Gambling addiction, which was once only played at gambling tables, is diversifying with many applications ranging from live betting applications to online games, horse racing and betting games. Stating that the moment of approaching the possibility of winning gives pleasure to the person, experts point out that starting to gamble with more and more money, spending more time gambling, and the destruction of family, work and social relationships due to gambling are among the most important symptoms.
NPISTANBUL Hospital Specialist Clinical Psychologist Sedef Koç evaluated gambling addiction, which has become widespread especially with technology.
Gambling is not only played at the table
Pointing out that there has been a significant increase in gambling addiction recently, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Sedef Koç said, "Do you know that gambling addiction is much more than table games? Are you aware of how much it is in our lives with live betting applications, online games, betting games, horse racing and various games of chance? Some people spend part of their day on online applications or games of chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of life for a short time, while others spend some time relaxing and having a good time. When the time we spend on online applications starts to go beyond what we planned, and more importantly, when financial and moral losses are added to this time, the color of the work changes."
The moment of approaching the possibility of winning gives pleasure
Sedef Koç noted that individuals who cannot raise their living standards to the level they had planned in healthy ways are tempted to earn money the easy way, and that this is the first step of gambling addiction:
"Thoughts such as "I have worked for years but I could not own a house", "I cannot buy that car I dreamed of despite all my hard work", in other words, the desire to live at a higher level than their possibilities is also an important risk factor. The person deceives himself/herself by buying his/her dreams instead of the objects he/she cannot buy. During the game, the new pleasure felt every time the possibility of winning is approached and the feeling of relief when the risk of losing what they have hits and runs is exciting for most individuals. The games, which do not pose a problem for the individual when they start with small amounts, are perceived by the individual as an innocent means of entertainment to which he/she entitles himself/herself after a while. In the following phase, the individual sees no harm in using the money he/she has already earned 'without labor' for the same purpose, and when the losses increase, he/she 'absolutely' needs to continue playing in order to replace them. In short, the individual is not aware that he or she is addicted and whatever the circumstances, they are all an excuse to play again."
Pay attention to these symptoms
"When we have a disease, we follow the symptoms and look for solutions. This is a necessary and simple method for our survival." Sedef Koç said, "Pathological gambling behavior also has some signs. Being aware of these will put you one step ahead on the way to a solution" and listed these signs as follows:
"Starting to gamble with more and more money, allocating more time to gambling than planned, continuing to think about it continuously when he/she cannot gamble, thinking that he/she can keep this situation under control and taking a short break and playing again, turning to gambling when he/she feels distressed, starting to play more to compensate for the financial losses he/she has lost are among the symptoms. In addition to these, it is possible to talk about gambling addiction if there are changes such as the deterioration of family, work and social relationships due to gambling, an increased tendency to borrow money from others in order to pay off debts, and frequent hiding and lying behaviors while trying to manage this process."
Both adults and adolescents are under threat
Sedef Koç pointed out that gambling is normalized through various channels and individuals are exposed to games, especially through social media, Sedef Koç said, "The increase in the variety of games and their easy accessibility are also attractive to the target audience. If you ask who the target audience consists of, we can say that it varies according to age groups. For example; while board games, horse races, national lottery, numerical lotto, sports toto, scratch cards, etc. are widely preferred by adults; young people are more interested in betting games. On the other hand, online computer games played on international platforms also attract intense interest from adolescent groups."
On the other hand, Sedef Koç pointed out that virtual friendships established through computer games increase the continuity in games by providing an online meeting environment among peers and said, "Moreover, the fact that having equipment that increases the possibility of winning in games is a subject of competition within the friend group also triggers online purchasing behavior."
They usually do not accept that they are addicted
Sedef Koç stated that individuals with gambling addiction tend to deny it, as in most types of addiction, and said, "They usually have a defensive attitude that they play as a hobby, that they can quit if they want, that they only use the money they get from games of chance. Eventually, at the point where the results of this business get out of control, they look for unhealthy solutions in order to recover the situation. For example, gambling more to replace losses, borrowing money from many acquaintances or even the wrong people to cover debts with debts are some of the first things that come to mind. In addition to these; not being able to devote enough time to the family, not being able to devote oneself to the environment because the mind is constantly preoccupied with this problem, increasing lying behavior to hide the situation are among the most common behaviors we encounter. As a result of these, it is inevitable that family relationships are worn out and spouses come to the point of divorce."
Specialist Clinical Psychologist Sedef Koç said, "When the individual cannot cope with the avalanche of material and moral losses, he feels a sense of helplessness. Our clinical observations reveal that depressive symptoms often coexist in individuals seeking help for pathological gambling. The individual, who cannot enjoy life outside of gambling, can no longer achieve a positive result by gambling."
Medication and psychotherapy are carried out together
Stating that gambling addiction can be treated, Sedef Koç noted that gambling addiction, which is evaluated under the name of behavioral addictions, requires a treatment plan in which medication and psychotherapy process are carried out together.
Sedef Koç made the following evaluations regarding treatment methods and the treatment process: "Although support is received from various therapy approaches, cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational interviewing techniques are mainly used. The recurrence of the behavior can be prevented by understanding and eliminating the underlying causes of the problem in question, which seriously reduces the quality of life of the individual. Positive results can be obtained from treatment by identifying risk factors and providing support on how to avoid them. Especially in times of crisis, the individual should be prepared for what to do if they want to experience this behavior again. In addition, we recommend that families who may show co-dependency behavior be included in the psychotherapy process in order to raise awareness and provide social support."
