Is Internet Gambling an Addiction?
Is Internet Gambling an Addiction?
Gambling is basically the act of betting something of equal value on an event with the intention of winning something else with the same chances. This act may be motivated by chance or may be motivated by other factors such as appreciation, psychology, or luck. Gambling thus involves three components for it to occur: risk, consideration, and a prize.
Like many addictions, there are both psychological and physical components that make gambling addiction hard to treat. One of the psychological aspects that makes gambling addiction difficult to treat is called the Habit Pattern. This is a pattern in the repeated behavior that gambling addicts exhibit. The habit pattern includes repeated unsuccessful attempts at self-control and the associated losses. These losses, especially in the case of online gambling addictions, add to the emotional trauma as well as the financial losses incurred by the gambler. The Habit Pattern in itself can be a strong incentive for the person to continue engaging in gambling.
The next factor is related to the difficulty of the recovery or cures for gambling. In cases of internet gambling where there is no physical presence of another person the chances of recovery are reduced to near zero. As a result, there is a high risk involved with recovering from an internet gambling addiction. Recovery becomes more difficult as there are no real world mirrors that can be used to assess whether one’s judgment and skill have regressed. As a result, many people with internet gambling addictions find it hard to believe that they have reached a point in which they can recover. As a result, the recovery process becomes more difficult.
The last factor is related to the lack of skill in the recovery process. People suffering from internet gambling addictions have no skill in their ability to manage their betting or the ability to control their betting when they are not playing gambling games. Most often than not, they do not even understand why they are not playing the games. For this reason, it is very difficult for them to recover from a gambling addiction. There are also chances that they will over-spend and land up in debt as a result.
Internet gambling addictions are higher risk than other addictions because of the fact that you can gamble without leaving your house. This makes it difficult for the person to recover from the addiction. The reason for this is that there is no one to look after your needs when you are not around. Therefore, you tend to neglect your needs and the emotional and financial pressure it causes. The result is that you end up making poor choices when you do not have someone looking after your needs and directing you. As a result, your risk-taking behavior increases and this leads to greater risk for yourself and your money.
Internet gambling addictions are serious problems and they should not be left untreated. You should try to get help from professionals. They will be able to get to the root of the problem and treat the condition through counselling and support. If you are still gambling even after following all the treatment plans, then it is time to seek professional help. Addiction is treatable, but only if you take the first step and seek help from professionals.