Gambling Addiction – Explanation & Symptoms

Gambling addiction is a mental disorder that affects a lot of people across the world. We may not realise it at first, but some of us may uncontiously struggle with the illness in one way or another. There are a lot of tests and surveys made to explore this phenomenon and we did our best to provide you with updated, helpful information about gambling addiction, the symptoms and effects of it.

In this dedicated gambling addiction review, we will briefly explain what gambling addiction is, how it can be recognized amongst other types of addictions and how it can be treated. We hope you find this information helpful.

What Is Gambling Addiction?

Gambling addiction is a mental illness that can be recognised as a combination of excessive gambling and an emotional disorder. It was hard to look at problem gambling as its own mental illness, as there are a lot of similarities in terms of symptoms with other disorders. Some of the main symptoms of gambling addiction are:

There are a lot of similarities with the symptoms of sex addiction and bipolar disorder. As mentioned, there are a lot of people around the world that struggle with gambling disorder, including celebrities like Ben Affleck with his blackjack addiction.

Gambling Addiction Triggers

Like with any other addiction, excessive gambling can be triggered in different ways. In contrast to some gambling and card jokes, the following reasons can be pretty serious. Often, the main reason for people to start gambling is a tragic event in their lives, whether it is the loss of a loved one or them being fired from their job. There are also a lot of visual, physical triggers, including:

Probably the biggest trigger amongst those mentioned above is when a gambler wins at a game. When winning, a person has a boost of adrenalin and euphoria, making him/her want to play again. This is very common for people that play on slot machines and table games like blackjack or even Russian roulette. If you struggle with gambling disorder, you could also be easily triggered by a gambling loss.

Gambling Addiction – Prevention and Treatment

Since gambling addiction is quite similar to other disorders, preventing and treating it can be also similar to other practices. This is a factor to consider even when it comes down to addiction to gambling-related manga, mahjong or puzzles, for example. Compulsive gambling can be easily spotted and prevented in both online and real-life gambling venues. There are well-established security systems, betting limits and terms that should be followed.

When it comes to treatment, there are a lot of online and physical resources available that will help you understand gambling addiction more. There are tons of ways and organisations where you can seek help for yourself, a friend or a relative. GamCare and Gamble Aware are two great examples of organisations in the UK that strive to prevent and treat gambling disorder.

Conclusion

Gambling addiction has specific stages and it is one of the most popular terms from the gambling vocabulary. However, if you don’t consider it seriously, it can turn into a serious mental condition if you don’t act quickly. There are a lot of common symptoms that could help you recognise it, as well as different practices and experts that are open to help both online and in real life. We advise you to play responsibly and take good care of your mental health, as well as that of the people around you!

FAQ

Here are the most common questions from the topic on gambling addiction. We’ve gathered the answers to some of the popular questions on the Internet with the help of our editors and their research.