Responsible Gambling Tips, Help and Resources
What is Gambling Addiction?
Gambling Addiction is classified as a specific condition of mental health. This addiction like others comes with some signs. The addiction of gambling is similar with the other mental disorder like compulsive disorder that is closely related to behaviour.
Compulsive Gambling
Compulsive Gambling is a condition where the person feels compulsion of gambling, a strong urge to involve in gambling. In this situation, the addicted person losses his/her capacity to control over the urges.
When it comes to this disorder, the addictive person of the compulsive gambling do not care about the outcome of his unyielding gambling habit. The person continues to play without paying notice whether he/ she will be winning or losing the game.
An addicted person of this compulsive disorder mainly acts out of his/her compulsion. Compulsive gamblers uses every chance of making bets without caring much that they cannot afford to lose the money. This behaviour proceed regardless of the fact that it has a negative effect on the physical and psychological condition other than their social life.
Experts also coin the term “Pathological Gambling” for this obsessive behaviour of the addicted gamblers.
Binge Gambling
There is also another type of gambling addiction, which by far known as Binge Gambling. This binge gambling shows all the symptoms of compulsive gambling but there is a subtle difference. This type of addiction only stays for a limited time or a certain period. The addicted person of binge gambling might seem to be in control for most of the time. The problem comes out openly only when binge gambling addicted person starts making gamble even if this is for a rare occasion.
Problem Gambling
Problem Gambling is also a psychological condition of an addicted gambler. This addiction is a state of mind that act compulsively at the time of gambling, but the habits on the flip side are not totally controlled. This addiction causes disturbance in the pace of a normal life. Experts recommend some regular practices needs to be done to get rid of problem gambling.
Diagnosing problem gambling is not easy as it often surfaces when someone chases loss even knowing that it is not necessary to continue gambling. Lying about the habits of gambling also reveal whether you have symptoms of problem gambling or not. Sometimes, gamblers with this problem himself faces distress for not been able to restrict their urge of involving in gambling.
What are the Signs of Gambling Addiction in Adults?
The symptoms of the gambling addiction generally found in adults only. The signs of this disorder are similar with compulsive gambling, which is diagnosed by the American Psychiatric Association. These symptoms are affect cognitive health and also create a severe mental disturbance.
The addicted person will feel the urge of gambling and will play with an increased amount every time to get the excitement the person desired to get.
One of the most obvious sign of gambling addiction is the feeling of restlessness. Addicted person gets agitated while stop gambling or if he forced to stay away for longer time period.
Frequent unsuccessful attempt of controlling gambling, stopping it and or cutting back the gambling habit
Addicted person spend most of time of the day thinking about gambling. Those who are addicted revealed the fact that having the thought of gambling over and over again evoke your habit (This could be reliving your past experience, making strategies for a big win and planning to beat other players in the gambling session)
People with gambling addiction often reveal their Inclination towards gambling when they feel distress or sorrow for some reason.
Loss chasing is one of the symptoms of gambling addictions out of others. It occurs when an addicted person faces loss and he come to back to play with a motivation for a bigger win.
Two other symptoms of gambling addictions are lying to the relatives about the gambling habits and stealing money to start gamble again. Addicted people often end up lying about their activities other than steal or borrow money from them.
Severe addiction can cause mood swings that disrupt the normality of life. In some cases, addicted person waste time and career opportunities due to loss of hope and lack of focus. It affect their relationship and they often end up losing their job as well.
Losing Financial stability, depending on others for money or borrowing larger amount of money from different sources for gambling can be seen.
Recognise Your Problem
To practice responsible gambling, the most important factor is that the addicted person need to be beware of the problem of gambling. If the person is already aware of the situation, then it’s a good sign. The person in this situation can seek for help before the problem aggravates. Experts of the gambling industry and psychologists recommends and also states that listening to the family member if they know about your problem can act as best element to avoid problem gambling. Take their concern seriously and it is better to take help from the professionals.
These above-mentioned signs are evident in the behaviour of compulsive gamblers, but in some cases it is seen that the gambling has been rationalised and the addicted person try their level best to cover it with other issues.
Experts from different psychiatric associations suggest some basic steps or strategies that can help you out in restricting the gambling habit. These factors and elements of responsible gambling as defined by experts, assists in getting rid of gambling if the problem becomes prevalent.
- The best step to beat the problem of gambling addiction is reach for the support group the ultimate responsible gambling resource. Think of taking help from a trusted friend or attend a Gamblers Anonymous meeting with one of the family member.
- To give your hobbies a chance can help you in keeping your problems at an arm’s length. Investing time in hobbies occupy most of the time of the addicted person and assist him/her in getting rid of distress. Experts recommend not to get isolated in this situation.
- It is always best to put yourself in situation where you can test your patience level. Trying level best to suppress the urge of gambling will help you to control yourself. It is better for an addicted person not to recall the memory of gambling. Thinking about gambling might weaken dedication. For an addicted one, a long break from the regular routine works best.
- Out of the many responsible gambling tips, the last but most important is reality check. Professional psychologists advice to give an addicted person a reality check. In this condition, professionals will bring out all the negative impacts of gambling in front of you so that you can realise it is harmful and willingly stay away from the addicting habits of gambling.
Getting Treatment
Like other addictions, gambling addicted person should be treated with special care. Experts recommend different types of treatment process depending on the condition of a compulsive gambler. Several treatment options are there, but not a specific treatment is considered as the standard way of handling addicted. The best way of treating gambling addiction depends on the physical, psychological and social condition of the gambler. One treatment that works best for one might not work effectively for the others. We have discussed some of the treatment below:
Medical Treatment
No such medicines are available in the market that can treat gambling addictions or better say specific addictive symptoms. The numbers are less though it is true that a very few medicines are available that have proven to have positive impact in controlling the physical reaction. This occurs due to its effectiveness in improving mental health of an addicted person. Experts have seen such medicines that keep nerves calm and people don’t get too excited or depressed. Antidepressant and anti-seizure medicines comes under this category of medicines.
Therapy and Counselings as the most effective responsible gambling resource
When it comes to addictions, the effects are mostly lethal. The more an addict inclined to its addictions, the complex it get to treat the addiction of that person. Experts in different condition recommends that the addict must opt for therapy and counselings. For gambling addiction, some professionals believe that going through a therapy and counselings session can help addicted person to get rid of the problem without disrupting their physical and social life. In some research, experts have seen some promising proof that therapy and counselings helps extensively in rectifying behavioural problems of gambling addicts. Therapy helps in improving their physical strength and other factors, whereas counselings of trained professionals works on the psychological level.
Group Support and Self-Help
One most important responsible gambling resource is to seek help from the Gambling Anonymous(www.gamblersanonymous.org/ga). It conjunct with psychotherapy and helps addicted people in fighting the urge of gambling, irritations and other signs. Through this method, the person becomes able to recover their difficulty or addiction by sharing their experiences, talking to others with those who have gone through the similar conditions. It helps them to get support from the group and the self help efforts are appreciated to motivate them for trying to get rid of gambling. These all are done under the professional guidance.