Excess gaming, gambling and social media - behavioural and functional addictions
Addiction can develop towards a substance - such as a drug - or to an activity. Various functional or behavioural addictions can arise for example for gambling or computer gaming (often together), shopping, social media or internet, sex, or eating disorders and compulsive exercise. Gambling and betting, for example, bring quick excitement and pleasure, conditioning the brain: a bad feeling quickly leaves and a good feeling takes its place. Games are designed to get the user hooked: providing thrill, challenge, and experiences of success. Social media also feeds the brain’s reward system with ‘likes’ and delivers content tailored to the user’s interests.
Addiction can develop towards a substance - such as a drug - or to an activity. Various functional or behavioural addictions can arise for example for gambling or computer gaming (often together), shopping, social media or internet, sex, or eating disorders and compulsive exercise. Gambling and betting, for example, bring quick excitement and pleasure, conditioning the brain: a bad feeling quickly leaves and a good feeling takes its place. Games are designed to get the user hooked: providing thrill, challenge, and experiences of success. Social media also feeds the brain’s reward system with ‘likes’ and delivers content tailored to the user’s interests.
Addiction is the term used when a person cannot be without a certain activity. Getting away from everyday life, for example, by browsing social media, brings pleasure initially, but as the brain gets used to this easy fix, browsing becomes more frequent and prolonged. The activity no longer produces pleasure, as in the beginning, but is now required to avoid the negative emotions such as stress, irritability, and anxiety, that life without social media causes. Negative emotions are withdrawal symptoms because, in order to get the same "dose" of pleasure, the brain now requires more and more of the same activity. The situation is especially difficult when there is money associated with the addiction. Functional addictions, like other addictions, serve a wide range of needs, such as the need for a sense of security, adventure, excitement, or social interaction.
Risks and impacts
Gambling, like other addictions, is associated with a variety of emotions, often perceived as negative, such as guilt, anxiety, and shame. Shame arises from the conflict between one's own actions and seeking the approval of others. A person often does not accept their own addiction and/or feels that their loved ones do not accept it. This shame weakens self-confidence and increases the likelihood that that activity will be performed in secret.
Risks and impacts
Gambling, like other addictions, is associated with a variety of emotions, often perceived as negative, such as guilt, anxiety, and shame. Shame arises from the conflict between one's own actions and seeking the approval of others. A person often does not accept their own addiction and/or feels that their loved ones do not accept it. This shame weakens self-confidence and increases the likelihood that that activity will be performed in secret.
Small payments can go unnoticed into significant amounts.
Gamblers can easily get into a situation where they owe money to friends and play for even bigger stakes to get their previous debts paid off. With quick loans, it is possible to get into debt in a short time and have your credit rating downgraded. The gambling addict believes they will fund the action with their winnings, but in reality when one wins, many others have to lose. After winning, it is even harder to quit, as the gambler feels that they are ‘on a roll’ and can win more. Many cell phone games also start for free, but subsequently encourage the player to pay to get extra features or lives.
Gambling addicts can feel shame at both uncontrolled gambling and financial loss or loss of social status. Financial problems cause, among other things, relationship difficulties, difficulty in managing everyday life, insomnia, anxiety, and at worst, a feeling of being deadlocked and suicidal.
Functional addictions can also cause disturbances in sleep rhythm, difficulty concentrating, and irritability, which affect not only social relationships but also coping at work or with studying. Functional addiction can also predispose to substance abuse or impaired life management, and conversely, substance abuse, for example alcoholism, can promote the development of functional addictions such as gambling. Gambling addiction may be unvisible to the outside world, which is why it may lurk in the background for long periods of time, affecting both the player themselves and their environment.
Functional addictions can also cause disturbances in sleep rhythm, difficulty concentrating, and irritability, which affect not only social relationships but also coping at work or with studying. Functional addiction can also predispose to substance abuse or impaired life management, and conversely, substance abuse, for example alcoholism, can promote the development of functional addictions such as gambling. Gambling addiction may be unvisible to the outside world, which is why it may lurk in the background for long periods of time, affecting both the player themselves and their environment.
Reducing and quitting
If you are concerned for a loved one, see this page on Tuntuu.fi and AddictionLink. Peluuri operates nationwide, helping those with gambling problems as well as their close ones. The site contains tools for self-help as well as professional and peer support by phone, online and in chat. Peluuri also has an eight-week Peli poikki ("quit it") program. Peer support for gambling addiction can be found in Gamblers Anonymous groups and in Pelirajat’on-activity. You can also get help for an addiction from your local Health Centre, Occupational Health Care and Student Healthcare as well as from voluntary associations. Think about the reasons why kicking the habit is important to you. Spend time with your loved ones and try to find new ways of feeling good and excited to help you beat the addiction. Help with behavioural addictions is available on the AddictionLink pages.
If you are concerned for a loved one, see this page on Tuntuu.fi and AddictionLink. Peluuri operates nationwide, helping those with gambling problems as well as their close ones. The site contains tools for self-help as well as professional and peer support by phone, online and in chat. Peluuri also has an eight-week Peli poikki ("quit it") program. Peer support for gambling addiction can be found in Gamblers Anonymous groups and in Pelirajat’on-activity. You can also get help for an addiction from your local Health Centre, Occupational Health Care and Student Healthcare as well as from voluntary associations. Think about the reasons why kicking the habit is important to you. Spend time with your loved ones and try to find new ways of feeling good and excited to help you beat the addiction. Help with behavioural addictions is available on the AddictionLink pages.
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