Gambling Affecting Mental Health
How does problem gambling affect individuals and their families?
- How Gambling Affects Mental Health
- Gambling Affecting Mental Health Disparities
- Gambling Affecting Mental Health Facilities
- Mental Health: Several studies placed problem gamblers at increased risk for dysthymia, major depression and anti-social personalityh disorder, phobias, and other mental conditions. Problem gamblers were also identified as being at increased risk for alcohol, nicotime and other drug abuse.
- Individuals who are addicted to gambling tend to have worse health due to ingesting caffeine, cigarettes, alcohol, even other and illicit substances. It can also negatively affect your mental health. Gambling can cause anxiety, stress, depression, and even suicide.
According to the federal government’s Problem Gambling resource, up to 500,000 Australians either are, or are at risk of becoming, problem gamblers.
Problem gambling is often associated with mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and mood disorders. Gambling problems don’t just affect mental health. People who have struggled with gambling benefit greatly from treatment and often also need family counseling and financial coaching to fully recover. In one of our previous blog posts, “How Gambling Affects Your Health,” we discuss how gambling can cause mental stress ranging from anxiety to depression and suicidal thoughts. Combining preexisting mental health disorders can multiply these side effects and lead to gambling spiraling out of control.
In general, though, gambling can be a fun and entertaining activity – the same source notes it was enjoyed by 70 per cent of Australians in some form during 2009, as per their latest data.
If gambling starts to affect a person’s physical and mental health, or causes their family or loved ones to feel stressed, anxious, it can be classified as problem gambling.
However, the impact of problem gambling can be more pressing and needs to be managed with support services such as online counselling.
Here, we discuss some of the ripple effects of problem gambling on both the gambler and his or her family members and loved ones.
IMPACT ON THE GAMBLER
There is a reason why people refer to problem gambling as an addiction – it can be genuinely difficult to stop, similar in some ways to a chemical addiction to nicotine or another drug. This is because dopamine, a chemical in our brain that causes us to feel happy, tends to be released when gamblers win.
Problem gamblers lose approximately $21,000 annually – that’s a third of an average salary.
This chemical reaction in the brain is one of the factors that contributes to feelings of addiction, and WebMD explains there could be other brain-related factors at play too. Dr Franco Manes, a neurological researcher, notes in a WebMD interview that there is a possibility that impairments in the brain’s pre-frontal cortex make it more difficult for a problem gambler to reasonably consider future consequences. Impulse control and executive decision-making can also be affected.
These biological and neurological factors can make problem gambling very taxing on an individual, causing severe stress, anxiety or feelings of helplessness. Financial repercussions can also pile up, as Problem Gambling reports these individuals lose approximately $21,000 annually – that’s a third of an average salary nationwide.
A research paper by the Australian Gambling Research Centre (AGRC) complemented Online Counselling for problem gambling as an effective and productive modern-day solution, because of the anonymity, easy access to Internet and comfort of being able to type rather than talk.
It can be very difficult for a problem gambler to quit due to the addictive chemical factors of gambling.
IMPACT ON FAMILY MEMBERS
Another study by the AGRC found that the three most common negative impacts of severe gambling on families were financial pressures, impaired relationships, lack of trust and other emotionally troubling effects.
A build-up of these unhealthy feelings can lead to breakdown of relationships. Indeed, Problem Gambling reported in a study on depression and relationship issues on problem gamblers, finding that they are six times more likely to be divorced, four times more likely to have alcohol problems and four times more likely to smoke daily. Another study by The Problem Gambling Treatment and Research Centre found children of problem gamblers are 10 times more likely to follow in the footsteps of their parents once they become adults.
The AGRC emphasises that these conditions can leave family members and loved ones with adverse effects on their own health, especially when their attempts to dissuade or change the problem gambling behaviour fail. Such situations could benefit more from professional help, so that all parties are being heard fairly and everyone’s views are respected and treated in a considerate manner.
You can call us on 1300 364 277 to book your Online Counselling session or you can also chat to us about our workshops, seminars and courses that might assist you to overcome your relationship issues with your partner/spouse, family or friends.
How The State Of Your Mental Health Can Lead To Gambling
Many of us are only aware of how gambling may affect our mental health. Few of us understand how underlying disorders may lead to an addiction. Yes, your mental well-being can also influence your likelihood of frequenting casinos and related websites.
Being aware of this relationship can help us determine the signs of problem gambling earlier. Doing so will allow us to keep watch over our loved ones as well as ourselves.
Now, let’s discuss how our mental state can lead to problems with gambling.
Impulsivity Can Lead To Gambling
How Gambling Affects Mental Health
When someone is impulsive, they tend to act without thinking things through. It’s essentially “do now, think about the consequences later.” Instinct drives their behavior, and they often do so to gain pleasure or positive results. For instance, purchasing a cake when you only need to get essentials is an impulsive act.
However, impulsivity also frequently involves risky actions. Examples of such are running across the street without checking both sides, driving when drunk, and destroying property. Meanwhile, an example of an impulsive control disorder is Kleptomania, which is the uncontrollable urge to steal something.
Impulsivity characterizes numerous conditions, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bipolar Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Those with such may be more likely to gamble and later develop an addiction to it.
Due to their ADHD, those with this condition may turn to card games and slot machines to deal with boredom. It’s because such acts satisfy their need for stimulation. A French study found out that, of the three symptoms of ADHD, impulsivity had the most substantial ties to excessive gambling.
As for bipolar disorder, manic phases are characteristically impulsive. During mania, individuals have disinhibited social behavior, higher self-confidence or grandiosity, and impaired judgment. They tend to have elated or extreme moods. All these factors can lead them to impulsively gambling.
Gambling As A Coping Mechanism
Similarly, people may also tend to gamble to cope with the difficulties they face. Those with mood disorders may find it challenging to deal with their emotions. In turn, they may use cards and betting to get by.
Depression, for example, isn’t only a product of gambling addiction. Gambling can be a new source of happiness for someone who has lost interest in their other hobbies and daily activities. But it can also be the cause of such a problem.
Winning at Blackjack or betting on the right horse can alleviate feelings of helplessness and extremely low self-esteem. It can provide instant gratification for someone who continually feels low.
Individuals may also gamble so that they can relieve stress. Instead of de-stressing through healthy methods such as exercising, journaling, or simply watching television, they choose to escape their problems by turning to the tables or the horses.
Gambling Affecting Mental Health Disparities
Moreover, having other harmful coping mechanisms can also lead to gambling addiction. For instance, researchers also link substance abuse to this problem. One reason is that drinking and gambling often happen at the same time. People like to enjoy alcohol as they play Poker and other games at the table.
Physical Factors In The Brain
With mental health disorders, there may still be an essential physical aspect. For example, while external factors may cause depression, it also has a biochemical component. While these chemicals are not the sole cause of mood disorders, they still play a significant role.
Nerve cell connections and growth, and nerve circuits can impact a person’s mental health. They are also involved when it comes to addictions, such as problem gambling. When someone wins at a game or places a bet, the brain’s rewards system releases dopamine.
A person who has depression is likely to turn to dopamine-inducing activities such as gambling, since they may experience low levels of this chemical. Such activities can thus have a cyclical pattern.
Summary
Gambling Affecting Mental Health Facilities
When we think about the relationship between gambling and mental health problems, we believe the former leads to the latter. However, it can also be the other way around. The challenges we face with our mental well-being can make us more likely to try to gamble. It can also set us on the path to addiction or problem gambling.
Impulsivity is a characteristic of conditions such as bipolar disorder and ADHD. Being impulsive could mean going to the casino and placing large bets without first thinking it through.
Gambling can also be a coping mechanism for those struggling with their mental health. Winning provides immediate happiness or gratification. It also gives individuals a sense of purpose or connection to others.
Mental health and gambling is indeed a cyclical pattern. We must reach out to our loved ones and seek professional help to break the cycle. Taking care of our mental well-being is also a way of avoiding gambling addiction’s slippery slope.