Ludopathy: understand what the disease of people addicted to gambling is Unicamp's Hospital de Clínicas opened a reception and care service for people with problems related to electronic betting games. The initiative is part of the Psychoactive Substances Outpatient Clinic (Aspa) and was created after the teams identified the debt of patients who already attended the structure due to the use of alcohol, tobacco or illicit drugs. The free service began in April and is held every Wednesday, from 8 am to 11:30 am, at the Psychiatry outpatient clinic, located on the second floor of Unicamp's HC. To participate, simply go to the outpatient reception. There is no need to make an appointment, and the unit welcomes both adults and teenagers - find out how it works below. READ ALSO: Ludopathy: understand what the disease of people addicted to gambling is How the service works Gambling disorder, also called gambling disorder, is a medical condition that is characterized by loss of control over the onset, frequency, intensity, duration and the increasing prioritization of gambling to the detriment of other interests and continuity of behavior stimulated by the ease of using a cell phone. People over 18 years of age with the disorder undergo screening, psychiatric evaluation and a reception group. The gateway is a psychiatric assessment, when the professional analyzes the severity of the case, checks the need for exams, evaluates possible associated clinical problems and defines the diagnosis. According to psychiatrist Renata Azevedo, coordinator of the outpatient clinic, this step also helps to identify the best treatment strategy for each patient. Afterwards, the patient is referred to a group aimed at people with gambling disorder with activities led by a psychologist. For adolescents, care is individual, depending on the particularities of this stage of development. What is worked on in these groups? One of the main goals is to help the patient recognize thought patterns associated with addiction. According to Azevedo, an important difference between gambling disorder and other addictions is the belief that a new bet will be able to recover all the money previously lost. The expert classified this logic as a "cognitive distortion" that fuels the continuity of behavior. "It's a group that has a cognitive-behavioral basis. So, the idea is, first, to improve perception of the gambling problem," he explained. Denial and shame According to Aspa psychologist Maurício Sant’ana, most of the time patients who attend the clinic go through a process of denial and shame to admit their addiction to games. "The habit of gaming is powerful. It is often associated with anxiety, depression and loneliness. Gaming promotes a false idea of ??company and participation", he explained. Psychiatrist Felipe Santaella warns that the betting process begins occasionally, but intensifies and generates financial losses. According to Felipe, São Paulo is the state with the largest number of people who bet and with the most debt problems. "They gamble to try to recover what they lost and enter into a process in which the expense ends up being greater. There are patients who owe money to the bank, the loan shark and their family. This is the reason for a lot of suffering", said Felipe. Facade of the Unicamp HC, in Campinas Antoninho Perri/Unicamp VIDEOS: Everything about Campinas and the Region See more news about the region on the g1 Campinas page.