Gambling starts off as a game, but when things go wrong people sometimes get addicted to it. At that point it no longer has anything to do with a fun game and it causes major problems. People often think of financial problems, but with an addiction to gambling there can be much more going on that is not good.
It can also cause problems in your relationships with other people, for example, at work or for your studies, which is why it is important to prevent a gambling addiction.
What is a gambling addiction?
A gambling addiction is also known as a compulsion to gamble or compulsive gambling. It means that all you can think about is that and will really take every opportunity to gamble, even if it has a negative effect or if you are actually barely able to do so. The compulsion to do it dominates everything and in the process gambling becomes the most important thing in your life.
Various symptoms of gambling addiction
Gambling addiction is characterized by various symptoms. To (re)know them, we have listed the main symptoms of this addiction for you. First of all, individuals who are addicted to gambling will try to do this mainly in secret. This way others can’t see when they place a bet and especially with today’s online casinos it’s easy to do this in secret.
Little control and no money to gamble
In addition, gambling addicts have little to no control over gambling and find it difficult to stop. Simply walking away or stopping over time is so difficult that they do not do it. People who are addicted to gambling may still want to gamble without having the money to do so. They do not really realize that they have already exceeded their budget and are then forced to borrow money from others to pay off their debts. In the worst case, they even steal money from other people in order to continue gambling which only increases their debts and problems.
Difficult to stop and upset
Gambling addicts find it difficult to stop gambling and if they are forced to do so or cannot continue because they have run out of money, for example, they become irritable and can be difficult and annoying. Among addicted persons, gambling is also frequently used as an excuse to escape from reality. Gambling makes them feel comfortable and disguises any feelings of shame or fear they may have.
Help from others
In extreme cases, gambling addicts ask other people to bail them out. This means that if they have gambled away all their money, they will ask other people for money. However, this will mainly be used to gamble even more or to pay off debts so that is not a best move.
Problems on various fronts
A gambling addiction can also lead to problems at work or with studies. If you spend so much time gambling, you have no time or attention for anything else and your relationships with other people can also be severely disrupted or your work can suffer. An addicted person will be almost constantly preoccupied with gambling and their entire train of thought is determined by it. Simply because they can think of nothing else.
Always have the urge to gamble
Gamblers who are addicted constantly feel the need to gamble and can’t think of anything else. They always want to feel the corresponding thrill and therefore keep gambling. They want to keep trying to win back the money they have lost but this usually does not happen so their debts only increase and they get further and further into trouble. Nowadays it is completely easy to gamble anywhere you want due to the wide range of gambling online.
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Gambling addiction
Dutch Gaming Authority
Alternatives to Holland Casino
Let the game rule everything
Gambling addiction
Dutch Gaming Authority
Alternatives to Holland Casino
Let the game rule everything
Preventing a gambling addiction is quite doable if you make sure that you keep seeing it as a game and don’t let it control your entire life. Not everyone is as prone to becoming addicted but those who are can quickly become addicted. Should a person still become addicted to gambling this can be treated but it is different for each person which treatment has the best effect.
Follow psychotherapy
There are three ways to try and get rid of your gambling addiction. First of all, you can choose to follow psychotherapy. One way to do this is to see a psychologist or psychiatrist so you can try to get rid of your addiction. The main goal of therapy is to reduce the compulsion felt to gamble so that you no longer feel the need.
Share your problems with peers
You can also choose to participate in sessions in self-help groups. Here you will find people with the same problem so you can talk about your addiction. So you can hear what they experience and together you can look for solutions to get rid of the addiction. Participating in such sessions is already an important factor for many people because it allows them to see that they are not the only ones with an addiction and are certainly not alone.
Opt for medication
Do these two ways both not help or are they not enough for you? Then you can also opt for the use of medication, for example, to become calmer. For all methods, it is best to first see a doctor to discuss your problem. As difficult as this may be, it is the best solution if you want to get rid of your addiction because just continuing with it is certainly not the best solution.