When most people hear the term addiction, their mind immediately goes to substance abuse. While substance abuse commonly leads to addiction, many behaviors and actions humans engage in can be considered addictive. The use of social media, the Internet, playing video games, shopping, eating, and gambling each have the potential to become an addiction.
Gambling With Addiction
Similar to the onset of addiction to substances, individuals experience a pleasurable response to gambling. With substance abuse, the person abusing them will feel pleasure from using drugs or alcohol. With gambling, a player may put some money into a game and win, coming out with more money than before. The pleasure that comes from winning acts on our reward center in the same way as using drugs or alcohol.
Gambling is a risk-taking behavior because the outcome is not consistent. Imagine that you have been on a winning streak all night and decide to bet everything you have won. One wrong move and everything you made is now gone. Since you have won multiple games already, the idea of a big loss might not be disconcerting to you. You can always earn it back, right?
An Inconsistent Reward
One of the truths about gambling is that sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. The reward from gambling is inconsistent, which is one of its major problems. People assume that they will be able to win again and make their money back. Each time a win occurs, big or small, the compulsion to continue playing is reinforced, and a gambler may find that they are slowly losing more and more.
Gambling is highly addictive because the potential for reward is inconsistent. If an individual knew the pattern of winning and losing, they would quit while they were ahead. The factor of inconsistency feeds into the desire to continue playing. Gambling machines and most games are set up to let you win just enough to keep you intrigued. The psychological effect of these machines and games leads people into the cycle of addiction.
Dangers of Gambling
One of the dangers of substance abuse that can worsen over time is the physical damage to your brain and body. While gambling addiction can affect some psychological aspects of our brain, there is no long-term damage if the addiction is appropriately cared for. The main concern with gambling addiction is not the health effects but the financial and social effects.
Gambling can cause you significant financial stress when you lose money. As you get caught up in the addictive cycle of gambling, you likely will continue to lose more and more money because the immediate gratification of small winnings reinforces the behavior. Gambling addiction can often lead individuals into debt and extreme financial stress.
Financial stress often takes a toll on family relationships. Time consumed with gambling can affect these relationships as well. As an individual with a gambling problem spends more and more time working to earn back the money they have lost, their relationships with friends and family will likely continue to worsen.
Avoid Gambling Addiction
While there are many involuntary aspects of addiction, the initial act of gambling is voluntary. Gambling can be an exciting pastime to engage in from time to time, particularly with a firm financial limit in place. However, allowing yourself the freedom to choose if you will continue gambling while playing can likely lead to addiction.
Setting a specific amount of money aside to spend on gambling for the night can help ensure that you don’t lose more than you can afford. If you limit yourself to only spending $200 on gambling, the worst-case scenario is you lose $200. If you come out ahead, stop while you are ahead and enjoy your winnings. Having financial limits and the ability to stop each time you are gambling can help you to be mindful of your decisions.
Limiting the frequency of gambling is also important. Many states do not allow gambling because of the addictive potential involved. When visiting states where gambling is legal, it can be fun to play a few games. By not gambling on a regular basis, gambling does not become habitual. Limiting how often you gamble also reduces the opportunities you have to lose money, and the number of times that wins can feed the addictive cycle.
Gambling can be a fun activity with some risk, which can add to the enjoyment. Many people find these risky games to be enticing. Gambling can be fun in moderation; however, gambling can come with many consequences if done to excess. Being aware of the potential for gambling addiction can save you a great deal of financial and social stress.
Gambling can be a thrilling activity with the chance of a reward. While gambling does not in and of itself lead to future health problems, great potential for financial distress exists if gambling becomes an addiction. Gambling is set up to reward you just enough to keep you interested in playing and taking a gamble again. Although you may win at times, most people lose more money than they gain through gambling. Setting limits about how often you gamble and how much money you are willing to lose can help ensure you do not become addicted to gambling. These limits can also save you from financial stress. Once gambling starts to become an addiction, it can be hard to resist continuing to play to recover the money you have lost. To learn more about gambling addiction, reach out to Dream Recovery at (949) 732-1960.