Hospitalized for gambling addiction

Thang (28 years old) was introduced to gambling when he was a second year university student. While traveling with friends, Thang was invited to play a few card games for entertainment. At first, he just played for fun, but the feeling of excitement when "winning money" from each game made this young man unable to stop.

Playing cards becomes a habit and then gradually becomes addicted without realizing it.

During his university days, Thang played cards 3-4 times a week, spending about 50,000 VND per game. When he got a job and earned a salary, the amount of cards he played for fun gradually increased to hundreds, millions, and tens of millions. Every time he lost, Thang spent more money hoping to get it back. One time, he pawned his motorbike and borrowed money from friends to gamble.

Seeing their son and girlfriend getting into gambling, Thang's parents and girlfriend tried many times to stop them but failed. Thang even decided to break up with his girlfriend because she controlled his gambling.

Continuously losing everything, Thang borrowed money everywhere, even from his colleagues at work, but had no money to pay, and was fired by his boss. New debts, old debts, unemployment, the 29-year-old man still did not wake up and threw himself into gambling day and night, even stealing his family car and pawning it.

Every time he lost a card, Thang got angry and argued with his parents, breaking things.

Worried about their son's health, his family took him to see a psychiatrist, who diagnosed him with a gambling addiction.

The 28-year-old man had to undergo a mental health check-up after a long period of gambling addiction.

Dr. Bui Nguyen Hong Bao Ngoc, Deputy Head of Department M7, Institute of Mental Health, Bach Mai Hospital, said that gambling addiction is essentially a brain disease, similar to addiction to stimulants such as drugs and alcohol.

"People with gambling disorders have a high rate of personality disorders," said Dr. Ngoc, adding that studies have found that people with gambling disorders have a high rate of personality disorders, over 60%, emotional disorders of about 50%, and anxiety disorders of over 40%.

According to Dr. Ngoc, the pleasures in life cause us to have mental illnesses. If not treated promptly, they will gradually destroy the health, personality, and happiness of individuals, families, and society.

Gambling addicts often have symptoms such as:

- The need to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve the desired excitement.

- Restlessness or irritability when trying to cut down or stop gambling.

- Repeated unsuccessful attempts to control, cut down, or stop gambling.

- Often preoccupied with gambling (e.g. having persistent thoughts about reliving past gambling experiences, or planning the next adventure, thinking about ways to get money to gamble).

- Often gamble when feeling distressed (e.g., helpless, guilty, anxious, depressed).

- After losing money in gambling, often return another day to break even ("chase" the loss).

- Jeopardizing or losing a relationship, job, or important educational or career opportunity because of gambling.

The expert shared that the way to prevent gambling addiction is to not play, not indulge in the pleasure of "red - black". To prevent relapse into gambling addiction, the person needs to isolate himself from betting games. In addition, there needs to be the cooperation and care of the family and the effort of the individual.

Patients may need treatment with methods such as psychotherapy, brain modulation, and combination chemotherapy. After discharge from the hospital, they need follow-up visits and a lot of psychological support from family and therapists.

Nguyen Ngoan

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