What Does Gambling Do To Your Brain

Gambling Good for your Brain HealthStatus Team440 As we get older we stop using parts of our brain and these areas become weaker and can lead to faster senility, but there are things that can help slow down this process and kelp keep your brain strong well into the latter years of your life. The brain of gambling addicts We need to understand brain function to address a gambler’s behavior and plan for recovery. Let’s take a brief look at what goes on in the brain, from the inside out, before taking a brief look at treatments that can be helpful in dealing with the immediate and long-term remediation of the effects of gambling.

We protect our kids from a lot of dangers. We teach them about the consequences of drinking, and why they shouldn’t smoke. We teach them about talking to strangers and who to go to for help when they need it. When they reach an appropriate age, we talk to them about their changing bodies and safe relationships.

Unfortunately, many parents don’t talk about the risks associated with gambling. Kids know about alcoholism, and they know how cigarettes can be addicting. We educate them about more serious drugs, as well.

We must talk to our youth about gambling addiction, and understand how adolescent brain development can make kids more likely to be at-risk.

Why Should We Teach Our Kids About Problem Gambling?

We need to educate our children about the risks and warning signs of gambling addiction because opportunities to gamble are all around them.

Kids can gamble with their friends and be introduced to new games with family members at home. They see advertisements for the lottery and local casinos, and they receive scratch-off cards for holidays. Opportunities to gamble are scattered throughout our communities (explore a few in our infographic: “The Cost of Gambling”).

We have to educate our kids about problem gambling because adolescents who gamble at a young age are more likely to become problem gamblers. As children and teenagers, our brains are not fully prepared to evaluate the consequences of every action.

How Does Brain Development Relate to Addiction?

Often, children and teenagers don’t understand or acknowledge the consequences of their decisions. This can be very frustrating for parents, but there’s a reason why this happens:

Our brains are not fully developed until we are in our early twenties.

That’s why teenagers may make irrational decisions that don’t seem to be logical to adults. Adolescents are more likely to take risks because the part of their brain that drives emotion and impulse develops before the part of the brain that processes complex information. As the brain becomes more able to consider all the details of a situation, then logic can help us make better choices.

When kids, teenagers and even college-age students begin gambling, emotions will drive their decision to gamble more, to be competitive, and to seek the “big win.” They’ll be more likely to take a gambling risk if they think they will benefit. Unfortunately, this also means young gamblers may risk relationships with friends and experience problems at school and at home.

Learn More About Problem Gambling and Youth.

KnowTheOdds is pleased to announce the release of its brand new e-book, “The Dangers of Youth Gambling Addiction.” Within, you’ll learn more about adolescent brain development, how kids are introduced to gambling, how online gaming affects kids’ habits, and much, much more.

We invite you to share this with people who should learn more about the risks of youth gambling. Teach others – parents, college students, high school students and younger children – about how problem gambling affects millions of people throughout the world.

Together, we can help keep more kids safe from devastating addictions.

While gambling on sports or at online casinos can be a lot of fun, there are a lot of risks attached to it as well.

From the outside, gambling may just seem like a bad habit to some, but in fact, the psychological and mental impact it has on a person’s brain is a lot more serious.

What do studies say?

According to Imperial College London’s latest research, a gambling addiction activates the same brain pathways as drug and alcohol cravings.

The findings also revealed that there’s a weakening of the certain parts of the brain that control our instinctive impulses, meaning those with a gambling addiction are more likely to cave.

The two biggest causes of gambling addictions are virtual roulette and sports gambling.

In the same study, scientists found that the two most affected parts of the brain, the insula and nucleus accumbens, were extremely active when those with a clear gambling addiction were shown a picture associated with gambling.

Why is gambling so addictive?

Like certain junk foods make us happy, gambling can have a similar effect on the brain. As you continue to place more bets, you start to formulate a habit in your head.

Your brain will then condition itself into wanting more until it receives its reward – i.e. winning. But as you know, gambling doesn’t always end in success, which can lead to someone continuing until they have no money left.

When you win a bet, the main neurotransmitter in the brain will release dopamine. This chemical is something only experienced in full when you’re stimulated and enjoying something, leading to pleasure and added motivation to repeat the activity.

Gambling can have this effect on your brain.

What Does Gaming Do To Your Brain

If you think that you may need some help tackling a gambling problem, get in touch with the specialists at GamCare.