Dealing with your gambling buzz
The addiction gambling buzz is well known to you. But you can weaken it and take control.
Your addiction buzz is the barrier you must overcome
Your gambling buzz is your emotions in total control. These are keeping you stuck in the actions of your gambling addiction. Discover what is going. And your way forward to a life you yearn for.
Gambling Buzz – what is it and why?
At the core of all addictive behaviours is the existence of a powerful emotional pull. What is happening is that a surge of emotion (dopamine mainly) is sprayed around from your amygdale to your striatum and this then activates your action centres (the accumbens) which being highly attuned to the perceived value of the goal, will complete the pattern.
And what are overridden in this emotion surge leading to the gambling action are two things? The first is what your better self wants, which is to stop. The second is a reminder of the negative consequences that will flood through at some time afterwards
It has been called the tunnel of attention. This well captures very well the single track that leads where you really don’t want to go and then can keep you there for such a long time.
But there is another feature that becomes more and more important, the longer the habit has persisted and taken over. It is that the emotion surge becomes less and less influential as it is no longer “necessary”.
What happens is that the action happens automatically without the need for strong emotion beforehand. You can go on automatic pilot and locking in to your very own gambling addiction trance.
OK, let’s get back to the emotion – or the addiction buzz.
Questions to narrow down your gambling buzz
- Is it the feeling of power and control as you make the gamble?
- Is it the echo of past triumphs, particularly that early one?
- Is it the feeling of escape and the protection and relief you will get from all those life problems which are crowding in?
- Is it a hidden molar memory? Molar memories explained. They are the possible pleasure and excitement motivation which is hidden in a past memory behind memories of humiliation and anger.
- Is it relief from the fear of not knowing what else you can do?
How can you shift and weaken your gambling buzz?
Well just fighting against it is rarely enough. Instead you need to engage and shift your unconscious using trance and the metaphorical language of your unconscious. See this Trance post.
And then practice these new emotions in real life situations and so embed and strengthen them.
Of course, both trance work and the identification and rehearsal of real life action is what I do.
My Moving Beyond Addiction Audio Programme will be an essential part of your therapy with me.
Or you can buy it and work on your own. Find out more.
Addiction Tools
The Cuckoo in the nest
Why are addictions so hard to beat
The stages of quitting
Recovery path in outline
Your addiction Time Line
Addiction downloads
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