How Gambling Disorders Can Affect Your Loved One
Gambling involves risking something of value, such as money, for a chance to win a prize. It can take many forms, including lotteries, casino games (such as blackjack and roulette), sports gambling, and more. Regardless of the form, people can become addicted to gambling for any of a number of reasons, such as an early big win, boredom susceptibility, impulsivity, a poor understanding of random events, use of escape coping, stressful life experiences and depression.
Some of these factors may apply to your loved one if they have a gambling disorder, but this doesn’t absolve them of responsibility. Instead, it can help you understand why they keep gambling and how addiction works.
When you gamble, your brain gets a dopamine response similar to that produced when you take drugs. This is because you are learning and gaining rewards based on the randomness of the outcome. However, if your gambling becomes problematic, the random reward pathway can get hijacked and stop working effectively. When this happens, gambling stops being about entertainment and turns into a way to profit or escape.
This can lead to a vicious cycle, where you continue gambling in the hope that you will repeat your early big win and avoid losing. Ultimately, you may end up in debt or even homeless, which can have devastating effects on your mental and physical health as well as relationships with family, friends, colleagues and work.
There is no one cause for gambling problems, but it tends to run in families and be influenced by a range of factors such as trauma, social inequality, stress, a lack of support and more. It can begin at any age, and it can affect men and women differently. It also can vary by the type of gambling: some people are more prone to problem gambling than others, and different types of gambling are more likely to cause problems in certain individuals.
The best thing to do is seek help for yourself or your loved one. There are lots of options available for treatment, including cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodynamic therapy and group therapy. You can also get support from a gambling anonymous group. This will allow you to meet other people who are experiencing the same issues and can offer advice and support. You can also find support from a specialist gambling treatment provider or a charity. There are also some apps that can help you track your spending and limit how much money you spend on gambling. You should also set boundaries in managing the money in your household, to prevent your loved one from using it to feed their gambling habit. It is also helpful to learn new ways to relieve boredom and to self-soothe unpleasant emotions, such as exercise, spending time with friends who don’t gamble, or practicing relaxation techniques. You can also try joining a club or hobby to help make new friends and build your confidence. The more you do to reduce your need to gamble, the more in control you will be.
Gambling involves risking something of value, such as money, for a chance to win a prize. It can take many forms, including lotteries, casino games (such as blackjack and roulette), sports gambling, and more. Regardless of the form, people can become addicted to gambling for any of a number of reasons, such as an early…