Gambling Effects On Mental Health
- Gambling Effects On Mental Health Disparities
- Gambling Effects On Mental Health Services
- Gambling Effects On Mental Health Issues
Long before it looks like a problem, gambling can be causing harm. Harm from gambling isn’t just about losing money. Gambling can affect self-esteem, relationships, physical and mental health, work performance and social life. It can harm not only the person who gambles but also family, friends, workplaces and communities. Gambling disorders are typically accompanied by multiple social, psychological, mental health and financial issues, all of which impact the individuals’ mental health and athletic performance. Only a few studies have assessed short-term and long-term effects of problem gambling among elite athletes.
The majority of the world’s adult population engages in some form of gambling each year, and reviews of online casinos are becoming more accessible than ever before. Gambling has always been perceived as a sinful activity, and the healthcare industry has always looked at gambling from a negative perspective. However, it’s scientifically proven that when enjoyed recreationally, gambling can have some very surprising health benefits.
Be that as it may, gambling should only be considered a form of entertainment; otherwise, it may become a serious problem and can turn into an addiction. Let’s see why gambling can actually be good for you if treated as a fun once-in-a-while activity.
Gambling Can Be Useful for Relaxation
Various studies have proven how recreational activities can be relaxing and may help if a person is stressed or anxious. If gambling is used as the preferred form of relaxation, then it can have the same result as reading or other similar activities. Thus, betting on the Gold Cup race, for example, could be a good way to relax. Many gambling enthusiasts have stated that playing casino games helps them deal better with hard times. By enjoying some leisure time activities like gambling, people can eliminate the possibility of developing stress-related illnesses that can be as mild as a headache or as serious as cancer.
Keeping the Mind Active
Aside from stress-relief effects of recreational gambling, research has also shown that playing casino games keeps the mind sharp by improving cognitive brain function. Keeping the mind active is particularly beneficial for older people, and casino games such as blackjack or poker can serve as an effective concentration technique. Although many people visualize a casino as a place where hundreds of people are staring at slots machines, this is no longer the case as online casinos now offer the possibility to play games from home and totally hassle-free.
Social Benefits
Gambling has significant social benefits because, when players are playing casino games, they are also talking and joking around with other players. Also, users playing online games can interact with other people via forums and chat facilities. This is particularly important for older people who may become isolated and lonely because they are no longer independent or mobile as they once were.
When Gambling Becomes a Problem
Gambling as a form of recreation and entertainment can have a positive impact on your mental health. However, gambling can become a problem when it cannot be controlled and when it significantly affects your finances, relationships, and even workplace. This type of compulsive behavior is called “problem gambling” and it can be very harmful to psychological and physical health. Because of its negative consequences, gambling addiction has become a significant public concern worldwide.
People gamble for a whole range of reasons. While gambling moderately is not a problem, gambling can become an addiction and can be harmful to our mental health.
Why do we gamble?
Gambling Effects On Mental Health Disparities
People gamble for a variety of reasons, including:
- the buzz, the excitement, and the high adrenaline release
- the competitive element - trying to beat other players, the bookie, or the dealer
- the thrill of risk taking, of placing large bets
- to solve financial problems
- a way of escaping from stress or worries.
Sensible gambling
Some people say that there is no such thing as safe gambling. Others argue that gambling is like drinking alcohol - it's safe to do as long as you follow some sensible rules.
- Keep away from high-risk forms of gambling where you can lose large sums of money very quickly.
- Limit the amount of time you gamble. This will give you time to do other, more important things with your life.
- Limit the amount you spend to the amount you can afford to lose. When you have spent this much, walk away.
- Quit while you are ahead. If you continue, you are likely to lose because the odds are always stacked against you. That's how bookies and the casinos make their money.
When gambling becomes a problem
For most of us, gambling is a harmless activity. But, for some people, gambling is a way of life, an addiction that can wreck their lives.
You may be a compulsive gambler if:
- you spend more money on gambling then you can afford. If you continue to gamble, you could get into serious debt. You could also lose your home and your possessions
- you spend so much time gambling that you neglect other important areas of your life, like your family or your work. You could lose your job or end up divorced or separated from your partner and children
- your feelings and behaviour change. For example, you may become depressed when you lose or over-excited when you win. In serious cases, you may feel that you are only really alive when you gamble
- it leads you to inappropriate or even criminal behaviour. For example, you may lie to family and friends about your gambling activities or you may steal to fund your gambling habit.
Questions to ask yourself
If you think you may have a gambling problem but are not sure, ask yourself:
- Is gambling making me unhappy at work or at home?
- Is gambling making it hard to sleep at night or concentrate during the day?
- Am I lying to other people and myself about how much I gamble?
- Am I gambling to get away from problems or worries?
- Am I gambling to get money - so that I can pay off debts or solve financial problems?
- Am I borrowing money or selling possessions so that I can gamble?
- If I have just won or just lost, do I feel I need to gamble just a little bit more?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may have a gambling problem.
What causes compulsive gambling?
All compulsive behaviours have social, psychological and biological origins. Gambling brings us into contact with others, even if we are using internet gaming rooms. This can provide a sense of community, however damaging the associated behaviours. Social meaning and acceptance by others are important to us all and for the compulsive gambler these can be found in virtual gaming rooms, real casinos, bookmakers and so on.
Gambling also changes how we feel psychologically as well as socially. It allows us to escape our normal lives and the everyday struggles we experience. During a period of gambling our mind is occupied by the odds, the bet, the race, the actions of other gamers, the run of the cards and so on. It can be all-consuming and therefore provides an engaging, exciting escape from ordinary life.
At the biological level, compulsive behaviours can have a direct effect on the brains dopamine reward system. This system regulates our responses to natural rewards like food, sex and social interaction. Repeated compulsive behaviours can act on this system with a power and persistence that changes its cells chemically and structurally. This in turn can have an overwhelming effect on our well-being. People may no longer respond normally to rewards such as food, sex and social interaction, and instead depend on gambling for their sense of reward.
Compulsive gambling can therefore develop through the social meaning and psychological relief that it offers. This is further compounded by the chemical changes in our brain that accompany these experiences. It is in fact artificial to separate these factors since they all occur simultaneously for the compulsive gambler. Social meaning, psychological relief and a fired dopamine reward system can be a difficult combination of experiences for the most hardy of individuals to resist.
Helping yourself
If you feel that you have lost control of your gambling, there are some things you can do to help yourself.
- Admitting you have a problem is the first and most important step.
- Find someone you can trust to talk to about your problem. It could be a friend, a relative or a specialist advisor.
- Avoid locations and situations where you may be tempted to gamble.
- Take control of how you spend your money, so that you don't waste it on gambling.
- If you can't do this by yourself, you may need to ask someone else to help you do this.
- Take one day at a time. Don't expect everything to improve straight away.
Living with someone who gambles
Living with someone who gambles can be just as difficult as living with someone with any other kind of addiction. It can be very stressful and it can lead to the breakdown of your relationship.
If you are not sure whether you are living with someone who has a gambling problem, ask yourself:
Gambling Effects On Mental Health Services
- Do they promise time and time again to stop gambling but carry on anyway?
- Do they disappear for long periods of time without telling you where they were?
- Do they spend large sums of money without being able to account for it?
- Do you hide money to stop them spending it?
- Do they lie to cover up or deny their gambling?
If you answered yes to most of these questions, then they may have a gambling problem.