Does refusal to play (deprivation) help cure gambling addiction?

[Julien_Olynpic]

 I used to watch a lot of video interviews with addicted gamblers. They told me how they went through treatment and one thing struck me. More precisely, this thing is quite natural in relation to addiction treatment, as I understood later, but I did not immediately understand the logic. We are talking about weaning from gaming. I thought that weaning from gaming would most likely only work in very advanced cases, when the player is at the bottom of a financial crisis or on the verge of suicide. Then weaning from gaming would most likely work well. But if this is not the case, then what is the benefit of weaning from gaming? Perhaps the logic is to create positive habits in a person. But, in my opinion, this does not allow us to identify the main reason for gaming and work on it. In my opinion, the real reason is that a person has a naive desire to get rich on gambling (, but he does not have even the slightest competence for this and it is more than likely that they will not appear. This is if we are talking about sports betting. If a person wants to get rich on casino games, such as roulette, and does not want to know anything about risk management and money management, then weaning from games is really necessary. And what do you think, does refusal to play (deprivation) contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?

[qwertyup23]

<..snip..>
 And what do you think, does weaning from games contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?

I think it may contribute to the overall addiction of the person and it will also be considered as a factor towards recovery.

When you wean someone off, it means that you are discouraging them from doing the act itself. I think the determinative factor here would be the process on how you would wean that person into understanding that gambling harms them. From the perspective of the gambler, however, they do think that what they are doing is right.

The challenge here would be the willingness of that person to seek help from their family, friends, or peers that they are indeed suffering from addiction. Without that crucial factor, then everything would still be a challenge into helping that person recover in the process.

[DubemIfedigbo001]

Of course, weaning helps cure a lot of bad habits and not only addiction problems. This would come from gradually replacing the gaming lifestyle which the addicted gambler holds dear with a more positive yet appealing habit and encouraging the gambler to cling on to it sometimes he is urged to gamble. This is more effective because encouraging someone to stop gambling without giving the person a new activity to embrace (and surely one that can give him money since he was gambling for profit) can make the transition process very slow, but if there is a replacement for his gambling addiction and it's interesting to him, then he can always see it as a substitute to gambling and under close supervision, the addicted gambler's urge for gambling would be replaced to a high extent to his urge for the replacement. Then the addiction can be cured by weaning for sure, I practiced it in 2018 and it cured mine.

[Die_empty]

I used to watch a lot of video interviews with addicted gamblers. They told me how they went through treatment and one thing struck me. More precisely, this thing is quite natural in relation to addiction treatment, as I understood later, but I did not immediately understand the logic. We are talking about weaning from gaming. I thought that weaning from gaming would most likely only work in very advanced cases, when the player is at the bottom of a financial crisis or on the verge of suicide. Then weaning from gaming would most likely work well. But if this is not the case, then what is the benefit of weaning from gaming? Perhaps the logic is to create positive habits in a person. But, in my opinion, this does not allow us to identify the main reason for gaming and work on it. In my opinion, the real reason is that a person has a naive desire to get rich on gambling (, but he does not have even the slightest competence for this and it is more than likely that they will not appear. This is if we are talking about sports betting. If a person wants to get rich on casino games, such as roulette, and does not want to know anything about risk management and money management, then weaning from games is really necessary.

It is important to define the word weaning. This word is popular among breastfeeding mothers and it is the gradual process of replacing breastmilk with another food. So we can conclude that weaning in gambling entails substituting gambling habits with other forms of entertainment. Anybody not just a gambling addict could decide to change their gambling habit through weaning. I don't need to be an addict to reevaluate my gambling activity and adopt necessary precautions, which can include weaning. 

And what do you think, does weaning from games contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?

Humans have individual differences. The strategy that works for individual A might not be effective for B. That's why counsellors and other professionals apply different treatments to patients. Weaning as a tool in controlling gambling addiction is not a waste of time. At least I have seen it work effectively on people I know.     

   

[joeperry]

what do you think, does refusal to play (deprivation) contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?

Different person have different perspective and one solution might work to others and won't on some. My take on this is, it is generally good approach to refuse playing to help cure gambling addiction but also helping curing the main root of the problem would help more recovery. Some people, can't accept the fact that easy money is really hard to get and the closest thing to that is through gambling, which we all know that only few managed to be success with this.

In my case, I literally trained my mind and I always tell to myself that gambling is no other than entertainment and this helps me stops being greedy and learn to accept the fact that I won't be millionaire in gambling or win a jackpot and this helps me not to be aggressive but just enjoy whatever bankroll I have and try to entertain myself with it.

[DubemIfedigbo001]

And what do you think, does weaning from games contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?

Humans have individual differences. The strategy that works for individual A might not be effective for B. That's why counsellors and other professionals apply different treatments to patients. Weaning as a tool in controlling gambling addiction is not a waste of time. At least I have seen it work effectively on people I know.      

Yes weaning works because it takes the natural step of adaptation to something else and gradually dropping off of old habits and in the case of gambling addiction it is an old bad habit. It would be slow, but it is very efficient on the long run.

I kind of prefer the old title Julien_Olynpic gave this thread than the updated one, I think deprivation is entirely different from weaning, deprivation can make the gambler more resistant to the healing process since there is nothing new filling up for the old habit. Weaning is effective and soothing but deprivation is forceful and highly ineffective and could make the gambler even worse after a period of supposed healing since he has been starving with nothing to fill him up. so he would likely bounce back to addiction with more pressure than the initial.

[Derekfunds]

I used to watch a lot of video interviews with addicted gamblers. They told me how they went through treatment and one thing struck me. More precisely, this thing is quite natural in relation to addiction treatment, as I understood later, but I did not immediately understand the logic. We are talking about weaning from gaming. I thought that weaning from gaming would most likely only work in very advanced cases, when the player is at the bottom of a financial crisis or on the verge of suicide. Then weaning from gaming would most likely work well. But if this is not the case, then what is the benefit of weaning from gaming? Perhaps the logic is to create positive habits in a person. But, in my opinion, this does not allow us to identify the main reason for gaming and work on it. In my opinion, the real reason is that a person has a naive desire to get rich on gambling (, but he does not have even the slightest competence for this and it is more than likely that they will not appear. This is if we are talking about sports betting. If a person wants to get rich on casino games, such as roulette, and does not want to know anything about risk management and money management, then weaning from games is really necessary. And what do you think, does refusal to play (deprivation) contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?

Yes I think refusal go play or gamble will contribute to recovery from addiction if actually the refusal is totally or wholly because if a gambler doesn't gamble for a period of time or long time, the zeal, the urge, the feeling and some kind of mindset will reduce and it will also change. The truth is that most gambler will find it difficult to even think of refusing to play because then have been sinked inside gambling and so taking this decision is sometimes almost impossible. Anyone who gamble without knowing how to manage risk and his finance will definitely turn an addict because if they make any loss they will press to get it back which can lead to losing more and from there addiction is developing.

[BitGoba]

I used to watch a lot of video interviews with addicted gamblers. They told me how they went through treatment and one thing struck me. More precisely, this thing is quite natural in relation to addiction treatment, as I understood later, but I did not immediately understand the logic. We are talking about weaning from gaming. I thought that weaning from gaming would most likely only work in very advanced cases, when the player is at the bottom of a financial crisis or on the verge of suicide. Then weaning from gaming would most likely work well. But if this is not the case, then what is the benefit of weaning from gaming? Perhaps the logic is to create positive habits in a person. But, in my opinion, this does not allow us to identify the main reason for gaming and work on it. In my opinion, the real reason is that a person has a naive desire to get rich on gambling (, but he does not have even the slightest competence for this and it is more than likely that they will not appear. This is if we are talking about sports betting. If a person wants to get rich on casino games, such as roulette, and does not want to know anything about risk management and money management, then weaning from games is really necessary. And what do you think, does refusal to play (deprivation) contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?

Quitting gambling definitely helps because it breaks the cycle of constant betting and helps build better habits. Still, quitting alone doesn’t solve the main problem  the desire to get rich quickly and the lack of knowledge about managing risk and money. For real recovery, it’s important to also work on impulse control, learning about finances, and understanding the emotional reasons behind the gambling.

[Solosanz]

Weaning without having a reason and substitution will not work.

They have to find something that make them as excited as gambling, similar to people who want to quit smoke. Smokers might able to stop smoke for few days, then they will try to smoke later, some of them use the electric pod or eat candies.

The most important thing in order to change is their own will, after that they will find the way to quit.

[crwth]

It's part of human nature that if you have the chance to do what you want, you will do it. It's all in the mental thinking because if you convince yourself that "it's okay" knowing that it does more harm to you than benefits, then it's better to stick with the right thing and not play.

Several potential medical approaches or programs may address this issue. I hope someone here can provide scientific research on this topic.

[Eternad]

And what do you think, does refusal to play (deprivation) contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?

Depriving yourself to gamble will never help in the recovery of gambling addicition. The more you deprive yourself the more you will have the urge to play.

If you really want to stop and escape from addiction, it's better to do it small-steps at a time so your mind and body will be able to adjust properly. Stopping instantly might cause some withdrawal and likely bring you back into gambling again.

[Kelward]

And what do you think, does refusal to play (deprivation) contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?

Depriving yourself to gamble will never help in the recovery of gambling addicition. The more you deprive yourself the more you will have the urge to play.

If you really want to stop and escape from addiction, it's better to do it small-steps at a time so your mind and body will be able to adjust properly. Stopping instantly might cause some withdrawal and likely bring you back into gambling again.

Depriving should a gradual process for addicted gamblers because they started to get addicted gradually, expecting them to stop abruptly can be very difficult. The first step for addicts should be to make a decision that they want to stop and from there they can start to reduce gambling activities, gradually and eventually they will fully stop. Gambling addiction deeply affects addicts and most time it won't be easy to get over the habit by themselves alone, they need support of their loved ones and professionals. It is not every addicts that can stop abruptly or gradually by themselves they need the efforts of others to see them through

[Majestic-milf]

 It all boils down to being determined. You can deprive yourself from playing for a period of time but who knows it's not because you want to stop, but rather because you may have run out of money and are deeply in debt. It takes a lot to deprive yourself of something that gives you an adrenaline rush and people who are knee deep in gambling and want to break out would need more than just deprivation.
 It's someone who needs help that goes for it and if you add determination to your desire to stay away, it can help push the process.

[bitbollo]

The cure for gambling addiction requires a medical doctor and psychological healing. In some cases even drugs (but this related to serious issues).
Deprivation could not really cure anything. It could have a "binge effect" where after a long period without gambling... a player waste hours and tons of money on gambling again. I will not see any of these documentary... or at least I will not find other than "shows".
Serious issues of health requires medical doctors. Thats all.

[lovesmayfamilis]

I think that any addiction creates some psychological hooks in us that remain unchanged over time. I know people who smoked, but later, due to health reasons, doctors advised them to quit this habit. People leave, but every time they had to allocate time for a smoke break, as they did before, they had an emptiness, time that they did not know how to spend. That is, the habit of spending time, accompanied by certain signals, constantly reminds them of the missing things in their well-being; the same can be said about people addicted to gambling. It will be tough to break the habit on your own, since every time, every signal, and any action repeated earlier will remind a person of their habit, and such people cannot always remain strong; there are more breakdowns until a truly real desire to stop and get rid of the addiction appears.

[mindrust]

The motive is very important imo. If a person thinks, believes he could get rich from gambling, he won’t ever stop playing because he believes, one day the odds will favor him. The moment he understands the odds are stacked against him, he will stop playing probably and look for something else to replace his addiction.

If a guy plays to have fun, then it is a whole different story. He can still get addicted to gambling if he is having so much fun playing and that’s harder to treat because this time, as long as he is having fun playing, he will never stop. One way or another, it needs to become unfun for him again.

You see, we need to look into the core reason to understand why different types of people like to gamble for different reasons and then come up with a solution tailored to their needs.

[ultrloa]

And what do you think, does refusal to play (deprivation) contribute to recovery from addiction or is it useless?

Depriving yourself to gamble will never help in the recovery of gambling addicition. The more you deprive yourself the more you will have the urge to play.

If you really want to stop and escape from addiction, it's better to do it small-steps at a time so your mind and body will be able to adjust properly. Stopping instantly might cause some withdrawal and likely bring you back into gambling again.

I think it will increase more their urge to gamble since forcing their selves to stop cannot provably solve the issue.

Lots of us experience that and its stressful and we feel unease if we think about that's happening. I guess the total solution to aid gambling addiction is to seek professional help just like what has been suggested by other people. Also aside from your family find a support group that can give us advices towards those conditions we currently experience.

If we are dedicated to combat the situation we are facing for sure little by little we can fight that addiction. Decreasing their activity might be helpful but this is not always the case since there are certain factors that can trigger their urge to gamble and do those abusive stuffs they made.

[junder]

Someone with a severe gambling addiction who is on the verge of financial crisis or suicide due to stress may be able to stop. Regardless of the situation, there will always be a way out. Ultimately, it depends on the individual and their strong determination to recover. Whether they are addicted or not, it's best to avoid excessive gambling, as this carries obvious risks.
The key to change depends on the individual's own will and intention. Even if they receive support and assistance from others, if their resolve is weak, they may falter and revert to their previous ways.

[_act_]

If you used the word weaning, it is not just about deprivation, but also about having other activities that you are doing to replace gambling which makes you stay aways from gambling. Yes, this can be very helpful for gambling addicts. But what that is mostly important is what that is causing the gambling addiction. The addicted gambler needs to answer that so that it can be used to know how to treat the addiction. Most is about making money, so letting them know it is almost not possible to use gambling to make money, this can help them, but showing them how some people only become depressed when they have this mentality will help them know the truth and stop the addiction.

[un_rank]

The goal of gambling addiction treatment is to stop the person from playing often or at all, goes without saying that there will be an attempt to slowly take the person away from their source of addiction and replace that activity with a different one that gives same levels of dopamine but one they can manage effectively and not get hooked on.

People who are addicted are mostly feeding of the excitement of having an unsettled bet to look forward to and dream about. With all addictions, they do not have much else going on and solely depend on this activity to feel good. If they could integrate some other activities, they could even keep gambling for fun but in moderation. For players that cannot control their habits, total abstinence will be advised.

- Jay -