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 is a disease of modern society

Gambling addiction is a chronic progressive mental illness that falls under the category of addictions.
Other names for gambling addiction are gambling, gambling addiction. This disease is included in the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, under heading F63.0 and is considered on a par with addictions such as alcohol or drugs. The fast pace of modern life, the great demands made by society on a particular person, the need to make quick and error-free decisions - all this, like a snowball, falls on the heads of the individual.

Many people break under the pressure of modern society and look for ways to escape pressing problems, resorting to various kinds of addictions. In some cases it is a “green snake”, in others it is a needle into a vein. Gambling plays a significant role among addictions in modern society.

The percentage of gambling addicts among all types of addictions in the territory of the former USSR is, according to rough estimates, from 3% to 5%. According to the forecasts of addiction scientists (specialists in various types of addictions), this percentage is inexorably growing every year. The majority of gambling addicts are undoubtedly teenagers.

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.

Rehabilitation courses

Our clinic offers treatment for gambling addiction %%city_name%%. To get rid of gambling addiction, a rehabilitation course is prescribed, which includes various techniques, depending on the patient’s condition.

12 Steps

This program was developed in America for the Society of Alcoholics Anonymous. But it is also suitable for gambling addicts. A psychologist will tell you in more detail how to get rid of gambling addiction using this program. But we need to start by recognizing the problem.

The next steps are recognition of one’s non-exclusivity, conscious refusal to play, an objective analysis of one’s actions, reconciliation with oneself, and then with others, etc. The eleventh step is socialization, and the twelfth is helping other people.

Gestalt therapy

To help a gambling addict get rid of addiction, a whole range of methods is used - on their basis, special experiments are carried out, during which the patient develops self-awareness, he learns to control himself, control his feelings, notice the appearance of unwanted thoughts in time and suppress them.

Gestalt therapy makes it possible, through special experiments, to develop self-awareness in the patient. A person learns to observe himself, control the appearance of unwanted thoughts and tune in to the positive.

Art therapy

Art therapy is not only a treatment for gambling addiction. The essence of the method is to use creative activities to remove internal negativity and improve the functioning of the central nervous system. That is, art therapy helps to cope with depression and get rid of anxiety. To do this, you don’t have to be able to draw well or play a musical instrument; there are many interesting creative techniques, and the gamer can find a suitable option.

Individual and group psychological trainings

Gambling addiction can be treated using psychological techniques. Different approaches are used:

Behavioral psychotherapy, in which addiction recovery is achieved through behavior change. Undesirable forms are eliminated and replaced with useful ones.
Psychoanalysis, in which a psychologist identifies factors that contribute to the development of addiction and then helps to get rid of them.
Psychodrama is a role-playing game aimed at studying a person’s inner world and adjusting it, which helps to rationally perceive reality and build relationships with others.

Therapeutic Community Method

This treatment method involves placing the gambling addict in a community where other people have the same addiction problems as him. At the same time, they do not have access to games; their lives are organized and structured in such a way as to exclude all factors that provoke addiction. The rest of the community ensures that a person follows this rule.

Mentoring system

This is one component of the 12 step program, but it can also work in combination with other methods. A gambling addict who begins treatment is assigned a mentor who has already been able to overcome his addiction. A person has the opportunity to contact a mentor at any time to receive advice and support. Many people perceive such a mentor better than a psychologist.

Spiritual practices

Yoga is most often used because it is not just a philosophical system that helps to find humility and mental strength, but a path to mental and physical health. Yoga classes in the morning promote the release of endorphin - the hormone of joy, which is often lacking in gamers. So they place bets. Yoga classes provide endorphins and make the process of social rehabilitation more effective.

Introspection

The essence of this method is to teach the patient to take responsibility for decisions made and look for all possible ways out of the situation. The patient must remember in detail, preferably in writing, everything that happened to him during the day, and understand the emotions that arose in him. He must learn to identify events that caused psychological stress and look for options to get out of the situation. He presents this information in a group lesson. The rest of the group gives him advice on each specific case. This results in joint work on mistakes, helping to form a rational approach.

Occupational therapy

Occupational therapy can help a gambling addict get rid of addiction. Physical labor allows you to get a specific result, and the patient has a feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction. Collaborative work is practiced to help improve or restore communication skills.

Coding

It will not be possible to completely wean a gambling addict from his addiction using coding alone. But it will help overcome addiction, creating the basis for further therapy. Encoding is carried out using hypnosis. During such sessions, an attitude towards giving up gambling is laid down. Before the session, the patient must undergo examination. Contraindications to coding are mental disorders and diseases of the central nervous system.

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 deal with it?

Gambling addiction is a national disaster. The president himself, concerned about the mental state of the country's population, begins to solve the problem. After slot machines are removed, some gamers may experience neurosis and, unfortunately, addiction to the game may turn into another. There are positive addictions such as sports and self-improvement. And negative addictions that contribute to the development of a strategy for self-destruction are alcoholism, smoking, and drug addiction.

There are fears that people who are now deprived of the adrenaline rush, the state of altered consciousness, will consciously or unconsciously begin to look for other addictions. According to statistics, a gambler is looking for other states of altered consciousness and the sphere of underground establishments, where he can get a dose of excitement and, as a result, finds psychoactive substances.

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

Does gambling addiction require confirmation of diagnosis?

Since gambling addiction is a serious progressive mental illness and has its own niche in the International Classification of Diseases (category F63.0), then, like any other disease, it requires its own diagnostic confirmation.

To diagnose gambling addiction, psychiatrists use a number of questionnaires and diagnostic scales to confirm the diagnosis.

Among them:

false bet scale;
Massachusetts Gambling Questionnaire;
Sullivan questionnaire;
Canadian Adolescent Questionnaire, etc.

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

Causes of gambling addiction

The causes of behavioral disorders usually lie in the person’s desire to leave real life due to a change in the state of his consciousness, to receive pleasure provoked by the production of dopamine during a certain action. That is, addicted people feel relaxed while playing, are distracted from unpleasant problems, relieve emotional stress, and generally view this type of activity as a way of having a pleasant time, which they want to return to again and again.

Personality development and the style of illusory-compensatory behavior are influenced by both genetic factors, family, and external environmental influences; the provoking factors of gambling addiction are considered to be:

errors of education;
the presence in your social circle of relatives and friends who gamble;
children's habit and love of playing dominoes, cards, monopoly, etc.;
emotionality, frequent mood swings, rich imagination;
passion for hoarding - materialism ;
overvaluation of the value of material goods;
focusing attention and striving to increase financial capabilities as the only possible way to solve all problems;
a developed sense of envy of other people's wealth and property;
development of dependence syndrome as a result of long-term use of certain medications and psychoactive substances;
financial difficulties;
depression;
lack of a life partner.

In addition to psychological factors, the reasons for the development of gambling addiction may lie in the accessibility and ubiquity of gaming establishments and slot machines, a large number of bookmakers and online services. Influences the human psyche and design, and the possibility of quick and easy winning. All casinos and other gambling platforms are beautifully, elegantly and brightly designed, everything is thought out to the details in order to maximize the suggestive effect of the opportunity to win more and the desire to win back.

Erroneous thinking paradigms of gambling addicts

Individuals suffering from gambling addiction have irrational attitudes and ideas about gambling, which are expressed in the form of such erroneous strategic and tactical thinking paradigms as:

with the help of money you can solve any problem, even emotional and social;
a successful game will help you cope with life’s troubles and failures, as well as achieve real success;
development of the illusion of control over one’s own future and constant fantasies about winning;
confidence in the existence of a lucky day;
belief in the upcoming turning point of the game;
getting even is the best way to repay debts;
taking into account only the last game episode when trying to quit;
arrogance that you will be able to spend only part of your savings at a gambling establishment;
during the game, money is just chips or numbers on the monitor;
bets are transactions, not irrevocably lost money.

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.

What can a person do to get rid of addiction?

Make an important decision. In order to take the first step towards a life without addiction, it is important to realize that gambling addiction is a disease, which means it requires treatment

You need to find the strength to decide not to play anymore. Without this, no other methods of fighting will give the desired effect.

Organize your time.

Every person trying to overcome gambling addiction goes through a stage when they need to give up their “drug” and begin to adhere to a strict regime. Be tough on yourself, set clear rules and enforce them yourself.

Start living in the real world.

Dependent people often lose communication skills, it becomes difficult for them to work, make new acquaintances and maintain old ones. Experts recommend asking yourself the question: how will the game help me on the path to my dreams? You can spend your free time from games on really useful activities, such as sports, and the money you save can be spent on traveling to exotic countries. And then you will understand that the most interesting adventures are possible only in the real world.

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.

A computer with a large screen and the simplest phone

- About the forbidden fruit. Let’s say a child is given alcohol to try at the age of 16. At what age should familiarity with gadgets begin?

– I think when the child goes to first grade. Before entering school, he must know what a computer is and be able to use it. I repeat, a computer with a large, good screen - no tablets! By the way, they can catastrophically reduce vision.

Instead of tablets and smartphones - the simplest phones so that you can contact your parents and so that there are no games there.

– When should parents sound the alarm that there is a risk of gambling addiction?

– This is determined quite easily. Let's say a child has a designated time for studying on the computer. Mom, dad, and nanny come to him and say that that’s enough for today, but he starts to get nervous. The effect of losing something is to worry, even in some cases to respond rudely. In this situation, you can talk with the child, with a psychologist: find out why he wants to play more, what reasons he has for this.

– Who is more susceptible to computer gaming addiction – boys or girls?

– We have statistical data from Western researchers, but I think the situations are similar. Of the girls, 30% are so addicted to computer games that it can pose a danger. Of the boys - 70%. In my practice (I worked more with adults), there were only 3% of women in a sample of 350 people. A woman always has something to do, to distract herself, for example, by creating, even if she is a three-year-old girl.

– Is there any data on which children from which families suffer more from computer addiction – from large families, from families that are raising one child?

– It’s difficult to say about large families or families with one child - there is no correlation here.

By the way, there is no correlation between two-parent families and families where a child is raised by one mother and one father.

It can be noted that computer addiction is more often observed in families where overprotection or overprotection is clearly visible.

– What about prosperous and asocial families?

– There is also no correlation. In antisocial families, by the way, if the child does not have a genetic predisposition, he may try to make efforts not to become like his asocial parents.

Therefore, it does not matter whether the family is prosperous or dysfunctional - the risk of developing gambling addiction depends more on the child, his personal characteristics, his relationships with society and the environment

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.

Who are these people?

In my practice, there has not been a single case where an addiction to gaming developed in an initially integral, harmonious, healthy personality. “Wormholes” have always existed - and more often in the form of innate, painful character traits. Addictions are more likely to form in those who do not tolerate psychological difficulties well, have difficulty adapting to changing life circumstances, and are afraid of persistent emotional contacts.

These people strive to quickly and easily achieve a state of psychophysiological comfort - without trying to comprehend their condition, without stopping to lie, or escape from responsibility. For them, addiction becomes a universal means of salvation from the hardships of life - real or imaginary. It is not surprising that gambling addicts relatively often abuse alcohol and other psychoactive substances, that is, they engage in combined forms of addictive behavior.

In the case of Mikhail, the hero of the story given at the beginning, the innate personality traits played a fatal role. Relatives were unable to correct them in time, because they sincerely considered the child healthy: “Difficult character? Well, it doesn’t happen to anyone...” As a result, a psychopathic personality was formed, which poses a danger to himself and to those around him, even the closest people. Gambling addiction has become just one of the manifestations of a severe disorder with a gross violation of socialization. The offender was found sane and is now serving his sentence. Will the conclusion correct a person who, while already sitting behind bars, was interested in his rights to his grandmother’s apartment? Hardly.

Gambling addiction is more common in men, but in women it takes more severe forms. They become addicted at a more mature age than men, and they become addicted faster and are more difficult to treat. Compensatory capabilities, the ability to adapt to life's adversities are higher in women - accordingly, to break down and decompensate pathological traits, they need more intense stimuli. For example, serious personal problems from which ladies try to escape into the game. In essence, this is an attempt to self-medicate a depressive disorder that has already begun. Unfortunately, as a result, an even more severe pathology develops. Therefore, the situation with treatment is more complicated than for men.

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.

Riot of "good children"

– It happens that good children who are not deprived of parental attention begin to suffer from gambling addiction...

– When good children, in our social understanding, start playing, this is a reaction of protest. It is no secret that parents often make decisions for their children, even in the situation of choosing a profession.

Often parents decide for their child where he will go to school. In my practice, I very often come across a situation where a child, perhaps, does not yet have a clear definition of what he would like to become, but it is difficult for him, for example, in mathematics. But his parents decided that he would go to a technical university (the dynasty, they were able to agree, there is a military department and the like). They see him as an engineer, for example, and insist.

The child passes exams and goes to study. Usually such training ends after three or four months, but he still goes to college, and in fact, starts playing. He leaves reality, expressing his inner protest. Protest is not always when a child stamps his feet and swears.

Internal protest is worse; it may not be visible outwardly.

– You mentioned that addiction can be passed on from parents. That is, dad plays, and son will play?

– Dad is not necessarily a gambling addict. There are dysfunctional families where the father abuses alcohol heavily, and then the mother says: “Son, do you see what’s happening? You must remember this, you cannot drink alcohol in any form, because dad is addicted and, God forbid, you will become addicted too.” The child understands that he cannot do this - drink alcohol.

But addiction has not gone away, it is in the genes. If he comes across a computer game on his way, then his addiction gene will manifest itself non-chemically in the game. Therefore, you need to set up your child differently: “Dad is weak, dad has a weak will, so to prevent this from happening to you, son, let’s go in for sports, do social work, volunteer in order to become strong, noble, learn to help ourselves and other people.” "

– Usually psychologists say that a child should be busy, he should have many hobbies, and then the chance of getting carried away by “bad things” is minimal. But it turns out that this doesn’t always work either: the child seems busy, goes to different clubs, and then turns out to be addicted to computer games?

- They loaded him - that's right. But he must like this load, and he must understand what it is for.

They sent him to dance, figuratively speaking, so that he would have a good gait, good posture, and a sense of rhythm, which would be useful to him in life. If he is sent to a foreign language, he must understand why he needs this foreign language. When it’s just a chain of learning and entertainment without any purpose, then a person still asks the question: “Why am I doing all this?” And in this schedule, in any case, there should be two hours, if he wants, for some classes on the computer. It is clear that we are talking about schoolchildren.

After all, today children even send tasks to each other using social networks.

You should never punish by “excommunication from the computer”: “If you got a bad grade, you won’t play on the computer today.” This will cause just a protest.

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.

Literature

“Gaming addiction as a phenomenon of alienated reality” - Beloglazova L.A.
“Modern aspects of the treatment of gambling addiction” - Akhrameyko A.V., Kutashov V.A.

Article verified by an expert

Terekhova Anna Vladimirovna

psychologist-consultant on socio-psychological work with addicted clients and their families. More than 10 years of experience.