Gambling employs a reward system which is called intermittent reinforcement. The rewards (the times you win) are distributed on a random basis so you never know when you will get the reward. As opposed to this, working for wages is based on a consistent reward system. Your reward is known in advance and there is nothing random about it. The reason why intermittent reinforcement is so dangerous is that a person's personality qualities of a good memory and a strong sense of determination actually work against you when gambling.
You may be gambling and on a losing streak and your mind searches for a decision: what should you do? You remember times in the past when you were 'in the hole' and after a few more bets, you won and got back all the money you had lost. So you decide to keep going. The problem is that since the rewards are random, this time you may simply encounter more and more losses. Well now your strong sense of determination kicks in. You feel ashamed of what you have done and want to 'make things right' and then tell yourself you will stop.
You return to gambling as a way of showing life that you are not a quitter. You will keep trying and work hard to achieve your goal. But even if you win, you think you have redeemed yourself, and you may stop for a few days but inevitably you return to gamble again. It is a vicious cycle which is so very hard to break. The solution is to stay away altogether so that you do not have to inflict the pain of this counter-intuitive system where your good qualities work against you. Focus on things that offer a consistent reward system like a job.
Very good analysis.
Evening Gerald,
I agree with everything you are saying. Most gamblers (including myself) seem to draw a sense of achivement from gambling that we wouldnt normally get from our day to day lives. The endorphins that rush through your body from a bet can be likend to a drink or drugs binge. I think its harder to understand a gambling addiction becasue you are not physically taking something into your body, but the results tend to be the same. You get a euphoric feeling from a win followed by the inevitable comedown when the money dries up as it always does. I think the most important thing we can do is to look for a productive and non destructive outlet to fill that gap in our lives that was taken up by gambling. Ive been reading books for the first time in a long time (mostly addiction related) and genuinely feel more productive and dont have the urge to gamble after reading up on why i felt the urge to place a bet in the first place. A good book i would recommend is called Dreamseller by Brandon Novak. He is a herion addict with 6 years sober for the first time since he has a teenager. Most of what he talks about can be transferred to gambling addiction and he is proof that even the most seemingly hopeless situations can bring about positivity and real change.
All the best, Robert
Yes one of the complex reasons is the addiction twists the good qualities of a person until they become a hopeless addict to it. We are not bad people.....we are ill with addiction and trying to get better
our memories are designed to cope with life. You could say they haven't really changed much since the fight or flight responses of early man. We shut out the bad memories to live to gather or hunt another day. Its called survival and modern capitalism does its best to confuse your feelings. Modern life is full of confrontation and competition causing stress. It plays right into the hands of gambling marketing
We have been conditioned in many ways to work hard and money is a drug. Of course we like a bit of money and that makes it easy for the gambling pushers to peddle their deadly activities
Life gets tough and naturally people seek forms of temporary escape. The vices are at the extreme form of this and are there to tempt us. The main vices are highly addictive or people wouldn't continue to do them
Our brains are not set up to deal with odds or luck in gambling form. We seek pleasurable feelings and reward for minimum effort. It's not easy to explain but part of me thought it was a sensible activity to be striving for money....part of me thought its easy money when it happens. Part of me wanted luck, kindness and reward because I deserved it. Totally ignoring the reality of what was really happening to me and what I was doing. It took me 40 years to finally face that I was an addict destroying myself. The scary part is that it took me 40 years
The truth is I gave them the price of a very nice house to remember a few days when something came my way. The truth is that none of those rare days made any difference to my life apart from fueling the addiction and keeping me addicted. I would have told anybody about those days to defend my actions but never mention the total overall losses which were disasterous. I looked at the money maybe paid a bill or two on time and then handed it all back to the dens with extra losses.
Anyway I'm rambling on. It a complex addiction......please reach out for all the help you can get
Best wishes to everyone on the forum
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