Gambling, whether it be the lottery, cards, casino games, bingo, slot machines https://casinorewier.com/400-deposit-bonus/, internet poker, or sports betting, is now more acceptable and accessible than ever before. One can easily find them. For most people, gambling is a recreational (recovering) activity. But for a significant minority, gambling addiction leads to serious problems. Social facilitation as an effect of influence does not appear.
What we know about mental health
The definition of mental health, according to the WHO Charter, is the state of mind in which an individual can reach his or her potential, cope with stressful situations, work productively, and make useful contributions to social life. Like physical health, mental health needs to be taken care of and thought about to maintain activity and mental clarity. That’s what other sources think about it, take a look: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-50828086
Health benefits and damages of gambling
The benefits of gambling:
- Stress Relief. Surprisingly, gambling can help you relax after a hard day’s work. During the game, the body releases the hormone of joy – endorphin, which leads to an increase in mood, and an influx of vitality. For a person accustomed to monotonous activity, the game may be almost the only way to replenish the adrenaline supply, while for a worker whose profession is in some way connected with risk, it is a great way to distract from stress and anxiety. It is also effective for the prevention of neurotic and depressive disorders.
- Treatment of other addictions. This practice should only be done under the supervision of a specialist. The point of it is to shift the person’s attention from alcohol or drugs to the game while preventing serious abuse. The implication is that despite the harm that gambling addiction can cause, the harm of drug and alcohol addiction is much more detrimental to the patient’s health.
The main consequences of gambling addiction consist of material, social, and psychological problems:
- Material problems. Needless to say, what a financial disaster gambling addiction can lead to. Often, even a complete bankruptcy can not stop a gambler. Then a person can get into exorbitant debts or even commit a crime, to obtain funds for the game.
- Social problems. The process of playing immerses the gambler in another world, a world of excitement, euphoria, and fantasies of his success. As the addiction develops, the player becomes more and more self-absorbed and more distant from the reality around him. The consequence of this is social isolation – estrangement from family, friends, and society in general. By the way, the rupture of relationships with loved ones and the accompanying emotions, prompt again to forget themselves in gambling. Such a vicious circle.
- Psychological problems. The main psychological problem of gambling addiction is the escape from reality. At the same time, it is the goal of the gamer himself. Many of us are not happy with the world around us. Some don’t like the business they do, some hate the people around them, etc. Most of us more or less successfully cope with our problems, the addict just finds a place where he can forget about them for a while.
The addict is also constantly haunted by feelings of guilt and shame about their addiction. Consequences of gambling addiction can manifest themselves at the physical level. There are various psychosomatic symptoms, such as headaches, stomach ulcers, strokes and heart attacks, etc.
Gambling helps to increase your focus and brain activity: true or false?
For the most part, of course, it could be said to be true. Because, according to scientific research, gambling is considered to be one of the main benefits the opportunity to improve your level of logical thinking and ability to concentrate, good memory training, and the ability to make decisions. During the game, there is a sudden surge of hormones, which perfectly stimulates brain activity. This option is great for students and the elderly who suffer from absent-mindedness, as well as for people whose activities require increased concentration.
Who is most likely to have a problem with gambling?
Unfortunately, not everyone can benefit from gambling, even in moderation. This category of people includes:
- People who see gambling primarily for monetary gain. For people hoping for quick and easy money games are contraindicated. The chances of winning for an inexperienced player are low and trying to win a large sum of money, a person can lose their wealth and social status.
- People in serious stressful situations. It is no secret that slot machines can be a kind of antidepressant, but a person who is in long-term depression, can not control his state and takes rash actions, which is not a positive thing in a game world.
- Children and teenagers. The psyche of under-aged people is not formed enough and therefore, gaming addiction can have the most negative impact on the formation of the future personality, contributing to the emergence of wrong values.
How to keep your gambling moderate and avoid stress
To keep your mental health in balance while gambling, use the following tips:
Plan ahead
Experienced players know that planning is a sure way to gambling success. Without proper planning, you could visit a casino or 300 welcome bonus casino with a $1,000 bankroll and come away with nothing. With that in mind, make sure you play at a certain time to avoid clashing between your leisure time and social or professional life.
Remind yourself that gambling is a sport
Look around the casinos and ask anyone who gambles for a living. Probably just the pit boss! In other words, few players make a living from gambling. If you aren’t lucky enough to win the $1 million jackpot, treat gambling as entertainment.
Remember that online casinos and land-based casinos have a mathematical advantage. And, as usual, beating the casino advantage is no easy task. So play for fun and run away once you’ve won something. It’s the only proven way to beat the casino advantage.
Set time limits
Too much time gambling without breaks can have disastrous consequences. But in your defense, gambling can be so addictive that you forget to take regular breaks to cool down and rethink your strategy.
In doing so, however, you risk your bankroll because you will be spending a lot at the table. This can also make you a victim of gambling addiction. So control how much time you gamble. It is best to play in your free time.
Avoid unnecessary alcoholic beverages
As said before, gambling is supposed to be fun. So having a drink or two during gaming sessions is fine. But going overboard with booze and cigarettes is risking your gambling health. As you already know, consuming large amounts of these recreational products can be harmful.
Сonclusion
To summarize, the conclusion is that in some cases, gambling can not only harm but also benefit, if a player has a sufficient level of control and self-awareness and does not allow himself too much passion and go too far – with this approach, any initial case can bring benefit.
