27
Jan 12
Gambling as a Mental Health Issue
Gambling addiction is the compulsive need to gamble and is a mental health issue. People who are compulsive gamblers come in all shapes and sizes and in all age groups. No one is aware they are problem gamblers until they are exposed to gambling. The proliferation of neighborhood gambling casinos throughout the United States has increased visibility and awareness of the problem because more lives are being affected by this destructive pathology and are seeking gambling addiction help so they can put their lives together once again.
Gambling becomes a problem if it creates additional problems in life. It isn’t just a matter of how much money is spent on gambling, it is also how much time is spent on gambling and whether it is destructive to relationships. Signs that people need gambling help include:
• Being secretive about gambling. Hiding how much time or money is being spent.
• Inability to walk away from gambling action.
• Use of money that shouldn’t be spent on gambling such as the mortgage money or the grocery money.
• Friends and family are becoming concerned about your actions and you are willing to eliminate those people from your life to continue gambling.
• The overwhelming need to obtain more money to continue gambling.
There are groups and counselors that can help addicted gamblers regain their lives, but the addict has to be willing to participate.
Casino executives perpetuate the myth that less than one percent of the population is a problem gambler. In reality the exact figure is unknown because people lie to themselves as well as others about their gambling habits. This is part of the pathology of a problem gambler. In reality the percentage is likely to be greater than five percent and could range as high as ten percent or more. It was always believed that men were the predominant group of compulsive gamblers but this is no longer the case. Statistics show that men become gambling addicts sooner in life than women do, but once a woman is exposed to gambling they take less time to become addicts than males do.