Gambling Addiction – What Are the Risk Factors for Gambling Addiction?

People can develop a gambling addiction for a variety of reasons, including genetics, social and family history, mental health problems, certain medications (including Parkinson’s disease drugs), and personality traits such as being competitive, restless or easily bored. It’s important to recognize the risk factors for gambling addiction so you can seek help and prevent it from affecting your life and relationships.

Gambling addiction treatment is often a process of change, which can be difficult for friends and family members to understand. They may feel tempted to lend money or even put their own assets at risk in order to help someone else, but this isn’t recommended and can backfire. It’s best to encourage the person you care about to contact a professional for an evaluation and support.

The first step in treating compulsive gambling is to avoid triggers. This could include taking an alternate route to and from work if your usual one passes casinos, changing the channel when watching sports or avoiding online casino websites. It’s also helpful to practice stress-reducing activities, like meditation, yoga and deep breathing exercises. Additionally, it’s essential to challenge negative thinking habits such as the gambler’s fallacy and the illusion of control.

Lastly, it’s important to re-establish trust in your relationships and find new ways to spend your free time. You can replace problem gambling with hobbies that are similar in nature or try something completely different, such as volunteering at a local animal shelter or taking a cooking class.