parents, friends offer an addicted person some kind of pastime, he agrees extremely reluctantly. And it doesn’t matter where exactly he is invited: to nature or to a concert of his favorite band, all this only annoys him, seems boring and pointless. Even if the addict still agrees to follow your lead, he will only think about when all this will end and he can return to the computer. Often he even becomes hostile and alienated towards the people around him.

If a person still has even the slightest opportunity to refuse to participate in the proposed event, despite the dissatisfaction and worries of loved ones, the addict will do so. His area of ​​interest is only content related to games.

Gambling addiction - symptoms and treatment

Psychotherapy remains the main treatment method for gambling addiction. It is this that has the highest level of effectiveness, proven in research.

Motivational interviewing is the most promising treatment option for gambling addiction, both alone and together with other techniques. This intervention gives patients the opportunity to self-identify and effectively resolve their uncertainty about change. One of the central elements of this approach is normative feedback. Using this technique, gambling addicts, during communication with a psychologist, analyze their problem gambling behavior, which is usually underestimated, comparing it with the usual attitude of people towards gambling. This allows them to recognize their problem and change their behavior. Studies have shown that such interventions reduce the frequency of gambling and the severity of the disorder. These clinical changes are maintained over a long period and also improve family, work relationships and overall quality of life [6].

Cognitive behavioral therapy has also been shown to be particularly effective for this behavioral addiction. Her programs include motivational treatment components and thought reframing to help patients understand the cognitive distortions associated with gambling behavior and reduce the irrational beliefs and magical thinking associated with this disorder (for example, that there is a special algorithm that will allow him to win). Unlike motivational interviewing, CBT includes a broader range of stimulation of positive changes, aimed not only at motivation, but also at thinking, emotional response, tracking and understanding pathological automatic thoughts, etc.

Despite the overall effectiveness of CBT, few people with problem gambling seek clinical help. This has led to an increase in research examining barriers to treatment. Such barriers include a lack of knowledge about treatment options or fear of stigmatization - condemnation in society [2]. There is also research that shows that methods of increasing mindfulness, such as mindfulness (being aware of the present moment during meditation), also improve the results of using CBT. This technique helps to concentrate a person’s attention on a problem, look at it from different angles, draw conclusions and make the right decision.

Psychopharmacological treatment is inferior to psychological treatment in terms of its degree of evidence. There are only individual articles and a few meta-analyses on this subject. The groups of drugs used reflect the pathogenetic affinity of gambling addiction with various disorders:

• other addictions (due to the effectiveness of naltrexone);
• obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (due to the periodic effectiveness of antidepressants from the SSRI group - paroxetine and fluvoxamine);
• affective disorders of the bipolar cluster (due to the effectiveness of mood stabilizers) [7].

How to convince a gambling addict to get treatment

The issue of seeking help from a psychotherapist is very delicate. In this matter you will have to show a certain courtesy and patience. Relatives of a gambler should share with him their observations regarding the passion for gambling, express their attitude calmly, and ask questions in a friendly manner. Dependent people often deny the existence of addiction, so you will have to be persistent. It is important to carefully choose the time for discussion, preferably in a calm atmosphere and not during a game, and not try to sort things out during a quarrel. You need to be prepared to meet resistance from the gambling addict, but continue to insist on your own.

What should relatives do:

• seek support from other people with a similar problem; visit the self- and mutual help group for families “Gamblers Anonymous”;
• recognize the advantages and positive qualities of the addict, do not focus only on his shortcomings;
• remain calm when talking about gambling and its consequences;
• communicate that you are seeking help for your own sake, because gambling affects your life too (and, possibly, your children’s);
• tell children about the problems that gambling causes;
• understand that gambling addiction must be treated, despite the potentially lengthy time it may take;
• limit money management, take control of family finances and review bank statements.

What not to do:

• lecture, lecture, or allow yourself to lose control of your anger;
• exclude the player from family life and activities;
• count on immediate recovery or a complete solution to all problems;
• hide or deny the existence of a problem from yourself, family or other people.

Is it possible to overcome addiction to computer games on your own?

It is very difficult to cope with addiction on your own. An important factor in overcoming addiction is the support of loved ones and an objective opinion from the outside. The most effective thing an addict can do is to seek help from a specialist. However, there are also a number of opportunities for self-help. For example, these include applications for mobile phones and computers that serve several purposes:

1. Reducing time spent playing games.
2. Teaching players to recognize their own addictive behavior.
3. Helping gamblers understand what causes compulsive gaming and the harm that addiction can cause.
4. Prevent future compulsive behavior.
5. Educating families on how to help and support a gaming addict.

In some cities there is a support group called Gamblers Anonymous. The self-help group is suitable for both gambling addicts themselves and their family members. This is a great place to seek help, support, education and learning about the recovery process. AI is not a substitute for professional treatment, support consists of meetings, a network of mutual support, exchange of experiences and useful relevant literature, help in overcoming temptations, recognition of free time from games and the Twelve Steps program. The Twelve Step program is an addiction treatment program adapted from the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous that emphasizes spiritual, philosophical, and religious beliefs. Each participant is free to choose which instruments they are willing to try and move at their own pace, without any coercive pressure from others.

The invisible appearance of computer addiction

In psychiatry and narcology, addiction is understood as an irresistible craving for something. It can be physiological (the desire to drink or use a psychoactive drug) or psychological (for example, an uncontrollable urge to perform some action). And if the development of physiological addictions is easy to trace, then psychological ones are not so obvious in the early stages.

The problem of computer addiction has become so acute because many people cannot understand the fine line between a healthy desire to relax while gaming and addiction. Often a person gets “drawn” into games without even noticing. Starting from one hour a day, literally in a week he can increase the number of hours spent on a PC to 5-8.

Selection of treatment

How to replace a computer?

Dear parents! Remember when you were children, you didn’t have fancy gadgets. And at the same time, you had the happiest childhood. You kicked a ball in the yard, launched boats along streams, built huts in the forest. Try to explain to your child that life outside the computer is even richer and more interesting.

Give him your example. If you yourself spend all your free time looking at the flickering screen of a tablet or phone, then it is not surprising that your child does the same. Come up with an interesting pastime together: riding bicycles, picnics in the park, walking around the city. Looking at you, a teenager will understand that life is wonderful without a computer.

Cost of services

Factors influencing the development of computer addiction

Almost every adult periodically works at a computer, spends time on social networks, and uses gadgets for relaxation (music, TV series, communication). Why is this pastime safe for some, while others develop computer addiction ?

Psychologists have described several prerequisites for the emergence of Internet addiction:

• Closedness and inability to build meaningful relationships with people. The Internet allows you to compensate for a lack of self-confidence and creates the illusion of live communication and support.
• Lack of personal victories and low self-esteem. Computer games set specific, easily achievable goals for users. Upon completion of the next company or level, a person feels deep satisfaction with himself, it seems to him that he has achieved success.
• Poor emotional sphere. The lack of hobbies and a meager life of events leads to the fact that a person is forced to “get” the missing emotions from the virtual world.
• Inability to express true desires and preferences. Often found in children and adolescents with authoritarian parents. They cannot express themselves freely due to fear of rejection. But on the Internet there are no boundaries, children can be whoever they want and behave accordingly. In such a situation, there is a high risk of developing computer addiction .
• Mental disorders: for example, a tendency to depression, high levels of anxiety, various social phobias.

How to understand that the usual passion for gadgets is becoming pathological? It is enough to know the main symptoms of network addiction and cyber addiction.

Causes of computer addiction in adults

Computer addiction develops at any age. Adults (over 18-25 years old) become dependent on PCs mainly for the following reasons:

• Dissatisfaction with yourself and your life;
• Lack of interests;
• Lack of social interaction;
• Diffidence.

Adults go into an illusory world where they can be anyone without making any external effort. The game allows them to escape from real problems. At the same time, the amount of hormones of joy and pleasure produced in the brain (dopamine, serotonin) increases, so a person experiences genuine happiness and euphoria, which makes him similar to a drug addict. It is this neurobiological process that becomes the basis for the emergence of computer addiction .

Narcologists have noticed that rehabilitated drug addicts or alcoholics are often overly addicted to games or social networks, actually replacing chemical addiction with computer addiction .

Signs of computer addiction in adolescents and adults

The first and most striking sign is the presence of withdrawal symptoms. Just like alcoholism or drug addiction, computer addiction leads to a “withdrawal syndrome.” If a person does not get his “dose” of games or the Internet for 2-4 hours, he begins to show anxiety, becomes irritable and aggressive, and cannot concentrate on the current task.

Other symptoms of addiction include:

• Disturbed sense of time. While behind the monitor, the addict loses the sense of time. Hence the frequent delays and missed deadlines.
• Wasting financial resources on constantly updating gadgets, software, and purchasing new games.
• Memory impairment due to a large amount of information. The brain is not ready for such loads, so a person often forgets about his promises and upcoming deeds.
• Violation of the daily routine. In order to spend as much time as possible online, the addict refuses walks, physical activity, and good nutrition, replacing it with snacks.
• Insomnia. With computer addiction, patients often suffer from sleep disturbances: they cannot fall asleep for a long time, they go to bed in the morning, and spend most of the day in bed.
• Narrowing the range of interests. A person may give up his previous hobbies, stop meeting with friends, and leave the house less often.

Despite the fact that computer addiction is classified as psychological and not physiological, its consequences are no less destructive than the consequences of alcoholism or drug addiction.

Selection of treatment

My education

St. Petersburg Research Psychoneurological Institute named after. V.M. Bekhterev

Qualification "Clinical Psychologist"

Intersectoral regional center for advanced training and retraining of personnel at Kuban State University

Qualification "Psychologist-practitioner"

Literature:

• Egorov A. Yu. Modern approaches to the treatment of gambling addiction. Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry. S.S. Korsakov. Special issues. 2014;114(5-2):46-52.
• Pyatnitsky N.Yu. Statics and dynamics of psychopathy in the concept of E. Kraepelin. Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry. S.S. Korsakov. 2021;121(7):104-113.
• Skokauskas I., Satkeviciute R., Burbv B. Some aspects of pathological attraction to gambling // Psychiatry. 2004. No. 3. P. 59-65.
• Darensky I. D. Gambling addiction // Modern achievements in narcology. Conference materials. M„ 2005. P. 44-45.

Article prepared by an expert

Terekhov Vasily Stanislavovich

Head of the prevention department, coordinator of rehabilitation programs.

Article read by an expert

Barinov Alexander Mikhailovich

Psychiatrist, narcologist, psychotherapist. More than 10 years of experience working with alcohol and drug addicts.

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