Addictive A gambling addiction usually comes in three phases

Look for help early: gambling addiction often comes to a head
As with other addictions, people with gambling addiction initially believe they have everything under control. But the occasional fun is often very fast to fatal. Affected people should seek help early.

Half a million citizens affected by gambling addiction
More and more people are creating the great addictiveness of gambling. According to an earlier study on pathological gambling and epidemiology (PAGE), around 500,000 people in Germany are affected by gambling addiction. Tens of thousands of people are at risk. According to experts, sufferers can often be helped by therapy with psychotherapeutic discussions and group work. However, healing can not be talked about because gambling addiction is a chronic disease.

Gambling addiction is becoming a problem for more and more Germans.
Around half a million Germans are said to be affected. Experts advise those affected to seek help early. (Image: Gina Sanders / fotolia.com)

Seek help as soon as possible
When people are attracted to gambling, they should seek help as quickly as possible. If the attraction has already become an addiction, it is extremely difficult to give up playing again. This was announced by the Swiss Society for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy (SGPP). According to the specialist portal "www.psychiater-im-netz.org" Olivier Simon, on behalf of the SGPP: "Serious hints for addictive behavior are when people are very much concerned with gambling - so relive past gaming experiences in thoughts, plan the next gambling and other activities and social relationships in favor of playing in the background . "

Avoiding seduction from the start
"These people should always get help early, for example, by visiting a counseling center for gambling addiction. Affected or their relatives can get information there and if necessary take advantage of professional help, "said the expert. A first step could be to avoid seduction from the start. For example, players can opt out of casinos. Also, a limitation on funds - for example, by access restrictions to accounts or the bank card - can be envisaged. In addition, as mentioned above, psychotherapeutic measures are available to identify, for example, the triggers for the behavior and to help those affected to acquire a different way of dealing with these situations.

Gambling addiction develops in three phases
According to the so-called International Classification of Diseases (WHO) - called ICD - "pathological gambling" is defined as F63.0. This coding belongs to the impulse disturbances. Although the respective urgent acts are consciously experienced, they are very difficult to prevent on their own initiative. In general, gambling addiction develops in three phases: First, players usually limit their activities to free time and compensate for losses. However, at the same time the knowledge about the game and the willingness to take risks increase. In the subsequent loss phase increases the game intensity, the players then need higher profits to compensate for habituation effects. There are often first family and financial problems. In the third phase ("Despair phase") is according to Dr. Simon "virtually no control is possible and gambling has become the center of life". (Ad)