Psychology of Gambling Addiction - Research Paper Example

Introduction In the current world as well as the past one, people have been engaging in entertaining activities that at some point have come to be addictive. Many of these indulgencies take ones time and money and other resources and end up affecting the victim (in this case) psychologically. Gambling is one of such entertainment activities that people engage in but can be addictive at some point when one is not careful (Eades 36-152). As it is the case, majority of people who gamble do it for the basic reason or motive of enriching themselves after they win over an opponent gambler. Some become rich in the process depending on the amount won after gambling while others lose their money and property and even find themselves in debts after losing heavily (Perkinson 65-114). All these situations being positive or negative cause, with time, a certain level of addiction to the activity as the rich endeavour to be richer and the losers find ways to reclaim their past losses. This paper shall concentrate on its psychological aspects, the effects that gambling has to the addict and their family and the various solutions available for its addiction. Gambling addiction is just a psychological problem and it can be dealt with effectively after cooperation of the sufferer. Psychological aspects of gambling addiction It is important for one to ask the major question; why does one gamble? This question shall lead to the answers as to why and how people end up becoming addicted to gambling (Perkinson 65-114). It is a fact that many have lost their property, valuables, money and even life from gambling. Research shows that people gamble for enjoyment, others for just play as they are subconsciously motivated to do so while the last lot engages in gambling because of the positive stimuli active as the driving force (Eades 36-152). These can also be classified into three categories; competition followed by money and lastly the delight of the unknown. When one engages in gambling, the most likely reason of doing so is that they are after gaining money. People play as they lose but keep on playing. Some win huge rewards while others win just a little but all these keep on gambling. The driving force of the repeated gambling is the urge to win and win more which sums up to the aspect of hope which is similar to the operant conditioning theory. It is the positive reinforcement of receiving money that keeps players playing more and more. The other factor of competition comes in especially when dealing with games that require special skills to win like poker. The satisfaction one gets after winning against an opponent is a factor that contributes to gambling addiction. Surprise as a factor is a contributing factor as people will play having in mind that losing is a possibility and after one wins, the win thrills one a great deal as it was an unsure occurrence. Effects of gambling addiction to the individual and family Gambling is known to have negative effects to the gambler and their family whereby it leads to break ups, violence, poverty, loss of livelihoods and employment, low productivity and many others (Perkinson 65-114). To the gambler addiction leads to one losing focus in other life matters like work and family and concentrate more on gambling. Gamblers tend to have their minds sway to gambling even when doing regular jobs or in the office. This reduces their productivity and quality of their output. It is a fact that in many employments not many would be tolerated with such behaviours and in most cases when they do not rectify, they ultimately lose their employment; self or otherwise as if it is a personal business, they will definitely fail to operate as they end up taking away its capital to gambling. The main focus for an addict gambler is mainly the win or the loss in the past or that which is being anticipated. Gamblers find themselves become engulfed in debts as they try to have more money to gamble. It is this fact that makes gambling a societal problem as the individual after becoming bankrupt runs to the social welfare facilities to seek refuge and in extreme cases end up stealing to make ends meet and pay some debts. They become involved in fraudulent activities like forging of cheques, embezzle funds entrusted to them e.g. employer’s funds. If this situation persists without a solution in sight the gambler indulges in destructive behaviors like drug abuse and heavy alcohol consumption whereby suicide becomes a possibility. For the family gambling addiction is quite a detrimental affair and it has caused many families to break the world over. Addicted gamblers are known to prioritise on gambling leaving family bills unattended. The factor of swinging fortunes trend with gambling causes the gambler to have mood swings too which they take home leading to confrontations with the spouse and children (Perkinson 65-114). The gambler will in various instances abuse the spouse and children physically; a situation that gets worse with time as well as that of declining savings for the family. Instead of the family members trying to seek professional help for the gambler, many run to friends for advice whereby there is a greater chance to be misled leading to family breakdown. A problem gambler’s children are likely to take after the parent as this is the closest and dearest role model that they have. These children perform dismally in school and at times get withdrawn from the rest of the children as they feel inadequate and may show some abnormal aggression towards others over trivial issues. In general the problem gambler finds themselves abandoning their responsibility for their families. Solutions of gambling addiction Gambling addiction has now been seen to have negative impacts to the individual, family and the community at large. When one is an addict, it is important that those around them show compassion and understanding to their condition. The reason for this is that they are at a stage of denial and huge psychological problem. It is at this stage that the earlier problems in the family circles are manifested and it is a trying time for both the addict and those close to them. It is advised that a gambling addict should try as much as possible to come out of this problem on their own as this will provide more of internal motivation rather than an external one which can be less effective (Edwards 2010). The biggest challenge lies with the level of personal discipline that the addict is required to have. It is also a fact that some people are not able to get out of gambling problem without external assistance and in if this is the case, then there are many avenues to get treatment for the same. It is however important to note that in this case the determining factor for success is the initiative that the addict will have. There is however no standardised treatment for gambling addiction but the common ones are gambling anonymous, psychotherapy and medication. It has been found that a combination of psychotherapy and GA is quite efficient (Edwards 2010). It is recommended that a professional conducts psychotherapy as there are many people who argue that they have the capability of offering this kind of service when they have not undergone specialised training on the same. In the side of medication is has been found that a number of them actually reduce the urge to this indulgence. Some of the medicines administered are Topamax which is an anti-seizure medication, Lithobid, Luvox and ReVia and many others that are coming up daily with varying degrees of effectiveness as well as uniqueness in the aspects of addiction they address (Springer Netherlands 1990). As much as the above medications are given, psychotherapy remains the best choice as its effective rate has been seen to be higher than the other methods given above. In conclusion is important to note that gambling addiction is basically a condition and not a disease that befalls one for being too much involved with gambling to such extents that it is no longer for entertainment but an obsession. Addicted gamblers are both a danger to themselves as they are to their families and the community at large. Many people have been found to have this problem but many still have not come out to the light to have this problem sorted out as they are still in denial while others are not aware that it is a problem. One should evaluate their behaviours and see whether they are addicted to it and if so seek professional help having in mind that in treating the problem, their commitment to treatment procedures is of essence. Gambling addicts should also be aware that even if they are rehabilitated, they are still addicts and the best way to live is to avoid situations that may lead them to it again as they shall fall even deeper the second time into addiction. Works cited Eades, M. John. Gambling Addiction: The Problem, the Pain and the Path to Recovery. Gospel Light Pubns, 2003. 36-152. Edwards, Roxanne D. Gambling Addiction. 15 Jun 2010 . Perkinson, R. Robert. The Gambling Addiction Patient Workbook. SAGE, 2003. 65-114. Springer Netherlands. The cognitive psychology of gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies.6(1). March, 1990. Read More