The 7 types of gambling (causes, symptoms and treatment)

Although addictions are a serious problem, not all of them present themselves in the same way. There are clear differences at the organic level if you are addicted to a substance, such as nicotine or cocaine, than if it is a certain behavior, such as shopping or gambling.

And it is that the addiction to the game, also called gamblingIt is a problem that can manifest itself in a subtle way, either because society does not have sufficient sensitivity to the problem or because at the popular level there is a wrong idea.

Although talking about specific types of gambling is somewhat complicated, it is possible to talk about types of players and what are the risks of them suffering from the disorder, and in this article we are going to focus on it.

• Recommended article: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

What is meant by pathological gambling?

Pathological gambling, also known as compulsive gambling, it is an impulse control disorder, making the sufferer feel a great desire to gamble on games of chance

, without being able to control himself. The stakes, which can become very large, cause the person to run into financial trouble, asking for loans that he can hardly ever repay.

Gambling becomes addictive behavior, in a similar way to the consumption of tobacco, alcohol or hypercaloric food. Addiction drives pathological gamblers out of control, completely losing the ability to end the behavior.

In the long run, people who are part of the immediate environment of the affected person realize the problem, and they are usually the ones who pressure them to seek help and stop losing money. Given this, the most frequent is that the player with gambling denies that he has a problem, saying that it is just a bad streak and that, eventually, you will get to earn what you need to pay what should.

Types of problem gambling (and their symptoms)

As with all psychological disorders, there are as many types of problem gambling as there are types of people, presenting symptoms closely related to the individual's own personality characteristics. However, it is true that there are profiles of players who are more likely to suffer from this impulse control disorder compared to others.

Then, We will see all the types of players that exist, what is their risk of suffering from gambling and, especially, what is the specific profile of the one considered a pathological player academically speaking.

1. Professional player

This type of player is characterized by making the game something that is part of his life, as if it were a profession. In one way or another, they have developed effective strategies to make a profit in gambling.

The professional gamer is a person who has a high tolerance for frustration, patience, intelligence, and self-control. He acts very well thought out to make sure they don't spoil your profits.

Although the game is something very common in his life, this player profile does not usually have characteristics of a A gambler, given that people who suffer from an addiction tend to act impulsively and not very rationally.

2. Casual social gamer

He is the one who dedicates time to a game of chance in a very punctual way, simply to entertain himself by being with other people, while enjoying the activity.

This type of person would correspond to the one who wants to spend the afternoon playing poker with the friends from work, or play slots for a while while he waits for what he ordered in the bar.

It is played to hang out, relieve stress and socialize, not for high winnings.

The most notable characteristics of this player profile are that their self-esteem is not influenced by the result of gambling, considers other aspects of life as much more important and gains and losses are usually moderate.

3. Serious social gamer

Unlike the previous gamer profile, the serious social gamer spends several hours playing the game not as entertainment, but rather as a mechanism to cope with day-to-day problems and the stress they generate.

The serious social player invests a large sum of money and much of his free time in games of chance, which can lead to problems at the family, social and work level.

Although this profile is not considered pathological in itself, it is liable to evolve into a true gambling addiction.

4. Player with escape-relief strategy

In most cases, addictions arise as an ineffective mechanism to cope with emotional problems or fill a sentimental void.

Players with a escape-relief strategy use the game in a similar way to how social players do. serious, but with the particularity that gambling is the only mechanism they know to deal with depression, anxiety and stress.

This type of profile, which acts impulsively, is characterized by having a tendency to win practically never. This is because when they play they are in an emotional state too intense to be able to think rationally.

Their judgment and decision-making capacity is greatly impaired by the high emotionality they are experiencing, tending to gamble large amounts and without thinking about the possible consequences.

Losing a lot of money is something that, in the long run, contributes to negative emotions, especially stress and depression. So this profile is the type that can evolve into a gambling addiction.

5. Conservative player

This profile is somewhat peculiar because, Although there is a risk that it will degenerate into a problematic situation, the truth is that in the case of the conservative player, they will play more for the experience than for winning money.

Whether out of curiosity or simply wanting to feel the excitement that they can win something, these players step into the world of gambling simply to see what happens.

Actually, it is very rare that a person with this profile ends up being a manual gambler.

6. Antisocial gamer

The antisocial gamer receives this name for the fact of entering illegal terrain, such as gambling, trick dice, cockfighting, or any other crime-related event.

The antisocial player has the clear intention of winning, in any case, a large amount of money, although for this you have to harm third parties, lying, cheating, stealing or injuring others the rest.

Although their relationship with gambling does not have to be pathological per se, the antisocial gamer may manifest personality traits and other vital aspects that require treatment in therapy psychological.

7. Compulsive gambler

Compulsive gamblers put their whole lives aside and are controlled by gambling and the urge to win money. It is the clearest profile of a person with compulsive gambling, or, in case that is not the case yet, they have an enormous risk of developing it.

Many of them will not want to admit that gambling has ended up controlling them, this being a first sign that they are facing a true addiction to gambling.

In addition to spending too much time playing the game, those who are aware of the problem may try to quit on their own, without success. They also consider a limit of money not to exceed, but they almost never respect it and end up exceeding it.

They get carried away by emotions and, whether faced with a loss or a gain, the desire to continue playing increases.

Despite the financial problems of losing large amounts of money, in addition to family tensions and interference in working life, the behavior is not stopped.

They constantly live in the gambler's fallacy, a superstitious thought, believing that all losses that have occurred increase the chances of winning in the next game or play.

Bibliographic references:

• American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Black, D.; Shaw, M. (2008). Psychiatric Comorbidity Associated With Pathological Gambling. Psychiatric Times. 25 (12).