Gambling: Why Can’t I Stop?
One reason why gambling is hard to stop is because it affects your brain.
Gambling is like pressing the gas pedal of your car. Your brain’s reward hub ‘fires up’ as you think about a win.
Your brain also has a brake system. The ‘top-down control network’ is used when you want to stop gambling.
When your gas and brake pedals work, it’s easier to control your gambling.
For some people though, gambling no longer ‘fires up’ the brain with excitement. So, to feel pleasure, they ‘floor it’ by gambling more.
Meanwhile, their brakes may be faulty. They might not notice it’s time to stop gambling. Or, if they try to stop, the brakes may not work.
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Gambling: Why Can’t I Stop