How is the psychological treatment of compulsive gambling and compulsive gambling?

Although the word "game" is usually associated with pleasant experiences and, in general, with the world of leisure, the truth is that this type of experience can be linked to health problems mental. We have a clear example of this in cases of gambling and compulsive gambling, which lead the person to feel an irresistible need to participate in certain games.

Fortunately, there are currently effective therapeutic resources to solve these alterations, as long as the person seeks professional help. To better understand what they consist of, in this article We will talk about how is the psychological treatment of compulsive gambling and compulsive gambling.

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What are pathological gambling and compulsive gambling?

Pathological gambling, also known as compulsive gambling, is a psychological disorder belonging to the category of addictions. behavioral problems, and which is characterized by an irrepressible need to participate in games of chance very frequently, suffering an intense discomfort if it is not satiated as soon as possible, and that gives rise to a feeling of loss of control over one's own Actions.

By your side, the concept of “compulsive gambling” is much less defined and, in fact, technically it is not defined as a psychopathology, something that does happen with pathological gambling, as we have seen. Due to this ambiguity, this term can be used in three different ways.

In the first place, sometimes people talk about compulsive gambling using this denomination to use it as if it were It was a synonym for pathological gambling, although this is inaccurate and not recommended to avoid confusions. The reason why this term is sometimes preferred may be that “compulsive gambling” may be easier to understand when referring to problems controlling one's own behavior, while the word "pathological" is more abstract and generic.

Second, you can refer to a possible behavioral addiction not to gambling, but to video games. However, currently there is still debate about whether technically this type of alteration is part of the category of addictions or, instead, it should be part of another, such as impulse control disorders (which previously contained the compulsive gambling)

And third, the term "compulsive gambling" can be used to refer to various psychological problems that do not fit any specific diagnostic category, but that meet characteristics in common: they harm the person's quality of life, and are based on a series of problems to contain the desire to participate in games. It must be taken into account that even if they are not clearly described in diagnostic manuals, behavior patterns that cause discomfort are a more than justified reason to take it seriously and go to therapy.

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The functioning of the psychological treatment of compulsive gambling and compulsive gambling

Although, as we have seen, these two concepts overlap only in part, in practice, both types of alterations Psychological disorders have many characteristics in common, especially with regard to problems controlling what they do. we make. That is why, although therapy is, by definition, a personalized process adapted to the particularities and needs of each patient and their context, it can be said that there are a series of functions that take place when attending in psychotherapy to patients who have developed this kind of alterations.

Taking this into account, here you will find a summary of the pillars on which psychotherapeutic intervention is based in cases of pathological gambling or compulsive gambling.

1. Identification of triggers

After exploring each particular case, therapists help patients suffering from these kinds of problems to identify those internal psychological processes that usually precede the appearance of the need to play immediately. In this way, the chain of events that leads to relapses is stopped “in its tracks”, such as the excuses that these people make for themselves (to justify the relapse).

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2. Training in relaxation techniques

The discomfort generated by not giving in to the desire to play usually leads to a relatively rapid rise in levels of anxiety and stress; Fortunately, there are relaxation techniques that help mitigate this phenomenon and restore, in part, the level of activation of the person's nervous system. Besides, some of them are relatively easy to apply and can be done in a few minutes.

3. group therapy

Group therapy is a modality of psychotherapy that is very useful in patients suffering from addictions. These sessions in which several people with similar problems participate generate a context in which mutual motivation among its members is enhanced, the expression and understanding of what causes them discomfort, and the possibility of creating networks of support and example in which it is easy to feel heard and take into account what others do referents.

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4. Training in exposure to game situations

In order to prepare the person not to constantly relapse into the gaming sessions towards which they have developed a dependency, Helps you anticipate the kinds of situations in which temptation can arise and manage the feelings that it gives you generate.

5. Development of habits linked to other sources of gratification

Another very important part of the therapy consists not in combating the desire to constantly fall into the game, but in engaging in other behavior patterns that are not unhealthy and that allow attention to be “unhooked” from those routines linked to dependency. For this reason, patients are helped to manage their time and to include rewarding and motivating activities adapted to their interests in their schedule.

6. Cooperation and communication with family members

Wherever possible, family members are helped to understand what is happening during the healing process. therapy and to do their part to help the patient in those situations in which the therapist is not present.

Do you want to start a treatment to overcome compulsive gambling or compulsive gambling?

If you are looking for professional help to face and overcome these mental health problems, get in touch with our team.

In Liberadict Therapeutic Center we specialize in intervening in addictions with or without substance use, and we work with the most effective therapeutic strategies backed by scientific research. We can help you both from periodic therapy sessions and from residential treatment at our facilities. You will find us in our center located in Seville.