Gambling addiction

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For a long time, gambling addiction was considered a problem of laziness and weak will. Only in the second half of the 20th century, it begin to be considered a serious pathology, the same as alcoholism and drug addiction.

What pushes a person to constantly hunt for winnings, and why is it so difficult for him to get out of this abyss? In our article, we will talk about the causes of this problem, its consequences, and how to get rid of gambling addiction.

Definition of the disease

Gambling addiction, also known as ludomania or gambling, is a pathological craving for gambling. In the International Classification of Diseases of the 10th revision (ICD-10), it has the code F63.0.

Gambling includes various types of roulette, slot machines, poker, as well as bets in offline and online casinos, Dragon Slots. Recently, online casinos have become especially popular and widespread. People of all ages are susceptible to the disease: adults, teenagers, and even children.

Gambling in psychology is a type of addiction characterized by a disorder of thinking. Love of excitement often leads not only to emptying the wallet, but also to a general deterioration in the quality of life: a person loses social contacts, begins to get sick, leaves reality, and borrows unbearable amounts for the sake of bets. The thirst for winning becomes the meaning of his life. A fanatical desire to gamble turns into a disease.

Ludomania is a gambling addiction, which is associated with human behavior, and not with the use of chemicals. Previously, people suffering from this addiction were not taken seriously and were considered lazy and weak-willed. However, since the middle of the 20th century, scientists have begun to study this phenomenon from the point of view of psychology and psychiatry. At the end of the century, neurobiologists also joined the research. As a result of the research, they concluded that gambling addiction is a serious disease that causes changes in the human psyche. Gambling addiction was included in the list of mental disorders.

Symptoms of gambling addiction

There are certain symptoms of gambling addiction. Signs of pathological attraction to gambling:

Loss of control over oneself. A person is unable to control the time spent playing games. Even if there are important and urgent ones, he is unable to tear himself away from his favorite activity.

Isolation. A person avoids social contact, distances himself from family members and friends, and all because of excessive passion for gambling.

Denial of problems. A gambling addict refuses to accept the fact that he has serious problems because of gambling. He ignores existing and potential negative consequences for health, relationships, and professional life.

Physiological symptoms. A gambling addict begins to have problems with sleep (insomnia, frequent awakenings), vision deteriorates, headaches become worse, and a loss of appetite is observed.

If you suspect that your loved one is developing a gambling addiction, convince them to see a specialist before the situation becomes critical. We will talk about the destructive consequences of love for gambling below.

Pathogenesis of gambling addiction

Scientists have long discussed what type of mental disorder, gambling addiction, or ludomania, should be classified as. Various points of view were expressed:

The first group of specialists classified gambling as an addiction, that is, a dependency. This was explained by the fact that changes in the MAOA, DRD2, and other genes were found in gambling addiction, as in drug addiction.

The second group of scientists classified the disease as an impulse control disorder along with kleptomania and pyromania.

The third group classified ludomania as an obsessive-compulsive disorder, that is, they considered the disease as an obsessive desire.

One hypothesis states that gambling addiction is a mood disorder. The patient experiences affective states that provoke the further course of the disease.

Causes of gambling addiction

Research shows that gambling addiction and its occurrence are influenced by several factors.

Let’s consider the most common causes of gambling addiction:

Emotional component. A person perceives the real world as hostile, so he withdraws into virtual space. Escaping to the gambling world of gambling becomes a cure for loneliness, depression, and other mental problems. Colorful online reality creates the illusion of a rich life.

Social factor. Immersion in the online world of games gives a person a sense of belonging to a society of like-minded people. The reason for this may be problems with “live” interaction with people.

Biology. According to research, some people are more susceptible to gambling addiction than others – the reason for this is heredity and the peculiarities of brain function. This category has a higher level of neurotransmission of the hormone dopamine (associated with pleasure). The desire for quick reward makes them more vulnerable to addictions. Therefore, if you have relatives who are gambling addicts, prevention of gambling is important.