Gambling that is harmful can have a devastating impact on both physical and mental health, relationships with family and friends, work or study performance, debt burden and risk of suicide. Recognizing signs of harm is key – there are various organizations providing support, assistance and counselling services for people experiencing problem gambling.
Gambling can be an enjoyable form of entertainment that provides temporary relief, yet can quickly turn into something harmful if it consumes too much of your time and starts harming others. Gambling often serves as a temporary relief from stress but only ends up adding further to it when attempts at winning back lost money fail and create additional worries – something which may compromise both health and wellbeing, even potentially leading to homelessness.
Gambling disorder does not fit neatly into one box, yet its symptoms may include those such as:
Symptoms can be brought on by any combination of genetics, environment, age and medical history as well as lifestyle factors like genetics or environment; however most often problems with gambling result from an underlying psychological or behavioural issue; unlike drugs which don’t discriminate by gender, social class or ethnicity, problem gambling affects everyone who gambles for money regardless of type or source.
Research demonstrates that gambling is an enjoyable source of escapism and may provide relief from boredom or loneliness, or may help meet basic needs such as power or status. Gambling also releases dopamine in your brain when winning, which causes feelings of reward which can drive some individuals towards compulsive gambling despite risks or financial ruin.
First step of beating gambling addiction: find other means of managing unpleasant feelings and relieving boredom. Some find relief through activities like exercise, spending time with non-gambler family and friends, or learning relaxation techniques. You could try giving up gambling altogether but that can be challenging and professional help from therapists or psychiatrists may be needed in determining suitable solutions.
Managed gambling can be challenging, but family and friends can provide essential assistance. Support groups for those suffering with gambling disorders exist as do telephone helplines in some states. You could also try finding alternative hobbies and avoiding environments which trigger urges to gamble – like casinos – until your urges subside. Finally, remember gambling is not a profitable form of spending your money and only gamble with money you are prepared to lose.
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