Gambling can be described as intrinsic to humanity. The reason is that people have been fascinated with it since history remembers. If you are not sure about the truth behind this claim, you should take a look at the vase from ancient Greece that depicts Ajax and Achilles playing a gambling game. But you don’t need to go that far. Just take a look at the world around you and you will see the civilization’s fascination with gambling.
Furthermore, there are a lot of different Hollywood movies that show us Las Vegas, casinos, and the whole vibe that surrounds them.
Just think about movies like “Bugsy” or “Casino” and you will see what we are talking about. At the same time, it doesn’t matter what’s the perspective of the movie, you will understand why the atmosphere is associated with real-life gambling. Nowadays, we have online casinos, so, we don’t need to leave our homes to play these games. If you are interested in taking a look at one of these, be sure to check out the PlayAmo Casino app.
When talking about these perspectives, we are talking about two main approaches. The first one is a classic gambling storyline where you have a character playing against other players. The second, and more interesting one if you ask us, is that whole mind-game approach to gambling, mainly the adrenaline rush. We can say, with the utmost assurance that this is probably the most interesting thing to study when it comes to the gambler.
It should be said that this is one of the least understood forms of psychological dependency. There are so many uncertainties people, even experts, have about it. Moreover, we know what are the consequences, and they are not good at all. Just think about losing everything you have just for the “high-effect” you would get. Maybe you don’t know, but that “high-effect” is the most important thing in gambling. Truth is said, this is what hooks most people. Let’s talk about it.
The “High-Effect”
You will certainly agree that nobody likes to lose, right? It’s needless to say that pathological gamblers have the same opinion about that. However, it looks like it doesn’t matter to them if they are going to win or lose. They will keep on betting and playing cards, no matter what’s the end score. We mean, if you faced a really bad streak and you are about to lose all you have with you, why you should choose to spin the wheel once again? We’ve mentioned the term “high-effect”.
Naturally, this is not the best term that can describe this state, and we are not sure if any term can do it right, but it manages it to a certain degree. At the same time, we can see that this effect is the only reason people are gambling. For example, try to remember how many times you’ve seen a rich person playing at a poker table. Does he need his prize money so much? No, he doesn’t. He’s playing just for the high. There’s absolutely nothing that can be said to describe this state in the best possible way.
However, the best description we’ve heard so far is the adrenaline rush, and we can agree with it. This is the moment when the play shuts down all the things that surround him and focuses solely on the game. Even though many people could mistake this state for an increased focus, it should be said that it’s not what they think, it’s different from it. Just ask some gambler you know, and we are absolutely sure that you will receive this as an answer.
Are there any Symptoms of Gambling Addiction?
Many people are not aware of the fact that gambling addiction can manifest itself in a couple of symptoms that can be equally terrifying as any other addiction that comes to your mind. Naturally, one of the most visible ones is mood swings. Compare it with the adrenaline rush we’ve mentioned earlier, and you have a bomb that’s ticking. Furthermore, it can have a pretty damaging effect on gambler’s ability to have a healthy social interaction.
Plus, you can see that gambling addiction can influence boosting criminal behavior among people. Just think about the fact that you’ve lost some amount of money and you need to make it up, otherwise you are doomed for some reason. What’s the easiest thing you can do? Naturally, performing a criminal act takes much less time than any other that comes to our mind. Therefore, you need to be sure that there are a couple of different symptoms of gambling addiction and some of them can be pretty severe.
The Social Aspect of Gambling
We can see that there are children and young people who are exposed to gambling in their homes. Surely, you’ve witnessed a card of games your parents played with their friends at least once during your childhood. We are aware of the fact that these games can have a bonding effect on the people who participate in them. However, that doesn’t change the fact that exposing children to these games is not dangerous.
Everybody knows that children like to imitate their parents whenever they have a chance, right? Well, just think about how influential this image is to them and how will they practice gambling later in their life. We are not saying that every child who’s set an eye on a couple of cards will become a gambler, but the influence is a real thing that we don’t understand as much as we should.
When it comes to the social aspect of gambling, it should be said that this is one of the most important ones. Furthermore, it has a lot of influence over the “high-effect”. Just think about a group of people who participate in the same game and just think about how much influence it would have on someone who just observes them. This is one of the most interesting things you can see as a psychiatrist, we are sure of that.
