We live in a very tech-savvy world, and computers are at the center of just about everything we do. For those who enjoy playing computer games, but who also struggle with gambling abuse, they often wonder if computer games can promote a gambling addiction.
First of all, we feel that it’s important to talk about the difference between abuse and addiction when it comes to gambling because the two are very different. Gambling abuse refers to the action of gambling on a semi-regular basis, but someone who is just abusing gambling doesn’t feel a compulsion to gamble. That person might feel a slight urge to participate in gambling, but it’s not something that’s controlling their lives. The addiction occurs when a compulsion to gamble is present and when nothing is as important to that person as gambling. The high they experience is something they crave on a regular basis and it’s what leads them to go back to gambling over and over again, taking risks that are bigger and sometimes more dangerous.
Computer games can produce the same euphoric feelings that gambling produces, but before we get into what those feelings and experiences are, let’s talk a little bit about gambling treatment.
Gambling Addiction Treatment
If you’re addicted to gambling, you’re obsessed with the compulsion to gamble at any cost. You might gamble away your rent money every month, or you may even use your food budget to gamble. You find that you’re spending more and more time participating with gambling in one form or another; whether that means spending hours sitting in a casino or constantly visiting the local convenient store to buy scratch-off tickets in hopes of hitting the jackpot.
When you get gambling addiction help, you begin with a commitment to abstain from gambling in an effort to break the cycle of addiction that occurs. Once you make that commitment, gambling addiction counselling will offer you the support you need to understand where your addiction comes from so that you can overcome it. Many people attempt to stop gambling without the proper therapeutic support, and sadly, many of those people fail.
What about Computer Games?
Whenever you play a computer game, whether it’s a gambling computer game or not, you’re stimulating those potentially addictive centers of your brain. Many people believe they have broken free from addiction only to turn their attention to computer games instead. The problem is that because those same areas of the brain are being stimulated, a lot of them eventually turn back to gambling. Computer addiction is a real affliction in and of itself, which is why many professionals who specialize in gambling addiction help advise addicts to steer clear of them; even the ones that don’t involve gambling.
Once you are a recovering addict, it’s important to protect your quit as much as you can. Instead of choosing to participate in activities that can (even subconsciously) promote your tendency to gamble, choose activities that are completely different instead. Spend time with your family, read books and go for walks. There are a host of things you can do to help change your life around, although getting gambling addiction help is a very important first step.
If you’re struggling with a gambling addiction, help is available for you. Perhaps you’ve tried to quit on your own and you’ve found yourself to be unsuccessful. Together, we can work on a plan to help move you past that first stage of abstinence and you go down the road toward recovery. Contact me to set up your consultation.
