For years, the gaming It has been a socially accepted practice in the Dominican Republic. Banks lottery on every corner and bets sports, slot machines even in neighborhoods and, more recently, digital platforms accessible from cell phones have normalized a behavior that, in many cases, goes unnoticed until the consequences are devastating.
Behind this apparent fun hides a little visible reality: the gambling addictionan addiction with a higher prevalence in men, which affects mental health, family finances and social stability.
The problem begins when the game It stops being a distraction and becomes an emotional escape route, warns Eddy Paulinodirector of Department of Psychology from the Phoenix Foundation.
“When the person plays to cover up an emotion, a guilt, and loses control of the gamethen it automatically stops being a game for fun and becomes a pathology“, he indicates.
The first warnings usually appear in the form of constant lies, recurring debtsocial isolation and abandonment of family and work responsibilities. Unlike other more visible addictions, gambling addiction is easily camouflaged, protected by a culture that has legitimized game like something everyday.
It is enough to visit any neighborhood to find the lady who plays palé, the pensioner who prefers to invest in a pool game in the hope of multiplying his income or the one who holds a raffle every month, climbing the social strata until he reaches families who have lost property titles and accumulate millions of pesos in debt due to countless visits to the casinos.
“Not everyone who gambles is addicted. Addiction is obsession and compulsion. The diagnosis is multifactorial, since the patient’s genetic component, social component, upbringing and accumulated traumas are analyzed,” says Paulino.
In the Dominican Republic There are no clear statistics, but, according to the addiction specialist, at least almost 2% of the population has gambling problems, with the aggravating factor that “80 to 85% of gamblers have suicidal ideation and almost 20% have tried it.
Similar to substances
The gambling addiction It has the same severity as addiction to alcohol or drugs, since it compromises the brain mechanisms responsible for pleasure and motivation, causing a dependence that progresses progressively.
“Addiction is addiction because it affects the reward systems themselves. Addiction is a chronic illness of the brain. The player seeks that increase in dopaminethe immediate gratification“, highlights the psychologist.
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Anyone can develop the disease of addiction, although there is a 30% greater predisposition due to hereditary factors, says Paulino.
“He compulsive gambler does not seek to win. Its main stimulus is expectation, the tension prior to the result, a process that generates discharges of dopamine and reinforces the addictive cycle. That’s why, even when he wins, he continues to bet until he loses everything,” he adds.
Psychological impact
According to the therapist, the psychological consequences are profound: anxiety, depression, constant guilt and insomnia accompany those who live trapped in the game. The pressure of debt, the fear of being discovered, the deterioration of family relationships and even threats due to non-payment that put their lives at risk generate an emotional burden that seriously affects mental health.
Paulino insists on the importance of involving the family unit in the recovery process, since, “normally, the family is the one that pays the debts.”
Furthermore, it is common for the gambling addiction combines with other addictions or emotional disorders. Many patients turn to alcohol or other substances to cope with the discomfort, which aggravates the clinical picture and complicates the recovery process. They could also have personality disorders.
Most patients does not seek help on their own initiative, but due to pressure from their environment or after hitting rock bottom. However, the professional support It is essential.
“You can’t get out alone; the brain is hijacked by the disease. The player learns to be manipulative, a liar. The disease does not allow him to see his own illness. Each case is unique and personalized,” warns the specialist.
Treatment varies depending on the severity of the case and includes psychological therapy, psychiatric support when necessary, self-help groups and work with the family. Recovery goes beyond stopping playing: it involves profound changes in the way you live, manage emotions, and face frustrations.
Just as there are associations of alcoholics anonymous, narcotics anonymous, there are also groups of anonymous gamblers to create a support networkvital in the recovery phase.
Possible relapses
Finally, the psychologist establishes the difference between recovery and abstinence, warning that as with rum, cocaine or marijuana, the addict game can fall again if you don’t stick to your therapy.
“They are two different things. Going into abstinence means stopping playing, but if you don’t go into recovery, that situation can easily lead you to relapses. Recovery has to do with a change that is complete and has to be worked on,” he concludes.
Finally, Paulino establishes the difference between recovery and abstinencewarning that as with rum, cocaine or marijuana, the addict game can fall again if you don’t stick to your therapy.
“They are two different things. Go into abstinence is to stop playing, but if it doesn’t come in recoverythis situation can easily lead to relapses. The recovery It has to do with a change that is complete and has to work“he concludes.
With advances in technology and online betting sites, Paulino understands that diagnoses are being made in increasingly younger people, many of them teenagers.
“Talking about the real consequences connects more than any moral discourse,” maintains the psychologist, who highlights the importance of breaking the taboo and treating gambling addiction for what it is: a disease that can affect anyone, without distinction of age, gender or socioeconomic level.
Faced with the belief that therapy is inaccessible, the Fénix Foundation offers low-cost psychological care programs for people with addictions and their families, as well as guidance and referral to specialized treatments when hospitalization is required.
