Play responsibly

Gambling addiction is a serious problem that should be treated as an ailment, not a habit that can easily be overcome on its own. People who devote their lives to betting lose touch with real life, forget about everything except the gambling site. It is not worth hiding a gambling addiction. The sooner the fight against addiction begins, the better. Therefore, if there is a person next to you (especially when you are that person) who has a symptom of the disease, try to convince her to seek help from a psychologist. the expert of our portal – Milan Rabszski-is a certified psychologist. The topic of gambling addiction for him is a combination of two interesting directions for studying the behavior of c$sheep. He wants to tell the players about it.:

• where does gambling addiction come from;
• what is gambling addiction-definition;
• how to combat gambling addiction in South Africa;
• how to treat gambling addiction;
• who you can turn to for help.

Where does gambling addiction come from?

In modern society, online gambling for money is mainly computer games. Parents unknowingly push their children into the world of fun. Not being able to spend time with your child pushes parents to buy new tablets, phones and other mobile devices. This is what makes young people addicted to gambling.

Researchers have found that gambling addiction can reach a stage where gambling becomes the meaning of human life. This is due to the fact that during Entertainment in the brain begin to actively produce substances that cause a feeling of euphoria. This means that the sensations experienced by the player are similar to those experienced by the addict after the next injection. Statistics show that more than 5% of the population of developed countries need gambling treatment. The seriousness of the situation can be seen in these statistics:

Statistics in South Africa

The main causes of gaming addiction

Currently, there are some predisposing factors that create an increased risk of developing game addiction:

• C psychological echoes. Life without joy and emotional discomfort often cause addiction to slot machines.
• S family history. People addicted to games are people suffering from loneliness or problems in the family. Immersion in the world of Unreal illusions and fantasies helps them to break away from problems.
• S financial situation. Addiction to slot machines arises in people who believe in the possibility of a big win.
• S social action. People who do not have friends in real life are increasingly beginning to seek solace in the virtual world by making virtual friends.
• G enetics. People have genetically determined features of the nervous and hormonal systems that reduce or increase the risk of addiction to games.

Addiction to casino games develops gradually and not always the player can notice it right away. There are five stages that lead a gambler to the highest level of addiction:

• Stages of addiction development: Gambling interest phase - > winning phase - > losing phase - > desperation phase - > losing hope phase

The prevalence of gambling addiction worldwide

About 20% of the world's population plays pathological gambling at some point in their lives, and this number is growing, especially thanks to online gambling. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, every year about 350 million people worldwide suffer from gambling addiction, and the incidence of the disease reaches 5.8%. We will try to compare the gambling situation in eight countries:

If you can not cope with the addiction on your own, seek professional help. Here are the most popular portals that help players:

1. BeGambleAware offers free confidential advice.
2. GamCare offers support and a helpline.
3. Gamblers Anonymous offers 12-step support sessions for addicts.
4. Problem Gambling offers support for families of compulsive gamblers and support groups for gamblers.

How to combat gambling addiction in South Africa?

Do you or your loved one have a gambling problem? there are a large number of NFZ offices that can help fight gambling addiction in South Africa.

How to treat gambling addiction?

• The Minnesota Model: It is a popular 12-step program created by Alcoholics Anonymous. The Model was first used in a State Psychiatric Hospital in the 1950s. 20th century. The Minnesota Model emphasizes individualization of treatment. Because we all experience addiction differently and no treatment program will be effective for all of us, an individual approach can make a difference.

What literature on addiction should you read?

If you want to read more books that address this important topic, we have collected a few of our favorites below:

• "When gambling becomes a problem. Am I addicted?", Barbara Wojewódzka, 2014.
• "The gamblers. The game of life", Beata Biały, 2021.
• "Gambling. History, threats and ways out", Bohdan T. Voronowicz, 2012.
• "In the gambling network", andrzej Zwoliński, 2011.
• "Hi, My Name Is Michael", Michał Krupa, 2013.

If you answer "yes", you get 3 points.

If you answer "No", you get 2 points.

If you answer "I doubt it –" you get 1 point.

Can gambling be cured?

Often, in order to believe in your own strength, it is worth knowing the history of people who have recovered from gambling and now help the same addicted people. We will tell you three such stories.

"Heni Wiśniewski was raised by a foster family, and like all children-went to the playrooms to play the machines". His father died when he was 6 years old, and his mother began to drink a lot. They lived very poor. At the age of 25, Heni moved to the UK, met his wife and got a good job. He felt he finally had money. Before the wedding, he decided with his friends to go to a gambling casino to play roulette. All of his teammates lost except him. Two months later, he decided to go back and won again – he felt it was easy money. He won huge sums and lost them. Over time, he began to take out loans for the purchase of a car and lost them in an Online Casino in South Africa. In total, he lost about $250,000. His wife left him, and he kept thinking about suicide. His friends offered him treatment at a private medical center, where he was explained everything about addiction. He has ruled himself out of all British gambling for life and is learning to live again.

Lukasz is addicted to betting. His addiction began in childhood. Dad used to take him with him as a kid when he played classic $2 tapes. When Luke was a student, he started placing small bets on his favorite teams. $ 1, $ 2, $ 5 per bet didn't seem like a lot of money. He lost all the money his parents had given him for college. Sometimes you had to leave a watch or valuables at a pawnshop, and sometimes borrow money to get back. Now his friends and girlfriend do not even realize that Lukas is addicted. He says he doesn't want to give up the game yet. Only a person who really wants to get rid of addiction – will give up the game.

Mariusz Chyb was addicted to slot machines for 10 years. A colleague showed him popular game rooms, after which Mariusz won 50 for $5. He thought that was how he would make money and start playing. Mariusz started cheating on his wife and instead of going to the store, he played slot machines. He borrowed money from friends to play again. He had a goal – to win the maximum amount available at the moment - $10,000 otych - and stop. He won, but he kept playing. He didn't think about anything except games. Only his wife, who issued an ultimatum – Either the family or the games – forced Marius to go to a private medical facility and begin treatment for addiction. The support of his family and friends helped him win the fight.