“Agenda: Addiction – Gambling Addiction” interview from BATI Institute
Ege University (EU) Substance Addiction, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Sciences Institute (BATI) Substance Addiction Department organized a talk on “Agenda: Addiction – Gambling Addiction”. The moderator of the online event was Deputy Director of the Institute and Head of the Department Assoc. Dr. Görkem Yararbaş took the responsibility. The event was attended by the Department of Substance Abuse Dr. Instructor Member Umut Kırlı, Lect. See. İnci Derya Yücel and Res. See. Dr. Demet Havaçeliği Atlam attended as a speaker.
In the opening speech of the event, Assoc. Dr. Görkem Yararbaş said, “The process of prohibiting gambling by law in our country started in 1996 and since 1998, the process of gambling in a familiar and customary sense in Turkey has been stopped legally. However, stopping it legally does not mean that gambling is not played, it can still be played physically in places where illegal gambling is not seen. Considering the ease of playing gambling over the internet in these years, when technology developed and the internet age prevailed, gambling has reached a level that individuals of all ages can reach. During the pandemic period, it is seen that there is a significant increase in the applications of individuals to specialists for help with gambling addiction.
Referring to the place of dose values in substance addiction in gambling addiction, Assoc. Dr. Yararbaş said, “While high dose and low dose rates can be mentioned in other substances, it is very difficult to talk about the dose rate in behavioral processes caused by gambling. The duration of the exposure and the complex patterns of loss or gain are the factors that make it difficult to analyze this issue.
“Decrease in social functioning is an important indicator”
In his speech, defining gambling addiction, Dr. Instructor Member Umut Kırlı said, “Gambling disorder is not an addiction different from other substance and alcohol addictions. If there is a decrease in social functionality due to gambling in the daily life of the individual, we can talk about gambling disorder. For example, changes in characteristic features such as giving up activities of daily living to gamble are the symptoms of this disorder.
“Starting with a search for a little fun”
Stating that young people are introduced to gambling through digital betting sites, Lecturer. See. İnci Derya Yücel said, “At first, there is visual and auditory exposure in betting sites that appear as trials or games. Gambling games, which are performed without depositing money at first, can reach a level that causes gambling disorder over time. Starting out with a little entertainment quest, some sums can be invested in the games for the customization of the character in the games on the internet. It is subjected to a process such as getting pleasure in return for the service obtained by investing money.”
“It damages the sense of trust in the family”
Talking about the effect of young gambling addicts on family structure, Res. See. Dr. Demet Havaçeliği Atlam said, “There can be a comparison between people who use drugs and people who gamble. It can be seen that they are compared in the difficulties experienced within the family. In substance and gambling addiction, where the lie factor that harms the sense of trust in the family comes to the fore, it causes big problems when the financial dimension is involved. Problems reach the highest level with the process of asking for financial support from the family, demanding the sale of the material belonging to the family, and the last stage, the debt request process. In order to prevent this, it is of great importance for the family to cut financial resources.”
Source: (BYZHA) – Beyaz News Agency
