Treatment of gambling addiction in Moscow. Reviews

When is it time to go to a psychologist?

Normal passion for games and gambling addiction are like two peas in a pod. Sometimes people who are not addicted to games spend more time on the computer than gamers.

The following behavioral habits are considered common to these two groups of people.

• spends a lot of time playing games;
• they have become the preferred or only type of recreation;
• games have replaced other types of activity, for the sake of them people put off even priority tasks.

The fundamental difference is this: if a player sits at the computer out of boredom, is happy to communicate and everything that will become an alternative to relaxation, he is fine. And if a break from your favorite “shooter” or strategy causes anger, indignation, devastation, confusion, then it’s time to go to a psychologist.

Many people are interested in games. This is one of the cheapest methods of spending leisure time, if you don’t have to play online or place bets. But if a hobby replaces and displaces normal life, it’s time to make an appointment with a psychologist. For example, to the psychologist-hypnologist Nikita Valerievich Baturin, who gives consultations, including via Skype.

Gambling addiction treatment center: our advantages

Professional therapy for gambling addiction has been provided by specialists from our clinics for many years. Proof of the effectiveness of the methods is the large number of grateful patients who managed to return to a full life, find harmony in relationships with loved ones, and realize themselves in the professional sphere.

If you or your relative devote all their time to games (lottery, sweepstakes, casinos, online strategies), contact the specialists of our institution. Benefits of visiting us:

1. Individual approach: each case of contacting a specialized center is unique. Therefore, the patient’s condition is professionally studied by specialized doctors. The use of standard treatment regimens is not our practice, since an addicted person needs an individual approach.
2. Innovative methods: the clinic uses modern methods of treating gambling addiction that have proven their effectiveness. Certified psychotherapists, psychiatrists and psychologists on the staff of the clinic specialize in addictions. Our profile also includes such complex conditions as the treatment of phobias, anorexia, bulimia and other mental disorders.
3. Confidentiality: shame and denial of the problem are the main reasons for ignoring medical attention. Many victims of gambling addiction are ashamed of their addiction to gambling and all the ensuing consequences, because they are afraid of the censure of relatives, friends, and acquaintances. Respect for a person and his personal territory is one of the priorities of our doctors. The patient is treated anonymously with us - all personal data remains confidential, and we are responsible for non-disclosure of information to third parties.
4. Comprehensive measures: there is no single method of getting rid of mental disorder associated with obsession with gambling. The patient works with specialists according to an individually created program. If the patient needs to take medications, the doctor is attentive to the prescription of the treatment regimen. The clinic does not use unlicensed drugs or dietary supplements with unproven effectiveness. Patients also do not take toxic drugs or drugs whose effectiveness has not been proven.
5. Rehabilitation as an obligatory component of the therapeutic scheme: treatment of fears , obsessive states and gambling addiction will not produce results if rehabilitation measures are ignored. Gambling addiction brings continuous troubles to a person’s life: decreased self-esteem, serious problems in relationships, dismissal, loss of motivation, consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle, suicidal thoughts, addictions. Rehabilitation is aimed at maintaining the results of therapy and returning the rehabilitator to a full life. Our clinic pays special attention to rehabilitation. The duration of recovery depends on the degree of gambling addiction.

Treatment of gambling addiction is carried out only on the basis of the institution. Real specialists do not engage in distance therapy implemented at home, since such activities are unproductive.

Note! There are no traditional methods of therapy in the form of spells, decoctions and other remedies. At best, they will be useless, at worst, they will worsen the addiction. Do not believe manuals or video courses on how to get rid of gambling addiction on your own. There is no benefit from such methods. Specialized literature is prescribed by a psychotherapist at the rehabilitation stage.

Who is hypnosis indicated for gambling addiction?

The phrase “hypnosis and gambling addiction” still evokes a sea of ​​strange and incorrect associations. A mysterious man with a monocle comes to mind, waving a pocket watch on a chain in front of a man’s face. And asks to bark like a dog or walk like a zombie. Pop hypnosis has influenced the fact that this useful and effective method of therapy is perceived as a variant of shamanism. In reality, this is far from the case.

A hypnologist for gambling addiction is the first specialist you should contact. This also applies to other types of addiction. This raises a number of obvious questions:

1. Why not a doctor? Because gaming addictions rarely have a chemical or biological basis. There is no cure for gambling addiction.
2. Why not a psychologist? Psychological consultations take time and sometimes only lead to a change in the object of addiction. That is, formally a person gets rid of gambling addiction, but instead turns out to be an alcoholic or a workaholic.
3. Why not a psychotherapist? Psychotherapy is a long process. And if the addiction to games is in an advanced stage, then the addicted person no longer has the time or money to complete it.

Hypnosis for gambling addiction helps quickly. Preliminary consultations or meetings are usually required to prepare for the session.

gambling addiction

Gambling addiction (pathological gambling, gambling addiction, gambling addiction) is a painful attraction to gambling. It is an extremely common addiction. Accompanied by a narrowing of interests, loss of control and typical emotional reactions. It has a devastating impact on social adaptation, professional fulfillment, personal life and financial situation of the patient, and is often combined with addiction to psychoactive substances. The diagnosis of gambling addiction is established taking into account the characteristic clinical manifestations. Treatment – ​​psychotherapy, drug therapy, participation in support groups.

Gambling addiction is a type of non-chemical dependence (addiction), expressed in a person’s pathological passion for gambling. Researchers note that in recent decades the number of patients has increased sharply, and gambling addiction has become an epidemic. According to American scientists, about 5% of US residents suffer from addiction to slot machines alone. In Russia, the widespread spread of gambling addiction began in the 90s of the last century. After the introduction of strict restrictions in the field of gambling, some gamblers began to visit illegal establishments, and many began to play on the Internet.

Currently, along with traditional addictions to slot machines, bets and card games, all kinds of computer gaming addictions are becoming increasingly important. Many patients play in online casinos. The number of patients suffering from addiction to conventional computer games, which do not involve material gain, is increasing. Despite the seeming harmlessness of this hobby, it, like any other addiction, negatively affects a person’s life, narrows his range of interests, and disrupts professional, social and family adaptation. Treatment of all types of gambling addiction is carried out by specialists in the field of psychiatry, psychotherapy and psychology.

Causes of gambling addiction

Gambling addiction is formed as a result of a complex interaction of many factors. There are several concepts for the development of gambling addiction. Proponents of reinforcement theory believe that gambling addiction occurs as a result of a system of positive (winning) and negative (losing) reinforcement. The developers of psychodynamic theory point to personality traits and a tendency to develop pathological reactions in patients with gambling addiction.

The creators of the cognitive concept say that gambling addiction is caused by thinking errors, due to which a person incorrectly assesses the probability of a certain event (winning). It seems to him that he can control what is impossible to control, this allows him to temporarily get rid of uncertainty and fear of life, gives him bright emotions and makes it possible to forget about problems. Followers of psychodynamic theory also focus their attention on the increased need for control. Most psychiatrists agree that the formation of gambling addiction occurs under the influence of all of these factors, and a picture arises that resembles not only chemical addictions, but also obsessive-compulsive disorder.

External influences play a significant role in the development of gambling addiction. The habit of children spending joint family leisure time playing card games and playing lotto, watching films and TV series that create an aura of attractiveness around gambling, talking with friends about tactics, strategy and victories in computer games - all this creates a predisposition to gambling addiction, gambling addiction. The child gets used to believing in the beauty and ease of existence in the “game world.” The negative aspects of gambling addiction (painful addiction, financial losses, debts, a feeling of doom due to the inability to refuse to participate in games) remain beyond his attention.

Other predisposing factors for the onset of gambling addiction include upbringing errors (too strict upbringing, connivance, double standards), excessive fixation on material values, dreams of easy enrichment, envy of financially secure relatives, and the belief that money can solve any problems. , lack of family and full-fledged close relationships, alcoholism, drug addiction, substance abuse and depressive disorders.

Active participation in gambling moves the problem from a psychological level to a physiological one. The atmosphere of the gaming space and the pleasant emotions from winning activate the “pleasure center” - a section of the limbic system responsible for the formation of desired behavior. Normally, activation of this area stimulates a person to receive natural, healthy pleasures: pleasure from quenching thirst and hunger, joy from communicating with friends or closeness with a loved one, etc. With the development of gambling addiction, the work of the “pleasure center” is disrupted while participating in a game in There is a powerful release of neurotransmitters in the brain, and reactions occur that are reminiscent of reactions in alcoholism or drug addiction.

Symptoms of gambling addiction

Patients with gambling addiction demonstrate behavior characteristic of all types of chemical and non-chemical addictions. The range of their interests narrows, their previous hobbies become insignificant. They stop communicating with old friends and pay less attention to their family. Their whole life and all their thoughts are focused around the subject of addiction, that is, around the game. Whenever possible, they play; if they cannot play, they come up with new strategies, fantasize about participating in the game and about winning big.

A short period of time after the last game, patients suffering from gambling addiction begin to feel anxiety, irritation, and an internal need to take part in the game again as soon as possible. In terms of its strength, the amount of accompanying psychological discomfort and the degree of involvement, this need has much in common with pathological cravings in alcoholism and drug addiction. Some patients with gambling addiction even experience a condition that resembles withdrawal symptoms and includes decreased mood, headaches, insomnia, and difficulty trying to concentrate.

Once the patient starts playing, he can no longer stop even after a series of losses or after a big win. From time to time, a patient with gambling addiction makes a firm decision to “quit it forever,” but after talking about gambling with a friend, seeing a gambling establishment nearby, or watching a film about gambling, he easily changes this decision, unable to resist the temptation.

Gambling addiction is supported by special irrational beliefs - the so-called thinking errors. There are two types of thinking errors in gambling addiction: strategic and tactical. Tactical errors provoke trance states and include belief in “the day when you will definitely get lucky”; perception of bets as transactions, and money as gaming chips; the belief that there will definitely be a turning point in the game; faith in your ability to stop; the idea that debts can only be repaid by paying them off from future winnings.

Strategic thinking errors allow patients to maintain a positive attitude toward their addiction despite its negative consequences. Such mistakes include belief in the omnipotence of money, in its ability to make a person happy and solve any problems, including problems in relationships; replacing rational thoughts about the need to control your future with dreams of big wins; dissatisfaction with one’s own life, the belief that one’s destiny can be magically changed with the help of winning, turning from a “loser” into a real winner.

Stages and phases of gambling addiction

There are three stages of gambling addiction: the winning stage, the losing stage and the disappointment stage. At the winning stage, a patient with gambling addiction participates in games by chance, often wins, and is in high spirits. In his free time, his imagination is occupied with pictures of games and future winnings. Gradually, the games become more and more frequent, and the bets become increasingly larger. Wins are replaced by losses. At the losing stage, the patient begins to play alone. All his attention is absorbed in the game, he stops caring about his loved ones, neglects his studies, performs his professional duties worse, borrows and does not pay large sums of money, deceives others, trying to hide his problem from them.

At the stage of disappointment, serious violations of social adaptation are noted. By this time, patients with gambling addiction often break off relationships with loved ones, quit school or work, or get a less prestigious and worse paid job due to the loss of professional reputation. Patients devote all their free time to the game, and when they stop playing, they feel guilt, remorse, anxiety and panic due to the awareness of their plight. Loneliness and feelings of hopelessness often lead to suicidal thoughts. 14% of patients with gambling addiction attempt suicide. Chemical dependencies arise or rapidly progress.

There is a so-called gaming cycle, a vicious circle in which a patient suffering from gambling addiction moves, plunging deeper and deeper into his problem. This cycle consists of six phases. In the abstinence phase, a patient with gambling addiction does not play due to pressure from loved ones, disappointment after a previous loss, or lack of money. The automatic fantasy phase is characterized by activation of the imagination. The gambler imagines new games and new wins, memories of previous failures fade and fade into the background.

In the phase of increasing emotional stress, a patient with gambling addiction becomes depressed, anxious and irritable. Fantasies about the game intensify or disappear and are replaced by activation in other areas (sexual, professional, intellectual). In the decision-making phase to participate in the game at the winning stage, the patient performs pseudo-planning, coming up with a supposedly win-win strategy. At the stage of losses and disappointment, the leading motive is the desire to win back.

In the repression phase, the patient with gambling addiction feels that he has gained control over his desires. This control is illusory, but the pause it provides often allows the gambler to at least partially solve material problems and improve his social position. Changes for the better reduce the level of tension, the feeling of danger disappears. After provocation (drinking alcohol, seeing a large sum of money, talking about a game with friends), the patient breaks down. The realization phase is accompanied by a special state, a kind of trance, during which the picture of reality is distorted, the actions of a patient with gambling addiction become irrational, and he continues to play until he loses everything. Then the abstinence phase begins again, and the cycle repeats. Diagnosis and treatment of gambling addiction

The diagnosis of gambling addiction is made based on a conversation with the patient and his relatives. Often, the psychiatrist receives the bulk of the information from the patient’s relatives, since the gambling addict himself, due to feelings of guilt, shame or underestimation of the seriousness of the situation, hides important facts and downplays the significance of the problem. An uncontrollable craving for gaming, an uncritical perception of reality and the severity of the obsessive-compulsive component reduce the chances of recovery in an outpatient setting, therefore, therapy for gambling addiction is recommended to be carried out in a drug treatment or psychiatric department.

Treatment for gambling addiction is complex and includes drug therapy and psychotherapy. Various psychotherapeutic techniques are used, including cognitive, rational, analytical, suggestive, hypnosuggestive, activating psychotherapy and relationship psychotherapy. In the process of cognitive psychotherapy, a patient with gambling addiction works through thinking errors, corrects his own ideas and forms new, more realistic attitudes.

Rational psychotherapy also focuses on the patient's thinking, with the psychiatrist addressing the patient's reason using explanations and evidence. Suggestive and hypnosuggestive therapy are treatments by suggestion. When carrying out suggestive therapy, the patient is in a waking state during suggestion; during hypnosuggestive therapy, the patient is in a state of hypnotic sleep. Interactional psychotherapy focuses on the patient’s relationships with loved ones and work colleagues.

The main goal of activating psychotherapy is to stimulate the patient to activity, help in the formation of a new worldview (the person is responsible for his own life, he has the ability to make a sound assessment of what is happening and achieve his goals using practical, rational methods) and gain new experience. Analytical psychotherapy “works” with the unconscious. This method is suitable in cases where gambling addiction occurs against the background of deep internal conflicts caused by childhood psychological trauma, parenting problems and difficult relationships with parents.

Individual consultations are complemented by group work. If necessary, psychotherapy is carried out against the background of medication support. To eliminate insomnia, anxiety and irritability, sleeping pills and sedatives are prescribed. Antidepressants are used for depressive disorders. After realizing their addiction, developing new ways of thinking and behavior, and normalizing their psychological state, the patient is discharged for outpatient follow-up treatment. Participation in support groups, observation by a psychiatrist, consultations with a psychologist or psychotherapist are recommended.

What should the relatives of a gambling addict do?

Gambling addiction is a disease, not “bad behavior” that can be corrected with lectures or financial support. A patient with addictive behavior draws close people into his distorted reality, forming a circle of codependency. In order to get out of this circle, you need to stop blaming him and yourself, learn to protect your psychological state and material resources. You need to take control of family finances - this will reduce constant anxiety and fear of possible loss of money. You should think in advance about how you can calmly and firmly confront a person with gambling addiction if he begs, manipulates, accuses and threatens in an attempt to get money to gamble.

You should not lecture, threaten or get angry when communicating with a gambling addict. Emotional involvement reduces your ability to think critically about reality, and you may say or do something you later regret. There is no need to reject a gambling addict or expect him to fix it immediately - it takes time to solve such a serious problem. Gambling addiction should not be hidden or denied - this supports the patient’s distorted thinking according to the principle “if people don’t notice the problem, then it doesn’t exist.” It is necessary to convince the patient to seek help from specialists.

source: krasotaimedicina.ru

Treatment of gambling addiction with hypnosis

How to choose a specialist

You need to pay attention to experience, education, membership in professional associations, and how many clients the psychologist has. Other things to consider:

• Patient responses. If you have experience, dozens or hundreds of patients have been treated by an expert with hypnosis for gambling addiction, reviews on the Internet should be numerous. It is worth considering their number and reading the contents.
• Recommendations from colleagues. Some hypnologists are recommended to patients by doctors, psychologists, and teachers.
• Information on forums where players communicate. There, too, there are interesting tips on how to find a guru, a master of his craft.

People do not always come to a hypnotherapist on their own initiative. If a family member has a problem with gaming, you should be careful about their feelings. There is no need to force your child or spouse to see a hypnologist. It is better to consult him about motivation; he will help you choose the right words to convince a person to seek professional help.

Treatment of gambling addiction in the clinic

Therapy for gambling addiction is no less important than treating depression or helping a drug addict. Without the support of professional doctors, it is impossible for a patient to get rid of his oppressive addiction. Gambling addiction is a disease that requires systematic work with a specialist. Treatment for gambling addiction is prescribed individually after a thorough study of the patient’s medical history, risk factors and psycho-emotional state.

Diagnosis and therapy usually include the following:

• Assessing the physical and mental damage caused by addiction.
• Consultations of highly specialized specialists: narcologist, psychologist and psychiatrist.
• Study of relationships in the patient's family.
• Psychotherapy in groups and individual format.
• Drug therapy.
• Individual family therapy and work with codependent family members.
• Systematic physical activity, sports, creativity, occupational therapy.
• Resocialization, preparation for the introduction of a person into society with the study of factors to counteract possible breakdowns.

Ignoring the severity of the problem is one of the main dangers of gambling addiction. In most cases, the addict and his relatives do not adequately assess the danger of mental illness, trying to cope with gambling addiction at home. This is a wrong decision, leading to the progression of addiction with all the ensuing consequences.

What symptoms should prompt you to immediately contact a specialized clinic for qualified help:

• isolation, irritability, aggression, alienation;
• systematic lies, manipulation;
• loss of morality;
• constant absence from home;
• disappearance of expensive items from the home;
• constant requests to borrow money;
• unhealthy appearance associated with neurosis, insomnia, sudden weight loss, alcohol consumption;
• problems with law enforcement agencies.

If you notice at least a few of the listed symptoms in yourself or a loved one, contact the clinic immediately. Treatment of gambling addiction in Moscow and any other city is a process that requires considerable time, since gambling addiction is a severe mental disorder. Therapy is a set of measures aimed at gradual recovery from addiction, rehabilitation and relapse prevention.