Gambling addiction in United Kingdom

In Europe, they are rather soft on gambling. The most prestigious casinos in the world are Monaco. In Malta, the operation of casinos is regulated by legal acts: in addition to very popular land-based establishments, access to online casinos is also fully allowed here. A passion for gambling is a national trait of the British. Gibraltar has the lowest taxes in the industry. Italy, France, Portugal – perhaps there is no country where the gambling business flourishes. However, the problem of gambling addiction is also not in the last place. Everyone knows the problem of gambling addiction uk. Let’s take a look at how to recognize it and get it with gambling addiction help.

Types of dependencies

The problem of online gambling addiction is on a par with such common addictions as drug addiction, alcoholism, and tobacco smoking. These are pathological, abnormal in their strength, addictions to any destructive action. A person completely loses control over his impulses and satisfies his needs to the detriment of health, social ties, work. The gambling addiction can also be different – it can be csgo gambling addiction or it can be caused by machines.

What is gambling addiction

Problems with games can start with any player from any social class. Gambling addiction to slot machines can quickly turn into an unhealthy obsession. Sports betting, poker, scratch cards, roulette – a problem can arise with any game. It can lead to job loss, family destruction and even crime. The player starts playing regardless of financial projections and consequences, even if he realizes that he cannot afford to lose. In this case, only gambling addiction treatment will help.

Gambling addiction is any life-destroying behavior. Many gambling addicts also suffer from substance abuse, depression, uncontrolled ADHD, anxiety, constant stress. It is important to be able to see the signs of gambling addiction in order to stop gambling addiction in a timely manner and prevent it from ruining your life.

Myths & Facts About Gambling Problems

For how to help someone with a gambling addiction, it is important to be able to separate myths from facts in gambling an addiction:

1. Addiction to gambling will develop if you play every day: not necessarily – it depends on the individual characteristics of the person.
2. Overcoming gambling addiction is not required if you have the means: financial problems with addiction are only one side of the coin. Addiction can lead to anxiety, stress, depression and even suicidal tendencies.
3. Addiction is the lot of weak-willed people: in fact, strong-willed and responsible people once before have problems with addiction just as often.
4. Blame the environment: problem players usually try to rationalize their behavior and blaming others is just a way of passing the problem onto them.
5. It is necessary to help with gambling addiction and give money to get the player out of debt: no, the problem with the addiction will remain.

Signs and symptoms of gambling addiction

Let’s look at gambling addiction signs, since they are often hidden and show little outwardly:

• there was a need to hide about his hobby for games, because there is a feeling that loved ones will not understand him;
• there are problems with control: you play until you spend all your money and are constantly trying to recoup;
• you do not play for your own money: to pay bills and loans, borrow from friends, sell things;
• your family members are worried and think you need to deal with gambling addiction.

If the following symptoms of gambling addiction appear: anxiety, mood swings, thoughts only about the game, then it’s time to beating gambling addiction.

It should be noted that the faster women gambling addiction can be traced especially clearly. In gambling addiction, women fall into it much faster than men due to the emotional characteristics of the body.

Games and alcohol

Gambling addiction symptoms increase much faster if the player combines the game with drinking alcoholic beverages. Not only the addiction itself develops faster, but alcohol also acts as a strong depressant.

Consequences of gambling addiction

If you read the gambling addiction forum and gambling addiction stories, you can be horrified what the cute habit of spending Friday evening at the slot machines can lead to. Successful people begin to steal and steal, borrow large amounts of money, stop paying mortgages and loans, sell everything, including dishes from their homes, lose their jobs, sink to the very bottom of life. Families collapse, life plans collapse. Severe and psychological effects of gambling addiction – mental illness can develop.

At the same time, gambling addiction statistics is disappointing – up to 20% of players encounter certain types of gambling addiction. It is good if at some point the person stops and agrees to treatment for gambling addiction. Let’s take a look at how to stop gambling addiction.

Self help

The first step to take is to tell yourself i have a gambling addiction. The best option then is to understand that the person is imperfect and you need to contact the specialists so that they explain how to deal with gambling addiction. You can do this anonymously, find a gambling addiction helpline, or get a gambling addiction counseling. There is even a free online help for gambling addiction. Don’t try to deal with the problem alone.

Analyze the causes of gambling addiction to try to solve problems in a different way. Try sports. There is a lot of research on sport gambling addiction. Try to spend time with friends more often, go on a trip, find a new hobby. Check out the self help books for gambling addiction for a lot of helpful tips.

Build your support network – ask family and close friends for help for gambling addiction. You may enjoy going to church. The parishioners usually help each other. Find new friends – join a sports team, dance, volunteer.

Find a support group. For example, gambling addiction help uk is provided by informal organizations in which a newcomer gets a mentor as a mentor, a former addict who has been in remission for a long time. He knows how to help someone with gambling addiction, since he himself went this way.

And of course, if you have depression, stress, anxiety, mood swings, or have facts of substance abuse, contact a specialist to help minimize the effects of gambling addiction. Often such problems do not go away after giving up gambling.

Risk factors and triggers

If you read gambling addiction stories uk, and this is the country where this problem is most strongly expressed, then you can see that it is not enough to give up gambling, you still need not to return to them. What problem points you need to erase from your life:

• limit contact with players;
• if you have stop casino programs in your country, register with them so that advertising of gambling will not catch your eye;
• give up control over your finances – entrust your credit cards to relatives;
• get yourself planning and try not to have free time;
• avoid seductive places – don’t go to restaurants with slot machines, nightclubs.

Free money, free time, reminders to play are your main enemies. Try so that at least for a year you do not encounter either one or the other, or the third. Although gambling addiction statistics uk shows that some players return to the game after several years of remission. If you cannot cope with yourself and keep returning to the game, contact the gambling addiction clinic.

Diagnostics

How do i know if i have a gambling addiction? Take this gambling addiction test:

• Are you betting more than you can afford?
• Do you need to place all the big bets in order to feel the pleasure?
• Have you tried to win back losses?
• Have you already borrowed money to play?
• Have you ever sold anything to get money?
• Has it already occurred to you that you have an addiction problem?
• Have you wondered if you have a problem with gambling?
• Have you felt stressed or anxious about gambling?
• Have you already been told that you need gambling addiction services?
• Do you have financial problems because of the games?
• Do you feel guilty about playing with your family?

Count the answers:

• 0 points for “never”;
• 1 point for “sometimes”;
• 2 points for “in most cases”;
• 3 points for “almost always”.

If the score is over 8, you are a problem player. You need to think seriously about how to beat gambling addiction.

Nonprofit Support Associations

Pay attention to the websites of organizations that help players. For example, on gambling addiction .gov or https://www.gamcare.org.uk, you will find a lot of advice and information for victims of gaming. There you can communicate with the same victims in chats, receive advice and emotional support, you can read gambling addiction stories horror, which the game leads to.

Treatment

In most cases, treatment includes step-by-step programs, self-help, medication, and peer support. No method by itself is considered effective, so a combination of the two is usually used. A widely used method is Gamblers Anonymous with a 12-step program. Cognitive behavioral therapy as well as gambling addiction hypnosis reduces symptoms.

Conclusion

So what is gambling addiction and how to overcome gambling addiction? It is a very common addictive disorder that leads to health problems, family problems, and suicide. The problem of how to beat a gambling addiction becomes more and more urgent every year. At the state level, gambling addiction prevention is carried out in many countries. Therefore, every lover of gambling, even if he just likes to turn the reels after work for half an hour, should be attentive to his addiction, since it is easier to deal with it at the very initial stage.