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While anyone can get addicted to gambling, some people have personality traits that make them more prone to gambling addiction than others. These personality traits may also lead to other forms of addictions including alcohol and drug addiction.
Consequently, people with a chronic gambling addiction in Kenya are also highly likely to fall to other forms of addictions. It is no wonder that at least 20% of people with alcohol addiction also deal with gambling addiction. Let us look at the personality traits that lead to a gambling addiction but before that, it is important we define what a personality trait is.
A personality trait refers to the habitual patterns of behavior, thought, and emotion. These patterns determine how we perceive ourselves and others and respond to life situations. Simply put, they define who we are and how we behave. Psychologists categorize people on the basis of their personality traits. People with similar traits are said to have the same personality. The most popular personality categorization is the Myers Briggs Personality types. Take the test here.
What personality traits contribute to gambling addiction?
Gambling addiction is a behavioral problem similar to alcohol and substance abuse addiction. This means that the same personality traits that contribute to alcohol and drug addiction may also result in gambling addiction.
According to researchers, you are likely to have an addictive personality if your personality traits include impulsivity, sensation seeking, nonconformity, social alienation and tolerance for deviance and low thresholds for stress. Impulsivity refers to the tendency to act on a whim while sensation-seeking is the uncontrollable urge to have new experiences.
A nonconformity personality trait, on the other hand, is characterized by a failure to conform to social norms, standards, rule or laws. You are also highly likely to develop gambling addiction if you are prone to stress and lack coping skills.
Impulsivity and gambling addiction
You have an impulsive personality if you often find yourself making hasty decisions and regretting later. For instance, you may find yourself getting into a lot of unnecessary fights with friends and family because you are quick to react. In other words, you are rash, hot-headed, unpredictable and highly unstable.
One of the major causes of impulsivity or an impulsive personality is bipolar disorder. This is a manic-depressive illness that is characterized by an unusual shift in moods, energy, activity levels, and daily functioning. You may have the bipolar disorder if you are often finding yourself having mood swings, sadness, anger, anxiety, hopelessness, and guilt.
The feeling of emptiness that results from bipolar disorder may be a contributing factor to problem gambling.
GamHelp Kenya conducts a holistic assessment to determine the root cause of a client’s gambling problem. We are the leading provider of gambling addiction counseling in Kenya. Also, we provide responsible betting tips in Kenya to help you avoid gambling addiction.
Sensation Seeking and Problem Gambling
You have a sensation-seeking personality trait if you tend to find pleasure in high-risk activities. People with this personality trait tend to become bored without intense sensory pleasure and excitement. This means that they are highly to engage in damaging but stimulating experiences such as drug use and gambling.
Use our Sensation Seeking Scale to determine if you have this personality trait. It is important to note that this personality trait is not bad when channeled in the right direction. GamHelp Kenya helps you determine other ways to channel this personality trait other than gambling and alcohol and drug use.
Inability to deal with stress
Another personality trait that may lead to gambling addiction is the inability to deal with stress. It is important to note that there are people who find themselves in gambling addiction due to the stress resulting from traumatic events. However, there are others who fall into addiction because they lack the thresholds to deal with day to day stress tolerance.
GamHelp treatment plan includes stress management. We help you determine the root cause of your stress and equip you with strategies to deal with it. Perhaps your gambling addiction is a symptom of an underlying problem such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Contact us for an in-depth psychological assessment to determine the root cause of your gambling addiction. Apart from personality traits, there are many other factors that lead to gambling addiction. Browse through our website for more information on Gambling addiction in Kenya.
Gamhelp Kenya provides free counseling for gambling addiction in Kenya. Take our gambling addiction test to determine if you have an addiction.