Most people think that people suffering from gambling problems have an addiction to money. Maybe they are just greedy right? Wrong, compulsive gambling has very little to do with money as most people think. Compulsive gambling is about a feeling that gambling produces for the individual.
Just like any other addiction, a compulsive gambler feels a ‘rush’ or ‘high’ when they have a win. The high that they feel creates a rush of good feelings in their brain that makes them feel great! They feel on top of the world, and life could not be any better. But that high does not last; the feeling only lasts as long as the win, maybe a few seconds, maybe a few days. Either way, the addict will crash again, and feel lower than before, leading them to seek out the next win. This is often called chasing the win.
The addict craves the feeling that is produced when they win, the rush of endorphins that makes them feel great. However, this is not a real feeling; gambling cannot create feel good endorphins in the brain. It can only mimic the feeling, which will lead the individual into a cycle of gambling addiction that will only worsen over time.
Of course, the compulsive gambler enjoys the wins because of the monetary benefit as well .However, the money will not last long, typically a gambling addict is drowning in debt and often has to resort to borrowing or stealing, and often selling possessions to pay the bills or find the next bit of money to gamble with.
Like any addiction, gamblers need their ‘fix’ they need to feel good and to create that feeling. And often they will need to resort to measures that they never would have in order to find the means to that end. 65% of compulsive gamblers will spend time in jail for committing a crime. Why? Because like other addicts, gamblers become desperate to feed their addiction and often resort to illegal activities to accomplish this.
Compulsive gambling needs to be treated like other addictions. Cocaine, alcohol, heroin, are all the same as compulsive gambling. All of these addicts need help to break free from their addictions, they cannot just walk away and quit. Addiction lies much deeper than that.