STOP gambling

 

Relationship between gambling and mental health disorders

When many of us think about problem gambling, we are often drawn to the one obvious negative consequence – financial struggle.  It’s time we start talking about the elephant in the room – the connection between mental health and problem gambling.  No one is really sure which came first, but there are strong connections between problem gambling and mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, bi-polar disorder, personality disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 

Anyone can develop a gambling problem – it does not depend on age, gender, income, education or ethnic background – and the transition from being a non-gambler to someone with a gambling problem can be swift. For people experiencing mental or physical health problems, stress, loneliness, anti solution, or loss and grief, the risk of problem gambling developing is greater. Problem gambling can be thought of as a behavioral addiction, sharing some features of other addictions such as alcoholism and drug addiction. Problem gambling is not easy to spot. Sometimes, by the time anyone realizes there is a problem, the person already has mental health problems and is close to financial ruin. Like other addictions, the longer problem gambling goes on, the harder it is to break free.

Some possible theories

 

While a well-developed theory to explain the nature of problem gambling is not available, the “self-medicating” hypothesis provides some physiological insight. This theory explains that human beings strive to maintain a balanced state of contentedness, free from anxiety, fear, or sadness. When there is a disturbance to the balance, through genetic or environmental factors, we attempt to regain the balance through whatever means available to us. At a neurochemical level, this balance is best known to be related to levels of the identifiable neurotransmitter dopamine. Common substances such as alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, etc., are known to increase the levels of dopamine, however transiently, thus restoring the sense of well-being. This explains why some individuals are more susceptible to being addicted to these substances. Recent studies have also found that gambling can increase the levels of dopamine, providing the link to a form of substanceless addiction.

Research has also linked a high level of impulsivity and compulsivity to a disturbance in the neurotransmitter serotonin. Correspondingly, many problem gamblers have difficulty controlling their impulsivity and compulsion, and recent research has shown that some of these gamblers indeed have a serotonin deficiency. The serotonin theory thus provides some insight into the nature of problem gambling as an impulsivity and compulsion problem.

Of course, a neurochemical and medicalized explanation of gambling problems is a gross oversimplification of the issue, and pathway 1 clients are unlikely to have many addiction, impulsivity or compulsion problems — their problem may be mostly environmental and circumstantial. Nevertheless, knowing the common neurochemical links does help us understand the relationship between problem gambling and other psychiatric disorders for pathway 2 and 3 clients. For example, a low level of serotonin is highly associated with major depression, attention deficits and anxiety disorders — perhaps those pathway 2 and 3 clients are more likely to have concurrent psychiatric disorders because of this shared neurochemical vulnerability.

It’s time we have the conversation about problem gambling and mental health to prevent any more negative consequences associated with either disorder. Some hope that the roll of the dice or the spin of the slot machines can help them have some fun in life and help them relax. In reality, over time it often makes the depression and anxiety worse.

In fact, one in five problem gamblers attempts suicide.  That number is two times higher for problem gambling than it is for any other addiction. The study also showed that gamblers who committed suicide were three times less likely to have consulted a health service in the year preceding their death. “Gamblers don’t consult professionals because they believe the problem will solve itself,” said Boyer. “They believe their financial or alcohol or drug problems are the result of gambling and therefore they seek a solution in gambling rather than get help.”

 

SOURCE:https://www.recoveryranch.com/articles/dual-diagnosis/gambling-addiction-often-co-occurs-with-other-disorder/

SOURCE:https://www.problemgambling.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/12944/problem-gambling-and-depression-beyond-blue.pdf