Why can’t I stop gambling?

Gambling impacts the brain. This is one reason why gambling problems occur. A person’s attention can be taken over by gambling and then pay less attention to what used to matter.

Also….It can be difficult and frustrating seeing a loved one get lost in gambling.

If your loved one or someone you know s gambling, encourage them to take a break from gambling. Stepping away from gambling can allow them to devote attention to other aspects of their life and to feel more in control.

Feeling the need, or urge, to gamble can happen to anyone. Urges can range from mild to very strong. They can be so strong that they become uncomfortable. Urges can happen for no reason at all, such as when you wake up and want to gamble. Willpower alone is not always enough to deal with gambling urges. This is because, when urges are very strong, other options may not come to mind. And, if you are in the tempting gambling environment, it can be harder to stop.

We all have a ‘setpoint’ for our mood. The mood setpoint is your natural mood state. Setpoints shift slightly with day-to-day activities. When you gamble and experience pleasure, your mood setpoint goes up temporarily. When it’s over, your mood returns to its normal setpoint. When gambling becomes a problem, though, your mood setpoint can go down. Mood setpoints change when you are under stress. Gambling problems are very stressful because of debts, secrecy and arguments. When your mood setpoint lowers, activities you usually enjoy don’t seem to be fun or exciting. You might try to gamble more just to feel pleasure. This might not work because your mood setpoint is so low.

Changing Setpoints

Your brain is always changing and so can your setpoint. When you take a break from gambling and give your brain a rest, it can start to respond to other rewards. Over time, you will start to feel pleasure again from the things you used to enjoy.

All information from brainconnections.ca