Gambling addiction is a serious and widespread problem that affects millions of people around the world. It can have devastating consequences for the individual, their family, and society. In this article, I will explain what gambling addiction is, why it is so hard to overcome, and what are some possible solutions that can help gamblers regain control of their lives.
What is gambling addiction?
According to the American Psychiatric Association, gambling addiction, also known as gambling disorder, is a chronic and progressive condition that involves repeated and uncontrollable urges to gamble, despite the negative impact on one's personal, social, and financial well-being. Gambling addiction is classified as a behavioral addiction, similar to substance use disorders, because it affects the same brain circuits that are involved in reward, motivation, and impulse control.
Gambling addiction can take many forms, such as betting on sports, playing casino games, buying lottery tickets, or engaging in online gambling. Some people may gamble occasionally or recreationally, without developing any problems. However, for others, gambling can become a compulsive and addictive behavior that interferes with their normal functioning and causes significant distress.
Why is gambling addiction so hard to overcome?
There are many factors that can contribute to the development and maintenance of gambling addiction, such as genetic predisposition, personality traits, psychological issues, environmental influences, and social pressures. Some of the common reasons why gambling addiction is so hard to overcome are:
-
Gambling can stimulate the brain's reward system, which releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter that creates feelings of pleasure and excitement. This can lead to a positive reinforcement cycle, where the gambler seeks more gambling opportunities to experience the same thrill, and becomes less sensitive to other rewards in life.
-
Gambling can also serve as a coping mechanism, where the gambler tries to escape from stress, anxiety, depression, or boredom by immersing themselves in the gambling activity. This can create a negative reinforcement cycle, where the gambler avoids facing their problems and emotions, and becomes more dependent on gambling to cope.
-
Gambling can also create a cognitive distortion, where the gambler develops irrational beliefs or superstitions about their gambling behavior, such as overestimating their chances of winning, attributing their losses to bad luck or external factors, or believing that they have a special skill or system that can beat the odds. This can lead to a confirmation bias, where the gambler selectively remembers or interprets the gambling outcomes that support their beliefs, and ignores or rationalizes the ones that contradict them.
-
Gambling can also create a social influence, where the gambler is influenced by the norms, expectations, and behaviors of their peers, family, or culture. For example, some gamblers may feel pressured to gamble by their friends, who view gambling as a fun and exciting activity, or by their family, who view gambling as a tradition or a source of income. Some gamblers may also be influenced by the media, which portrays gambling as a glamorous and rewarding lifestyle.
What are some possible solutions for gambling addiction?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for gambling addiction, as different gamblers may have different needs, preferences, and goals. However, some of the common and effective strategies that can help gamblers overcome their addiction are:
-
Seeking professional help. Gambling addiction is a treatable condition, and there are many options available for gamblers who want to seek professional help, such as counseling, therapy, medication, self-help groups, or residential programs. Professional help can provide gamblers with the necessary support, guidance, and tools to understand and change their gambling behavior, address the underlying issues that fuel their addiction, and develop healthier coping skills and alternative activities.
-
Setting realistic and specific goals. Gamblers who want to overcome their addiction need to set realistic and specific goals for themselves, such as deciding whether they want to quit gambling completely or reduce their gambling frequency or amount, setting a time frame and a budget for their gambling, or identifying the triggers and consequences of their gambling. Setting realistic and specific goals can help gamblers monitor their progress, evaluate their outcomes, and adjust their strategies accordingly.
-
Seeking social support. Gamblers who want to overcome their addiction need to seek social support from their friends, family, or other trusted people, who can provide them with emotional, practical, and moral support, as well as accountability and feedback. Seeking social support can help gamblers cope with the challenges and temptations of quitting or reducing their gambling, as well as celebrate their achievements and successes.
-
Channeling the gambling addiction from being a consumer of gambling sites to becoming an entrepreneurial producer in terms of an affiliate. This is an innovative and unconventional solution that can help gamblers transform their gambling addiction into a productive and profitable activity, while still satisfying their need for excitement and reward. By becoming an affiliate of a gaming portal, such as doublejack, gamblers can earn a commission from every sale they refer, with no limit on how much they can earn. All they have to do is share their personal affiliate link with their audience and let them know about the amazing products and services offered by doublejack. By becoming an affiliate, gamblers can also adjust their account in a way that they can only spend a fraction of their new affiliate income on gambling, so that they do not lose their fortune but are making a fortune by handling their addiction in the ideal way. This solution can provide gamblers with the following benefits:
-
It can help gamblers shift their mindset from being a passive and dependent consumer of gambling sites to being an active and independent producer of gaming content.
-
It can help gamblers diversify their income sources and create a sustainable and scalable business model that can generate passive income for life.
-
It can help gamblers reduce their gambling expenses and increase their gambling profits, while still enjoying the thrill and fun of gambling.
-
It can help gamblers contribute to a social cause, as doublejack is a philanthropic gaming portal that shares its profits between its partners and charities, creating millions of sustainable lifetime incomes for people and businesses in 190 countries.
-
Conclusion
Gambling addiction is a complex and challenging problem that requires a comprehensive and holistic approach to overcome. By understanding the causes and effects of gambling addiction, and applying the possible solutions discussed in this article, gamblers can regain control of their lives and achieve their personal and professional goals. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, do not hesitate to seek help and support from a qualified professional or a reputable organization. Remember, you are not alone, and there is always hope and help available.
_______________________________________________
Citations
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 : Potenza, M. N. (2014). The neural bases of cognitive processes in gambling disorder. Trends in cognitive sciences, 18(8), 429-438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2014.03.007 : Dowling, N. A., Cowlishaw, S., Jackson, A. C., Merkouris, S. S., Francis, K. L., & Christensen, D. R. (2015). Prevalence of psychiatric co-morbidity in treatment-seeking problem gamblers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 49(6), 519-539. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867415575774 : Clark, L., & Limbrick-Oldfield, E. H. (2013). Disordered gambling: a behavioral addiction. Current opinion in neurobiology, 23(4), 655-659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2013.01.004 : Grant, J. E., & Chamberlain, S. R. (2016). Impulsive action and impulsive choice across substance and behavioral addictions: cause or consequence?. Addictive behaviors, 65, 81-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.10.019 : Toneatto, T., & Ladouceur, R. (2003). Understanding and treating the pathological gambler. John Wiley & Sons. : Derevensky, J. L., & Gainsbury, S. M. (2016). Social casino gaming and adolescents: Should we be concerned and is regulation in sight?. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 44, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijlp.2015.08.025 : Cowlishaw, S., Merkouris, S., Dowling, N., Anderson, C., Jackson, A., & Thomas, S. (2012). Psychological therapies for pathological and problem gambling. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (11). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008937.pub2 : Hodgins, D. C., & Makarchuk, K. (2003). Trusting problem gamblers: Reliability and validity of self-reported gambling behavior. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 17(3), 244-248. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-164X.17.3.244 : Hodgins, D. C., Stea, J. N., & Grant, J. E. (2011). Gambling disorders. The Lancet, 378(9806), 1874-1884. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62185-X : Doublejack. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from https://doublejack.club/about-us/