These red flags may mean you’ve got a problem with gambling : NPR

For most people, betting on sports is recreational responsibility. But not for everyone.

And for those who are dependent on gambling, the March Madness NCAA Tournament is Particularly challenging times.

“Anyone who knows that Gambles is crazy at this time of year,” says a man named Scott. “From conference tournaments to national championship games.”

For Scott, problematic gambling contributed to the financial crisis and divorce. He has recovered for several months, but he says he is not ready to talk publicly about his struggle yet, and asks NPR to use only his name. He acknowledges the widespread stigma surrounding problematic gambling.

“It feels like a character flaw,” he says.

Scott is a lifelong sports fan and high school coach. He often says people like him struggle to unleash gambling from their passion for sports.

“That’s something we love.”

Next 2018 Supreme Court Decisions to legalize sports betting, gambling – online and directly – are now available more than ever in more states than ever. Americans are expected to wager $3.1 billion in the madness game this March, bringing $70 billion across the legal gaming industry. According to the American Games Association.

Despite the surge in legal gambling opportunities, experts say many people don’t have a clear understanding of what gambling looks like and how to deal with it.

How to recognize the gambling in question

Addiction experts and researchers say that signs of gambling addiction are Drugs and alcohol

• Preconceived in gambling
• Just gambling
• You’re trying to stop gambling and stop what you can’t do
• I feel like I’ve been forced to gamble more after losing

“It usually starts – someone is really into gambling.” Gambling research and policy initiatives At East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, she says that it is often a problem that people are friends with. “They want to go gambling on their own, whether they’re at home or in casino-like gambling or not.”

These behaviors can cause the same neural pathways as substance use disorders, and ultimately modify the brain.

“They may try to stop them, but they don’t seem to stay stopped for a very long time,” Malkin said.

In many cases, problematic gamblers either have debts of unknown cause or take away the loan, but don’t spend the money as intended, says Malkin.

Gambling disorders can lead to tragedy – failed relationships, careers, and even suicide. Malkin calls this impaired idea “gambler’s misacy.” To fix the problems caused by gambling, Malkin says, people “just need to gamble more. And because they’re digging deeper into the hole, it becomes periodic.”

What does it look like?

It varies greatly from state to state as states adopt their own laws on regulation and resources for those struggling with gambling, problems. National Issues Gambling Helpline – 1-800-Gambler – Connect people to local resources. Many states with legal gambling direct their tax revenues to help pay outpatient therapy.

Therapists say there are a handful of inpatient treatment centers across the country, but insurance plans are generally less likely to cover them than inpatient treatment for other addictions.

“It’s kind of a contradiction,” says Jodie Bectord, a therapist who specializes in treating people with gambling addictions. “Your finances are very devastated, but do you have $10,000 to go to rehab?”

Bechtold and other experts recommend finding therapists (inpatients or outpatients) trained in gambling disorders, particularly those.

For example, the problematic gamblers are not taking anything. “It’s not self-limitation. You don’t lose too much.”

Understanding patients’ access to finances is important and you can learn how to help people find tools that can help them block gambling apps on their phones and opt out of communication from gambling companies.

“These are things that are not addressed by other types of addiction treatment,” says Vectold.

BetMGM、DraftKings、Fanduelなどのオンラインスポーツブックの賭けアプリは、ほとんどの州で合法であり、大学のスポーツに賭けることは一般的です。 Here, the Texas A&M baseball team will prepare for a game against the Arizona Wildcats in Houston, Texas in February 2025.

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Many recovering people emphasize the importance of finding support groups.

“You have to find human connections,” says Scott, a lifelong sports fan who is currently recovering. “Even if it’s just one at first.”

Anonymous Gambler It is an organization similar to anonymous alcoholics. Not every US location holds a direct meeting. The organization is also There is a virtual meeting.

Scott says he turned to online message boards – reddit one community has tens of thousands of participants. It’s about finding solidarity with people who are struggling with the same problem.

How to rebuild your life after gambling

Jeffrey Wasserman has recovered after losing his career as a lawyer due to gambling and currently runs an online support group for the matter. He says it’s particularly difficult for sports fans to stop betting on sports.

“Like anything else, you can approach it in a measured way,” Wasserman says.

Wasserman and other experts mean that recovery from the gambling in question is possible, but ultimately, adopting a new mindset.

He says strategies such as limiting access to money and gambling apps are short-term.

These tools are important because they recur just as easily as picking up a phone and pressing a few buttons, but “but the reality is that people get them through a period of more vulnerability,” he explains.

“The hope is that what they learn from recovery will help them think about how they want to be, what reputation they want to have, how they want to live their lives.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call, text, or chat 988 for the lifeline of suicide and crisis.
For specific help with problematic gambling, call 1-800-Gambler.