Ep 6 - Why is Gambling Addictive?
An essential step in taking back control of gambling is to take a step back and learn about the cycle of addiction . Do it now by clicking on the green play button above.
Hear from two people with real expertise - someone who overcame an eight-year gambling problem and a counsellor who has worked in the field of addictions for more than twnety five years.
If you would like to check out other episodes of our podcast, Fold em: Help for Gamblng Problems, click on the red button below. Be sure to subscribe and then you won’t miss out on the latest show.
Why is gambling addictive?
Learning about the cycle of problem gambling is an important step in answering this question and moving forward
With gambling problems, it can feel like you are constantly negotiating with yourself. Maybe thoughts like these seem familiar:
“I’ll gamble today, but only spend this much”
“I’ll only gambling until I win back what I’ve lost”
“I haven’t bet for 3 months, so clearly I can control gambling”
However, once gambling starts all these promises go out the window and it’s devastating to find yourself having lost time, money, and trust in yourself.
In this episode of Fold em: Help for Gambling Problems, we hear from Calvin, who lived with a gambling problem for 8 years and has stayed away for more than 2. He tells us that learning about addiction helped him to regain control. Stopping gambling requires more than just saying you will stop because your brain, thoughts and behaviours get wired into acting automatically. Calvin was able to slow down this process when he started using strategies that are effective with gambling problems, such as putting blocks between you and the next bet, opening up to others, and facing financial issues.
What is the Cycle of Problem Gambling?
Heidi Furrer, who is a counsellor specializing in addiction, talks in this episode of about the cycle of problem gambling. The cycle refers to the way that gambling progressively changes from being a positive, exciting experience to one dominated by stress and problems. And, it isn’t a simple process to pull yourself out. Most people who are struggling with gambling problems are struggling to regain control, but not able to do so.
The cycle of addiction explains why gambling can be so hard to control. We think it is easy to say no to gambling or walk away after a win, but changes in your thinking and brain chemistry make it very hard to resist and interrupt. The cycle happens like this:
Triggers: something happens that sparks off thoughts of gambling. Triggers could be thoughts, feelings or situations, e.g. pay day, feeling happy, or seeing an ad on TV for online gambling
Cravings: when we experience a trigger and think of gambling our brain associates this with certain feelings, e.g. excitement or relief, and chemicals are released in our brain that increases the pull to gamble. These changes in our brain and body are powerful and called cravings.
Planning and Justifying Thoughts: in response to cravings, you will naturally start planning how to gamble, e.g. how to get money for it or how to hide it from others. On one level, you may know this is not the right course of action, so the addiction helps us to justify it, e.g. “this will be the last time I gamble” or “I’m so stressed out I need a break.”
Gambling: as a result of the changes in your thinking and brain chemistry, people often report feeling like they are in another world when they are gambling, disconnected from the realities and consequences of their play. The game design and gaming environment can also contribute to it being hard to step back.
Impact: what goes up, must come down. With addicted gambling, whether it ends in a win or a lose, there is an emotional drop after gambling. Perhaps it is anger about more financial loss, shame about letting yourself down, and embarrassment of hiding it. For a time, you may step back from gambling, but over time these feelings and problems make you vulnerable for getting pulled back into the cycle the next time there is a trigger.
The hopeful part of recovery, as Calvin and Heidi tell us, it that by recognizing triggers and different parts of the cycle you can do something to interrupt it. To hear Calvin’s story of overcoming a gambling addiction and learn more about the cycle of problem gambling, listen now to episode six of Fold em. Tune in by clicking on the green “play” button at the top of this blog. If you prefer to tune in on Apple or Google Podcasts, click on the red button below. Check out all the other episodes and subscribe to the show while you are there!
Fold em is podcast hosted by Adrienne Cossom and her colleagues at Gambling Support BC. Whether you are looking at stopping or scaling back your own gambling or supporting a family member with a problem, this podcast will help you take back control. Hear from gamblers who have been through it and get tips from counsellors.
If you live in British Columbia and would like to connect with Heidi or Adrienne for free, confidential help with gambling concerns, click on the red “Contact Heidi and Adrienne” button below.
To learn more about gambling concerns and how to access resources and support, go to the home page of this website OR click on the red “Learn More” button below.