Gambling or ludomania (from the Latin ludo - I play) is an addiction characterized by an uncontrollable psychological attachment to the game. This disease is not young at all. Even Dostoevsky in the century before last described this, unfortunately, familiar to him, disease. Although roulette and slot machines, most nowadays prefer computer games.

The development of this disease is caused by the fact that a person in the process of playing is under the strong influence of adrenaline, he gets a feeling of euphoria if he wins. As a result, he has a desire to repeat this condition.

Like other types of addiction (attachment to drugs or alcohol), ludomania develops due to a number of psychological reasons, the main of which are:

• Low self-esteem. Virtual reality allows you to increase self-esteem, gives emancipation and confidence. Winning the game is the next stage in the formation of addiction, as it confirms the presence of chances to improve the well-being of a person.
• Feeling lonely. In the game room or on the site, the gambler seems to form a certain group of like-minded people, however, this only exacerbates gambling.
• Constant stress is an important cause of the development of pathology. A person is looking for fictional ways to solve existing problems in the fictional world, fantasizing about a fantastic win.
• Stimulates the development of gambling and the presence of other types of addictions, such as a mental disorder or a predisposition to drug addiction.

This type of dependence is associated with different spheres. Experts note the psychological and physiological signs of gambling, as well as changes in personality traits.

PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNS:

1. Anticipation of a million-dollar win
2. Feeling completely in control of the situation
3. Inability to quit the game when you lost a huge amount
4. More and more time is being devoted to games
5. Emotional uplift during the game
6. Thoughts of the game dominate the rest
7. Games take more and more money from the addict's budget
8. Obsessive thoughts about the need to win back the lost money
9. The appearance of depression, insomnia, suicide attempts

The physiological signs of gambling include a constant excited state of a person; the release of hormones in large quantities, which affects the condition of internal organs, hypertension, changes in appearance (a gambler looks like a patient with drug addiction or alcoholism).

With regard to changes in the personality of the addict, it should be said that he loses the connections established over the years in society (with friends, relatives, work colleagues). The appearance of large debts, connections with crime, the sale of property are likely.

To date, they practice the treatment of ludomania and medications, and with the use of psychotherapy. The choice depends on the specific case. The main medicines here are psychotropic drugs, inhibitory drugs and drugs with lithium.

Key psychotherapeutic treatments include:

• Therapy in groups
• Cognitive Therapy
• Gestalt therapy
• Rational psychotherapy
• Introduction of the patient into a state of hypnosis