The Emotional Factor Underlying Gambling

When you were mistreated and angry, have you ever had thoughts such as “don’t let me win lottery or else…” or “if I won a 3T, I would…”? The fantasies seemed to be able to sweep away the previous bad mood. What were actually behind gambling that could turn the situation upside down?

Gambling provides excitement and the emotions involved would serve as a magnet in drawing the individual to more of the gambling activities. The emotions have impacts on you far before you reach the gambling venues. For instance, you might think of what to buy after winning money today or recall previous experience of winning. These thoughts would life up your mood. The lively atmosphere at the gambling venue, where everybody being so hopeful to win, also tends to make you feel like you are going to win.  When you begin to bet at the counter or table, emotions climb higher. As outcome approaches, people around cheer for you and heart rate almost doubles that you reach the emotional climax. If you win, you feel thrilled over excitement and gain greater confidence than before that more wins will follow. You continue to bet. If you lose, it is easy to become emotional and want to chase back what you lost. You continue to bet. The more you lose, the more you want to chase, the bigger your wager become, the more anxious and excitement you feel. The loop might go on until you can no longer bet.

The anxiety mixed with excitement affect gamblers from the very emergence of gambling thought. It is hard for an individual to break away from it to analyze critically about one’s control over self. Therefore, if you wish to reduce gambling behaviors, we advise you to leave the gambling venue as soon as you realize the inflated emotions so as to calm down and gain control over own emotions.

There is a Chinese saying of 9 frauds out of 10 bets. Emotions apparently play a significant role. Would you be willing to be captive of it? If not, some emotional regulation trainings are waiting ahead for you.

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