Can Conditioned Response Cure Gambling Addiction

[seoincorporation]

This is a nice topic, i used to say in the past "People don't quit vices, they substitute em" and that can apply to gambling. So, how can we substitute gambling, that's the question here. And i know it will sound weird, but we can substitute gambling with a job, and that's because that way we learn how hard is to earn money, and losing it in some clicks feels terrible after working all week. So, from my own experience, i could say that working hard for a company or for personal project can take us out of gambling.

[Hirose UK]

Engaging in activities that provide a sense of achievement, such as learning a new skill, exercising, or pursuing creative outlets, could serve as new stimuli that gradually reduce the urge to gamble. It’s not an easy process, but with consistent effort, it might be possible to rewire those responses.

I agree with you because that way gambling addict will feel that they have other activities that are more enjoyable and can be done anytime without having to involve things like betting money, gradually all of this will lead gambling addicts to really reduce gambling activities.
In addition, there are many more positive activities or activities that can provide special stimulation for gambling addicts so that they can consider if what they do is much better than the gambling activities they have previously done.
But these various activities can only be done by people who really think about being able to cure themselves because basically healing and stopping gambling addiction must begin with the desires and intentions of each addict themselves.

[hyudien]

I think what you're trying to talk about is an activity that can replace the desire to gamble and not conditioned response. Conditioned response are cues we pick up through our lives and cannot just be created to cure a gambling addiction. It will take years to condition your body to want to eat or something when you think of gambling, but you can replace gambling with video games.

The danger of this is building another addiction while trying to fix one, so the replacement activity needs to be something creative and should not be allowed to turn to an addiction.

if it does replace the desire to gamble I think there are many things that can be done, but the main thing is thinking. we must be able to control our thoughts which when there is a feeling or thought of wanting to gamble we must be able to put it aside and I think when that happens what must be done is to think about the risk side maybe that can make the desire to gamble a little bit aside because knowing there is a risk so you don't want to look for disease. but this is not easy because gambling itself has a strong appeal.
most people become addicted because they want to improve the situation where when they lose they want to restore the defeat to victory as a result the action taken is to gamble again. meanwhile what OP said is true, gambling addiction develops through repetition of habits that continue either because they want to improve as you said or because they feel dissatisfied. considering that many things can be done to put aside the desire to gamble, but it all depends on each individual who feels it. whether they will do something else or even follow their desires.

[ethereumhunter]

Yes, another stimulus can replace the will to playing gambling and even can makes someone forget about his gambling addiction. But those stimulus must be done continously for some time until he can forget his gambling activity. Many people fail to forget their gambling activity because they still remember that playing gambling is something that can gives them pleasure and if they are luck, they can win for some money.

Someone who has gambling addiction needs to do many activity to block his minds of thinking about playing gambling. If you ask what stimulus that can replace gambling addiction, the answer will be different. Maybe someone can do something that he knows before and focus doing that and with doing other things so his brain and minds will thinks about what he do. Maybe it will difficult for the first time and that needs to be done over and over to gets a good result.

[lovesmayfamilis]

Several signs suggest a person may have a gambling addiction, a topic we've discussed extensively. However, there are some conditions for a person to be able to stop in time, and everyone usually has their own, which may differ from others. For example, a person plays for a long time and loses, but he remembers that once he had a nasty case, which ended very badly. And if he had stopped in time, the misfortune would not have happened. A reminder always clicks in a person's head not to repeat something like this. It is difficult to call this a reflex. But it is straightforward to take it as a sign; there are many such signs for different people. Someone is afraid to repeat something at all costs, believing that what happened to him badly once, with some coincidences, will be repeated regularly.

[Julien_Olynpic]

I don't think that a person can be cured of gambling addiction with a "stimulus", at least not always. You know, sometimes a person unwittingly creates an addiction for himself because of a so-called viral idea. Let's say a person is obsessed with a viral idea, also known as an idée fixe, that he can get rich by playing roulette using the Martingale method. And the person will experiment with roulette and Martingale for a very long time and persistently until he is convinced of the absurdity of this idea. And it is impossible to "cure" him as long as the person believes in his viral idea. Any obstacles on the way to realizing his idea will only irritate the person.

[Hewlet]

Do you believe another stimulus [Conditioned Response] can replace the stimuli from gambling? So my question is, what is an effective stimulus [Conditioned Response] that can replace gambling addiction?

part of the reason why you can possibly get to a point where you're psychologically tied down to gambling will most likely be that you're doing it as your only fun activity or you've made it your most trusted passive streams of income such that you can't live a day or two without gambling. If you have other things apart from your regular job that takes most of your time you wouldn't get to a point as this where you get triggered to gamble when you pass a casino shop or immediately you come online. Most addict become addicted to things at the point they weren't too busy and repeated certain act till it became something they can't do away with.

Doing demo could be another way to still gamble and even if you have to do it constantly, a combination of real gambling and demo gambling could cut down in your cost but that's when it's almost impossible to not get triggered to gamble when you're in certain environment.

[Wexnident]

Do you believe another stimulus [Conditioned Response] can replace the stimuli from gambling? So my question is, what is an effective stimulus [Conditioned Response] that can replace gambling addiction?

I believe this is something similar to a routine, if it's not it itself? And afaik, ANYTHING can become a routine. It's just a matter of actually being able to build up that routine consistently via repetition and conditioning your body to adapt to it, replacing any old ones. Yes, it's effective and can be helpful but this doesn't mean it's easy though. It's not a fault that the saying "Habits die hard" exists cause yes, they're hard to remove from yourself and if you start adapting to one, without any hard work on your part it's not going to disappear anytime soon.

[freedomgo]

It's mostly our emotions that are affected, leading to a shift in mindset. When addiction becomes severe, that's when professional help is necessary. Psychologists are likely the ones who can offer assistance. While I don't know the exact methods they use, they are trained professionals who are there for a reason. Their services come at a cost, but this also means that you're likely to receive effective treatment, almost guaranteeing recovery once you're in rehab.

I experienced addiction in the past, but it wasn't too serious, and I was able to manage and overcome it on my own.

[DaNNy001]

Why I created this thread: I am interested to know if the conditioned response is a cure for gambling addiction.

Gambling addiction develops through continuous repetition of habit, which is another word for Conditioned response, and this habit develops through stimuli, so a gambler who repeatedly gets excited through gambling develops an addiction.

Do you believe another stimulus [Conditioned Response] can replace the stimuli from gambling? So my question is, what is an effective stimulus [Conditioned Response] that can replace gambling addiction?



I will lock this thread after 4 days or 40 responses, whatever comes first

Doing something else to keep your mind distracted might not help every gambler, I think making a decision and standing on it is the only way out of gambling because you can try to replace your addiction with other hobbies but it still doesn't restrict your access to it , gambling addiction is caused by the rush of dopamine in the brain conditioning you to always engage in it whether you are winning or losing, you do it just to satisfy the urge..only way to stop is to make that hard decision and try to restrict yourself

[swogerino]

It won't work although simulated cases may say so I think that in a long run gambling addiction can only be cured by enough self determination to want to achieve such thing and nothing else can help.I say so because temporary cure can be found by such conditional approach but one can never know what to expect from gambling emotions,not everyone responds the same to such emotions,some take it easy and stop gambling after massive lost amount of money,many others burn in rage and others even break things.It is relative but overall I doubt anything except huge self determination can help in curing gambling addiction in a definitive way.

[Cryptomultiplier]

Do you believe another stimulus [Conditioned Response] can replace the stimuli from gambling? So my question is, what is an effective stimulus [Conditioned Response] that can replace gambling addiction?

Ivan Pavlov would be curious to know the responses to this discussion - let's make him proud. Any effective stimulus that would replace gambling addiction is a very high valued activity in which the gambler is interested in or will be interested in and that generates as much excitement as gambling doesn't. It is not a one size fits all activity. It differs from person to person. As for me such stimuli would be football.

Ivan failed to be specific about whether the gambling was online or offline, because I believe the conditioned response or stimulus will vary.
Also, speaking about your idea on the kind of conditioned response of which football is your preference,  you didn't say if it was online football games or it's going all boss out on a pitch with a football singly or with other sweaty bros.

Whichever is anyone's preferred stimulus, I think I would prefer writing or painting/drawing or doodling on rough pieces of paper when such  urge to gamble arises, as my stimulus of choice to cure gambling addiction.

[Apocollapse]

Nothing can replace gambling.

Because itself require money and has opportunity to earn money, in this case there are no other activity that can replace gambling.

Unlike painting, you can replace it with playing music, you can replace travelling with staycation, you can replace playing games with watching movies.

While gambling, you can only replace it with gambling lol.

[Betwrong]

Nothing can replace gambling.

~

That is certainly not true. It's just for different persons different conditioned responses can be applied. I'm pretty sure gambling addiction can be cured(I witnessed the examples of that myself), but it's not always that simple. It takes a good professional in his field.

[YOSHIE]

Why I created this thread: I am interested to know if the conditioned response is a cure for gambling addiction.

As far as I know, conditioned or unconditioned response stimuli have not been applied to those who are addicted to gambling, this stimulus system has only been developed for general patients, such as mental disorders, fear or excessive trauma.

However, from some data that I have read, if the stimulus in the form of an association can lead to something like what I have quoted below.

Conditioned responses can be a good thing, but they can also be problematic. Associations can lead to desirable behaviors, but they can lead to undesirable or maladaptive behaviors such as phobias. Fortunately, the same behavioral learning processes that led to the formation of a conditioned response can also be used to teach new behaviors or change old ones.

In my understanding, conditioned response stimuli can be the best alternative to use for those who are addicted to gambling, because they can shape or change the behavior of each individual.

Sample case:

Phobias: If you witness a terrible car accident, you might develop a fear of driving. Many phobias begin after a person has had a negative experience with the fear object.

Meaning: it can be concluded that if a conditioned response stimulus is applied to those who are addicted to gambling, it may be effective in stopping gambling because of the negative impacts that often occur in the gambling arena, From some of the data above, I believe that conditioned responses are very effective in overcoming gambling addiction.

[Charles-Tim]

Engaging in activities that provide a sense of achievement, such as learning a new skill, exercising, or pursuing creative outlets, could serve as new stimuli that gradually reduce the urge to gamble. It’s not an easy process, but with consistent effort, it might be possible to rewire those responses.

The best is when the gambler realizes that he can not make money from gambling. The problem most gamblers that are spending too much on gambling. The fact is that they are looking for money while gambling. Once they start seeing gambling as entertainment, wasting money on gambling will not come to their mind. I have spoken with some addicted gamblers before, if they are truthful to tell you about gambling and earning money, you will notice this fact about them.

[Yatsan]

I don't think that a person can be cured of gambling addiction with a "stimulus", at least not always. You know, sometimes a person unwittingly creates an addiction for himself because of a so-called viral idea. Let's say a person is obsessed with a viral idea, also known as an idée fixe, that he can get rich by playing roulette using the Martingale method. And the person will experiment with roulette and Martingale for a very long time and persistently until he is convinced of the absurdity of this idea. And it is impossible to "cure" him as long as the person believes in his viral idea. Any obstacles on the way to realizing his idea will only irritate the person.

I personally agree with this statement. More likely, a gambling addiction is too complex to be overcome by a trigger or some other short-term intervention, if I were to based the concept of "Addiction". Like what's in the statement the Martingale technique of roulette, a person deeply committed to some particular belief or ideology may find it hard to get over the attraction until they realize with absolute certainty that their belief is completely wrong. This very certainty will then hold their gambling behavior in an even more negative way. Simply adding other stimulus or other solutions is insufficient because, if the root cause is strong enough. True development typically requires working with these fundamental beliefs, seeking means to alter his attitudes and feelings about gambling, which requires more support and self-examination than initial intervention.

[libert19]

Do you believe another stimulus [Conditioned Response] can replace the stimuli from gambling? So my question is, what is an effective stimulus [Conditioned Response] that can replace gambling addiction?

It can be observed by everyone that when a person is really immersed into doing something, they don't remember their addictions, so do things which can make you forget your addictions. Now which ones? Depends on individual and intensity of their addictions.

For some people, merely replacing gambling with video games (which was their hobby) was enough to rise above their moderate addiction.

Some may argue, it's creating another addiction, that may be correct but IMO replacing dangerous addiction with less dangerous one is wise choice.

[bitbollo]

It's ethical use this approach for cure gambling addiction? DId we have any evidence is something that could be really be used?
Even the answer of this question is "YES" or "NOT" this can't be assessed here on paper but must be validated with a trial or an experiment in a defined setting. There are many variants and bias that must be taken into account.
I would have a small search also on pubmed. Maybe there is already some literature on that argument.

[Kelward]

Since repeated stimuli were brought about by the conditioned response, it can be replaced by another repeated stimulus. The best person to think of a replacement is a professional expert who deals with gambling; he knows the best replacement that can equal the gambling stimulus.
I don't think another hobby or playing sports can replace the strong stimuli brought about by gambling addiction it should be something that will bring a dramatic effect.
 

In as much as I agree with your opinion that applying Conditioned Response as a measure to stop cure gambling addiction might not be effective enough on gambling addicts, I think we should also put in consideration that different people have different reactions to mental exercises. Since the gambling addiction was caused by constant engagement in gambling, the addiction can also be erased by engaging the gambling addict in other fun activities that can go to serve as the addict's hobby. So it might be possible depending on the individual.

Since the conditioned response of gambling can lead to addiction, if a gambler finds himself in this caged situation, I think that the best option would be to channel the response to another interesting activity. It's not easy but I believe that it's not impossible, what the addicted gambler needs is patience and  practice The person can seek the help of a professional so that the process can be easier but with strong will and determination the addict can triumph and replace the conditioned response with another thing to respond to.

The human mind is adaptive, when it's in a comfort zone of where you want it to operate, you'll think that it doesn't have the capacity to adjust in another zone. But you'll be surprised that if it leaves that comfort, with time it'll adjust and find comfort in a new space.