Treatment for gambling (stocks, cryptocurrencies) addiction

When people commonly think of 'addiction,' they tend to imagine a phenomenon that occurs when substances like alcohol or drugs enter the body. However, recently, the concept of addiction has expanded beyond drug dependence to include behavioral addictions such as gambling, eating disorders, shopping addiction, and gaming addiction.

 

Gambling refers to betting money on uncertain outcomes. In this sense, all bets placed on a contest, even if they are light, can be considered gambling. Of course, the issue is not gambling itself but the excessive immersion of some individuals. For example, trying to make money through day trading stocks or cryptocurrencies, obsessively staring at their phones all day out of greed.

There are increasing numbers of people ruining their lives by continuously pouring money they can't even gauge.

 

Recently, the proportion of female addicts has increased in gambling, which was previously dominated by adult men, and even adolescents are exposed to the temptation of gambling without protection, becoming a major problem.

 

Like other addictions, gambling addiction is not easy to treat. Therefore, prevention and early treatment are most important, and to achieve this, changing societal and family perceptions and attitudes towards gambling addiction is urgently needed.

 

Personality factors

Anyone can fall into gambling, but there are people who are more prone to it. From a clinical perspective, pathological gamblers can be broadly divided into sensation-seeking and reality-escape / adjustment disorder types.

 

Stimulus-seeking addicts can be simply described as naturally born gamblers. Due to strong genetic predispositions, they tend to develop this tendency early in childhood. Looking at their childhood development, they often enjoyed betting, were competitive, and had a lot of curiosity and adventurousness. Patients often say that they couldn't sleep when they lost in marbles or tiddlywinks as children. They also tend to engage in various types of gambling, enjoying everything from casinos to horse racing without preference. Additionally, they are people who are highly likely to fall into other forms of addiction besides gambling. They generally cannot tolerate boredom and constantly seek new stimuli, taking risks and challenging themselves. They have a lot of energy, but if this energy is misdirected, they can easily fall into addiction. People with these tendencies are highly susceptible to becoming addicted if they start gambling.

 

The escapism/adaptation disorder type can be seen as a form related to emotional aspects such as depression and anxiety, and is often associated with stress. These individuals tend to start gambling at a relatively late age, and many female gamblers fall into this category. They often have environmental and emotional issues such as divorce, family problems, depression, and anxiety. While gambling, they can temporarily forget other concerns, making it difficult for them to return to reality. Even when they do return to reality, they often cannot handle the immense stress and end up returning to the gambling venues. Unlike the sensation-seeking type, gambling is used as a tool to avoid stress. Psychologically, these individuals tend to be introverted with limited social interactions and have not experienced many other pleasures in life, which makes them more susceptible to falling into gambling addiction.

 

Of course, in reality, the two types are not clearly distinguishable, but it is to assess which tendency is more prominent in order to determine the treatment method. Starting with an initial thrill-seeking type, there are many cases where, after a long period of gambling, the individual gradually shifts to an escapist type. Gambling can cause problems in work life and strain friendships, leading to various emotional issues. In such cases, individuals continue gambling to avoid these negative feelings.

 

The characteristic symptoms of this gambling addiction are loss of control due to tolerance and withdrawal symptoms.

Tolerance refers to the gradual need for stronger stimulation to achieve the same excitement. Since the same stimulus no longer produces the same effect, individuals seek increasingly stronger stimuli. It is easier to understand by thinking of a drinker. At first, just one bottle makes them feel good, but over time, the amount consumed increases. The same phenomenon occurs in gambling as well. The amount of money wagered gradually increases, and the frequency of gambling also rises. Additionally, individuals become increasingly involved in more severe forms of gambling that provide stronger stimulation, which is called tolerance.

Most gambling addicts eventually feel that a problem is occurring in their lives. They decide to stop, but most of these attempts end in failure. This is due to withdrawal symptoms, which refer to feelings of restlessness, anxiety, and impatience when not gambling, and these symptoms disappear as soon as they start gambling again. Once reaching this stage, it becomes difficult to quit even if they want to, due to willpower alone.

One of the important aspects of diagnosis is distinguishing comorbid conditions. If someone is deeply addicted to gambling and in a state of addiction, it is essential to undergo an evaluation by a psychiatrist. It is common for mood disorders such as depression, attention deficit, personality disorders, or other addictive disorders to coexist, and in such cases, the therapeutic approach differs significantly. Therefore, if the criteria above are met, it is necessary to seek treatment and evaluation from a psychiatrist.

 

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Gambling isn't just limited to casinos; immersing oneself in stocks or cryptocurrencies can also lead to wasting even the living expenses that shouldn't be touched.

It is said that the number of foolish people is increasing.

 

It is said that there are many among the heads of households and housewives who are starting families.

 

If addiction has already begun, you should ask your family for help as soon as possible to stop it even for a day.