Topic: What contributes to a casual gambler becoming an addicted gambler? - page 4. (Read 881 times)

To escape from an aversive state of consciousness the individual is facing about himself.

That is, when reality is too harsh to be endured, the person needs to cope with this situation by escaping someway in order to find relief, which is usually found through activities which reward instant and temporary pleasure, such as alcohol, drugs and gambling. The effects are always intense and temporary, but seem enough to forget the problems and the self for a while... However, since it's not a definitive solution, the practice becomes an addiction which has to be repeated more intensely and in less time intervails, because the organism starts adapting itself to current dosages.

It's like when taking a medicine (which can be also used as escapism mechanism). You usually start with a low dosage, but it has to be constantly raised along the years in order to keep the treatment efficient for the individual.

When there is no caution to a casual gambler, they may never know that they need to be cautious and not gamble too much so they can keep their urge to gamble under control. Because there is no caution even from you who has more experience with gambling, and know that it is dangerous, it contributes to a casual gambler becoming addicted. As a more experienced gambler caution and warn the new gamblers who will listen to your warning.

It's just the typical sensation of what gambling gives to all gamblers, when someone is emotionally crazy about gambling, that leads to addiction. And even so that gambler tells the other people that he's just casually doing it.

But he knows what he actually does and it's more than the casualty of what he does. Not admitting that gambler is already addicted makes him even more addicted because he's in a denial process that many are falling apart.

There are the other gamblers that admit that they're already addicted and they want to seek help but they're shy to disclose that they're already one of them.

People approach the game for different reasons, some common like those mentioned by OP, but when it comes to the actual diagnosis, everyone has their own reasons.

The issue here lies in how each individual moves away from those circumstances and that is where you realize that you are a pathological patient or an individual who has a light at the end of the road and the one who has the light can even return and do things well, the other doesn't.

Unlike hard addictions like alcohol, drugs that create an irreversible neurological pattern in the individual who falls into the addiction, those who gamble and have problems can get out of that pit.

This issue is not about "I think" what... And then "I recommend" doing...

 Only those who are not prone to falling into addictions see the signs, this issue of how to deal with gambling addiction is like thinking that it is only affecting those who start gambling because they want to win more money.

E.g.:
Gambling addiction does not always have to do with the social or economic situation, addiction exists in the elite social classes, there are (ex) presidents are ( were) known to be addicted to alcohol, sex,  and! Oh, yes!  The  "strange" things as the bets.

Even all the patterns indicated in OP, are not or have to necessarily be an indicative rule of such thing is always so.

As I always say, pay for a consultation and then train your mind and body, it is like Everest, not only the fact that climbing with an oxygen cylinder is an indication that you are not going to die.

The fact that you don't see yourself on a "council" or list of priorities to fall means that you are "immune" to being addicted.

Consequently, pay for a consultation and get coaching that determines your ability to gamble and not die trying, or rather not become an addict.

They are always the best dollars you can spend, but people think they are healthy or fit to do certain everyday things, like gambling, but they really are.

Finally, on that OP's point, if you think you don't deserve to pay for a consultation with an expert to determine if you are likely to be an addict, I think those are signs that you are.

Not just in winnings, but also when they are losing, here is a scenario. I've read a story here in this section that his friend becomes addicted to gambling because he keeps on losing, and because of that, the sum of his losses is getting bigger. Because his friend wants to recover the losses and regrets that he wasted a huge amount of money, he keeps on playing until the friend avails of loans and is in debt.

This scenario shows that the only option for his friend is to keep on gambling because he has a regret of losing such money, more like it's too late to turn back, but the truth is he keeps on digging his hole deeper; he gets past the point where he can just accept the loss and get away from gambling. There are some cases where gamblers are against the well and resolve to gamble more, hoping to recover all the losses.

People generally addict to something when they want themselves to get distracted from one thing and we usually call it as escapism.

Let's assume someone who gamble responsibly for very long time in their life but recently they have been struggling in their life whether it's personal or financial issues or just not satisfied with current nature of living may see gambling as one because it's just give an immersive experience once someone gets deep into it and the money factor is the key of falling into addiction as well.

I want to add winning huge amounts of money and wanting to repeat the process of winning again, there are a lot of people who after winning think or believe that they can repeat the process, they become addicted to gambling from gambling casually, people who have gone through this are those who experienced winning at the earlier stage of their gambling.
These people believe that they are lucky in gambling and that they can repeat the process many times all they have to do is be consistent in playing, they are seeking formulas, methods, or patterns that will establish their winning ways.
These people are trapped by their beliefs and they are at high risk, they are not aware that in seeking that elusive formula they are losing a lot of money and spending a lot of time, neglecting their family and their job.

Exactly! One of the reasons why people continue to gamble is because they have experienced winning big here, so they expect that every time they win, it is possible that it will be higher compared to their first winning experience. People have a habit of not being satisfied with the things they get and often have high expectations, so the ending is that they don't know that their addiction to gambling has developed in them.

Gambling too often, using more money every time they gamble and not using time and money limits when gambling can cause them to become addicted to gambling. Not being able to manage the time between playing gambling and doing other activities can also turn a regular gambler into a gambler who is addicted to gambling. Maybe there are still more things that can make ordinary gamblers addicted to gambling because there are more reasons that people will use to gamble so that they will continue to gamble without stopping. That will only make them spend more time gambling so they forget about other things they could be doing.

It's weird but one reason why a casual gambler could become a gambling addict is winning itself, especially winning big or a jackpot. There are definitely a lot, and I myself am included, who have played over and over again and even too excited to play once again because they have experienced winning. They have tasted that sweet jackpot prize. And so they are too eager to bet more because they want to experience that intense feeling of winning once again, not to mention that big money. In the process, not only have they lost all their previous winnings, they even lost more.

But wouldn't greed in chasing big wins also be in the same context as chasing losses?
Gamblers will spend or spend more money from each bet with the aim of winning bigger, they increase the bet to win and get back the money they lost and they increase the bet to win bigger and have lot of profit.
These are the two conditions that actually make gamblers crazier in every decision they make because they only think about making money and getting profits, it is difficult to stop or change attitudes and thought patterns like this.
When gambler mind has been completely contaminated and blinded by great desire or strong ambition for achievement in gambling, they will do various things including spending more money and time.
But in the end, addiction is an attitude or problem that they get, this has long-term negative impact on their lives, not only in financial matters but also mentally and harmony in marriage and family.

There have been many cases caused by gambling addiction and we should learn from each of these cases, but basically humans have an attitude of just doing whatever they please.
In the end of the story, every gambler will only face various difficult problems and suffer destruction in any aspect, indeed the impact will not happen quickly but slowly with more certainty.

I think all the points you mentioned are all good and indeed all addicted gamblers start from the things you have mentioned, but from some of them maybe I am more interested in points number one and three, where the circumstances that are the main impetus for them to gamble with intentions such as making gambling as an alternative full-time income or lack of opportunities to earn income in real life are really a big reason and impetus.

Of course, a below average financial situation will usually make someone justify any means to be able to get money and gambling is no exception, they think that gambling can give them a lot of money or change their fate for the better, and I say that this is a typical gambler who does not have a true understanding of the world of gambling which is actually the possibility of risk is always unavoidable in gambling, This means that it is very possible for you to end up losing which can even come in streaks, and when you put your hopes on winning then obviously in the end when you lose then you will overdo it by putting larger amounts in gambling to chase something that has been lost which unconsciously in the end they are in the addiction phase.

We still deceive ourselves by saying we should gamble for fun why is a big lie, sincerely speaking about 80 percent of people who gamble gambles for to earn additional income or to increase their earning otherwise it would be hard before you seeing someone to gamble.
If earning is removed from gambling then we can have no one to gamble, the main reason why people become gambling addict was a reason for the additional earning from it.

No earnings no addictions.

All of these are correct and based on some of my research and my other posts, some gamblers just lose control all of the reasons are just excuses so they can continue to gamble or justify why they gamble, they are just hit by the dopamine effect and the sense of belonging and being alive, some people gamble for the sake of gambling whether they lose or they win.

I think this is one category that should be included, gambling for the sake of gambling, yes there are players like this and surprisingly they are the hardest ones to cure.

Having too much fun.
Gambling starts out as an activity for fun, then some gamblers make the error of not knowing when to have fun and not to, and also cautioning themselves that too much fun can be bad too. They have too much fun gambling that they do not realize when they slowly shift into the ranks of people considered as addicted. When a casual gambler does not know how to control the fun they derive from gambling, they can become addicted gamblers without thinking they are.

This is very rare for me. We must know that it's not a full-time source of money because we are risking way too much against the house.
This is real. Chasing losses could be a big problem for a gambler and it might lead to gambling addiction because of badly wanting his money back. And when he did successfully take it back, the gambler would want more which leads to greed that is also a source of addiction.
Hmmm. Never have I tried this yet. Sometimes I just play to earn a little bit, most of the time to just fill my ego that I can beat the house. But saying it can be an alternative income, it's just like the first one in this list.
Yes, this could happen. Just like those addicted with alcohol and smoke, they use their problems as an excuse on why they use it.
Yes. I think many will agree with this. The biggest dream of all when it comes to gambling. The jackpot shot. Well, it could happen but it takes a long time.
I do remember one player pouring rain in the chatroom of a popular gambling site. He got a good win of $1500 in slots but he did say that's the first after a long time of playing slots. He became a silver VIP before he hit it which means he already wagered so much before that jackpot came.
This requires a lot of capital because it's very rare for a newbie to make this happen.

I don't think I can add more to this. Loneliness is also part of the "Personal Problems". It's a nice thread OP. Thank you for the information. [/list]

I completely agree with this, I have read articles mentioning that a lot of gambling addiction comes from people using it as a coping mechanism for an already existing issue like(as you mentioned) personal and professional problems, alcoholism, drug use, etc... people who use gambling as a coping mechanism for their issues tend to lean on it so much that they never notice that they have become too dependent on it and has become addicted to it.

Thank you pakhitheboss for bringing this up.

I have come to the conclusion that loneliness could also be a predisposing factor leading to gambling addiction. Let me explain a little. A causal gambler who becomes lonely for whatever reason, say the divorce, loss of a spouse, loss of employment, accident that renders them incapacitated would gradually become a gambling addict if they intensify the frequency of their gambling as a way to deal/cope with they new status.

This is even worse for people who live in cultures where people are more independent that communal. In the later family and friends are there to provide the emotional and psychological support to cope but in independent cultures, the individual would have to go through it alone, leading to addiction if not controlled.

The main reason that made me a gambling addict was the win I experienced during my early stage of gambling. I was new to it, and I kept winning big money. I don't have any idea how to invest it or get involved in some business. What I did was continue to gamble, and at some point I lost what I won, and my mind wasn't ready to accept it. This is where I started to borrow money and spend it on gambling. This continued for a long time and ended in huge debt. At some point, I understood reality and made my way out of gambling.

Dreams, excuses blah blah blah.... Whatever makes anyone decide to stick to this shit - getting rid of boredom, chasing some papers - it brings the same outcome! Alright, if you got addicted to gambling as a result of tryna figure out how lucky you can possibly be - for the number of times , you've wagered, does it mean the urge would be way different? NO!!

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people have gotten into addiction in so many other creepy ways you'd ever wanna think of... I would still say "PEER INFLUENCE" has got another big role to play.

Sandra 🧑‍🦰