How to cure gambling addiction sports betting

Betting addiction is a special case of gambling addiction (ludomania). Gambling addiction is a pathological addiction to gambling, which leads to moral and financial collapse, problems in personal, family life, social isolation.

Like any addict, the gambler denies the problem. “… and who doesn’t drink? Name me! No, I’m waiting!” exclaims the alcoholic. “Yes, I’m betting, yes, I’ve already lost 100, 200, 500 thousand, but I’m just unlucky,” says every gambler.

Addiction to betting in bookmakers is to some extent even more dangerous than gambling. The gambler knows that the casino always wins, and that roulette, cards, slot machines obey the law of chance, and when making a bet, a person is under the illusion that he can win by analyzing the game, that he can beat the system if he learns to understand the rules of football well, handball, hockey, etc. and watch enough matches.

Yes, just like in a casino game, there are professionals in betting – players who really consistently win money in bookmakers, conducting a good analysis. Yes, there are, but they are few. And they don’t play – they work. Like poker players. Most often, such analysts do not even follow sports events – they just find out the results later without unnecessary emotions.

Causes of gambling addiction and its symptoms

Who is at risk:

Dependent personality type. For such a person, the form of dependence is not so important. It’s just that on his life path he met not drugs, but a bookmaker’s office. By the way, often gamers are addicted to alcohol too.

Adrenaline junkies. Making a bet, being in a state of uncertainty, they receive a large dose of adrenaline, and anticipation gives the release of endorphins. It’s like waiting for the New Year for adults – brighter than the holiday itself.

If a person wins – endorphin and serotonin literally flood his brain – he experiences incredible pleasure, if he loses – he falls into a pit of despair. To stabilize the condition, you need to make a bet to increase the level of endorphin. So a person sits down on a hormonal swing, and no “peaceful” everyday activities give such emotions and he is not able to get out of the trap.

cognitive distortions. A person who wants to earn money quickly has the illusion that big money can be obtained either by winning, or by inheritance, or in some other quick and easy way. A person believes in success, luck, luck.

“Bad Company” A certain circle of friends, an appropriate parental example carried over into adulthood, excessive sports.

Signs and symptoms of sports betting addiction

Ludomania – sports betting – is a tricky disease, unlike other types of addiction, its negative consequences, especially in the physical aspect, do not appear so quickly. An alcoholic suffers from a hangover, a drug addict from withdrawal, a food addict quickly gains or loses weight. And the gamer plays for himself slowly, sometimes once a month, someone more often, someone less often, it seems that he doesn’t lose so much, but sometimes he wins. What’s wrong with that, just a variety of leisure activities for adults.

But if you have several of these symptoms – it’s a big red stop sign, and it’s time to stop playing games.

Regularity. You bet regularly, you can’t live without it. You still control yourself and turn to bookmakers no more than once a month / week / day and bet no more than a certain amount, but it is constant bets that are a symptom of gambling.

Confidence. You are sure that you know exactly how to win.

Rigorous analysis. You constantly analyze sports events and all the main sports sites are in your bookmarks. The player does not just analyze the match, he has already mentally bet on it. Where there is thought, there is reality.

The inability to permanently switch from the game to something else. Betting takes up more than half of your time, you think about it all the time.

Refusal of other types of pastime. You do not go for a walk with your child and to the movies with your wife, you do not meet with loved ones. Any free minute you spend with “benefit” – either for the analysis of a sports game, or for the game itself.

Financial difficulties. Unjustified loans, credits, micro-credits, petty theft, various kinds of fraud, etc., all that can provide money for a new game.

Psychological problems. Feelings of guilt, lies to loved ones, self-pity, hysterical remorse.

Panic attacks, irritability, nervousness, if there is no way to make a bet, especially “one hundred percent”.

Aggressive behavior during the game, a person loses his temper more easily when communicating with loved ones.

Physical health problems. Memory impairment, headaches, poor appearance, depression, insomnia, problems concentrating.

The stakes are rising, both morally and financially.

You cannot interrupt the game and unreasonably believe in the possibility of winning back.

Periodically, you make promises to yourself and loved ones that you will tie up, but these are nothing more than words.

Treatment for sports betting addiction

The first step to recovery from addiction is to acknowledge the problem. And the second is that the refusal to play is not temporary, but forever. It sounds simple, but in reality there can be a road of years between these two steps.

The dream of any addict who has taken alcohol; drugs; nicotine – take control of addiction. But this is impossible. A gambler cannot play responsibly, otherwise he would never become a gambler. The very first bet after the break is the first step into the usual abyss.

The idea that this time it will be different, that he will be able to stop in time, is nothing more than an illusion.

A psychologist who knows how to treat this problem will help to overcome the addiction. Unlike other addictions, medications are practically not used for gambling addiction; in rare cases, antidepressants can be prescribed.

Players anonymous clubs are gaining popularity in Europe and Russia (by analogy with Alcoholics Anonymous societies). These are both online projects and offline communities where people with gambling addiction can meet, chat, talk about their problems, ask for help and support, find out the names of specialists who will help cure addiction.

Overcoming addiction on your own

self-overcoming of addiction is possible, in a small percentage of cases, for this you need to pass the test that we have given above and determine the degree of the problem, and then completely abandon the rates. Try to establish a healthy routine. Sleep more, exercise, drink clean water.

This is a banal advice, but sports and the correct daily routine allow you to put in order the production of neurotransmitters, rid the body of adrenaline and establish the production of serotonin without additional incentives.

Psychologist’s advice

Delete all applications and accounts in bookmakers, bypass the offices of bookmakers.

Try to play for virtual money – this advice is suitable if the addiction is not very strong yet.

Find a new hobby, stop analyzing sports, don’t follow sports at all for a while.

Try to be useful, try yourself in volunteering – by helping others, we help ourselves, you can feel needed, strong, rich – not physically, what is more valuable – mentally.

Ask for help from loved ones, agree that under no circumstances will they lend you money.

Sign up in the communities of former gamers, this will help you not to break loose, people who have gone through addiction themselves will be able to find words of support in the dark period of “withdrawal”.

If all the above measures did not help, contact a psychologist, and it is better to start treatment with this.