Betting a lot becomes addiction

According to estimates of the Center for Attention of Ludopatía and Integral Growth (CALCI), in Mexico there are around half a million people who are compulsive players . However, the figure skyrockets to four million if we take into account all those who have ever fallen into this situation. The problem is that few know that addiction to gambling and betting, known as pathological gambling is considered by the World Health Organization as a metal disorder.

Fortunately, there are medical treatments, and even the Ministry of the Interior, through the National Council of Addictions (CONADIC) aims to create a Care Center for the Protection of People Vulnerable to the Game. In Mexico, gambling addiction is not a public health problem, but in others it is already, as is the case in the United States, where 2.5 million people are pathological punters , 3 million problematic gamblers and 15 million are in risk to develop pathological gambling.

How does gambling develop?

Men and women of any age and socio-economic condition can be gamblers. Generally, this addiction goes hand in hand with the depression, the drink alcohol and consume drug . Experts from the North American Academy of Family Physicians consider that the pathological gamble is a urgent need to play and not being able to hold back. The player has a compulsion to bet increasing amounts to look for the desired emotion, a kind of excitement that he feels when he wins and lose money .

The experiences and the personality type of the individual also play a very important role. Gambling addicts can not control their gambling impulses; they end up losing a lot of money and end up having problems with finances . Betting generally causes problems at work, at school or in your personal relationships. However, despite these problems a pathological gambler will continue to bet.

Treatments for a gambler

For Carlos del Moral Ehlers, expert in gambling and president of CALCI, it is a difficult problem to detect because it does not present symptom physical, but the consequences can be devastating for the person and their family members. "Gamblers are people who can not stop. They are finished money and they go to their house for more or they borrow. They get cash in any way. So, even, they come to be made of legal issues for theft or falsification, "he says.

The causes can also be emotional because "the player enters a vicious circle from which he can not leave. Play, win, lose. If someone falls into the game, it's because they do not live at ease, they have existential vacuums, "says Moral. The pathological gamble can be difficult to treat since a person who suffers it hardly recognizes its addiction.

The first thing is to admit that you have a problem sharing it with family and friends. Second, go to the various help groups that exist, such as CALCI, where they can receive Professional Help . According to del Moral, the treatment has an approximate duration of up to one year to prevent them from relapsing. Treatment for pathological gamblers can also include therapies for depression or substance abuse , if required.


Video Medicine: Inside the brain of a gambling addict - BBC News (March 2024).