Pathological gambling addiction is the inability to stop the urge to gamble in order to forget or get rid of one's problems for various reasons (familial, personal or environmental).
Pathological gambling addiction occurs at a rate of 3%. It can be seen in every income group. It is more common in men between the ages of 40-50. It is also becoming increasingly common among young people.
How does pathological gambling addiction develop?
Pathological gambling addiction usually starts with a whim at first. However, over time, this enthusiasm is replaced by the ambition to win more and more, making the person addicted to gambling.
The presence of five (or more) of the following five (or more) and continuous and recurring inappropriate gambling behavior indicate a predisposition to the diagnosis of pathological gambling addiction. However, the person needs to be interviewed by a specialist to make the diagnosis.
- Overthinking about gambling (reliving past gambling experiences, planning the next game or trying to prevent it)
- Feeling the need to gamble with increasing amounts of money to satisfy a craving for excitement.
- Unsuccessful attempts to reduce, control or stop gambling.
- Becoming restless or irritable during attempts to reduce or stop gambling
- Gambling to escape from problems or to get rid of an unhappy and depressed mood, helplessness, guilt, anxiety or depression
- Gambling with money, losing it and then coming back another day to replace what they lost (chasing their losses).
- Lying to family members, a therapist or others about the amount they gamble.
- People with a pathological gambling addiction committing illegal acts such as dishonesty, fraud, theft in order to get money to gamble.
- People with a pathological gambling addiction have jeopardized or lost an important relationship, job, educational or professional opportunities because of gambling.
- Relying on others to get out of financial problems caused by gambling.
Treatment of pathological gambling addiction
Before a person is diagnosed with pathological gambling addiction, they must accept that they have a pathological gambling addiction. After the person accepts that he/she has a pathological gambling addiction, he/she is admitted to treatment and therapy with the same working discipline as in other addiction treatments. In this process, a personalized treatment model is created and treatment is carried out.
20 ANONYMOUS QUESTIONS FOR COMPULSIVE GAMBLING BEHAVIOR
Most compulsive gamblers answer "yes" to at least 7 of these questions.
- Have you ever taken time away from work or school to gamble?
- Have you experienced unhappiness in your home life because of gambling?
- Has your reputation ever been affected by gambling?
- Have you ever experienced regret after gambling?
- Have you ever gambled to pay off debts or solve other financial problems?
- Has gambling ever reduced your desire and ability to work?
- After losing, did you feel the urge to go back and win again?
- After winning, did you have a strong desire to play again and win more?
- Do you often play until you lose your last dollar?
- Have you ever borrowed money to gamble?
- Have you ever sold anything to gamble?
- Have you cut back on your normal spending to pay for gambling?
- Has gambling made you take less care of yourself or your family?
- Have you played more than you had planned?
- Have you gambled to escape from sadness and stress?
- Have you committed a crime or planned an illegal act to finance your gambling expenses?
- Have you had trouble sleeping because of gambling?
- Have you ever canceled work, appointments and had problems in order to sit down to gamble urgently?
- Have you ever thought that your luck had turned around and you urgently gambled to take advantage of it?
- Have you ever thought about self-harm or suicide because of your gambling losses?