Gambling is a widespread activity in Western society. Engagement with gambling ranges from an occasional purchase of a lottery ticket through to the use of betting shops, casinos and, increasingly, online gambling made available through the internet.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the ‘bible’ of mental health disorders, recently reclassified problem gambling from being an impulse control disorder to being an addiction, reflecting the increasing problem that many have with controlling their gambling behaviour.
Neither the type of gambling, or now the relative frequency, are in themselves clear clinical evidence that a person’s gambling is out of control and they are either struggling to control their behaviour, or indeed, have a full-blown addiction. A helpful way of considering whether your gambling has become uncontrollable is to consider the role it plays in your life. Can you stop easily? Do you experience emotional withdrawal? Under what circumstances do you find yourself compelled to gamble?
As with any addiction, the symptoms show whether a person is addicted or not. Psychotherapy is about helping clients to learn effective strategies for managing varying emotional states. People who may have impulse control problems, or addictions, find being able to ‘feel’ their emotions without reacting to them very difficult, and this is where the behaviour or substance enters. Gambling addicts use gambling to help them manage emotional states ranging from excitement through to sadness or anger.
Gambling addictions are extremely corrosive and not only affect the addict directly, but can often have a serious impact on close family and friends as well as wider society. Gamblers often find that as the addiction takes further hold, they lie to their family, especially around finances, leading to increased anxiety, alienation and low self-esteem. All of this makes stopping the compulsive behaviour all the more difficult.
Research has suggested that not only is gambling addiction on the rise, but that increasingly, women are presenting with this problem. One of the main drivers leading to this is the prevalence of online gambling. Through the click of a mouse, it is now extremely easy to bet and gamble across a range of virtual environments – all from the comfort of one’s own home. And online gambling further reinforces the addict’s predisposition to secrecy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is gambling addiction?
Gambling has recently been recognised as an addiction due to the seriousness of the problem and condition. It is the same as any other addiction in that the gambler is unable to moderate their behaviour and is trapped in the addiction-shame cycle.
How do I know if I have a gambling problem?
If your gambling feels out of control and you notice that you are relying on gambling to moderate or manage your feelings, then it is likely that your behaviour has become compulsive and you have a gambling addiction.
How can psychotherapy help gambling addiction?
Psychotherapy can function as a secure holding relationship; in which the addicted client can learn to feel their feelings rather than ‘acting out’ through gambling. Gambling, like any other addiction, is a type of attachment disorder where past relational trauma has made it too risky for the addict to use healthy relating as a way of modulating their feelings and instead uses a maladaptive behaviour.
What mental health problems are associated with gambling addiction?
There is evidence that gambling addicts, like other addicts, struggle to manage their emotions and will often oscillate between depression and anxiety as well as feeling low self-esteem as part of the addiction-shame cycle. Gambling addiction is also correlated with personality disorders in some clients.
What causes a gambling addiction?
Increasingly the evidence is showing that addictions are attachment disorders whereby addicts use gambling to manage their emotions as they have not learnt how to do this in a healthy way. However, with the rise of internet and online gambling as well as fixed odds betting terminals (FOBT) it is likely that increasing numbers of people with little or no attachment trauma are being lured into an addictive cycle.
Contact us
There is help available, and at Brighton and Hove Psychotherapy, we can work with you to help you break the addictive cycle and reclaim your life. As with any addiction, there will be a withdrawal period. However, therapy can help you to understand the nature of your addiction, learn to process your emotions internally rather than seeking external stimulus, and to build a life that gives you a long-term sense of fulfilment and meaning.
At Brighton and Hove Psychotherapy, we have two physical practices, one in Hove and one in Lewes, where we offer a full range of psychological therapies. On our website, you can view each profile of our associates and contact them directly using the form on their profile page. You can also use our handy search function to find the right practitioner for your needs.
If you would like to know more or to arrange an initial consultation, please contact one of our associates for a confidential discussion.
All the content on this page has been reviewed and vetted by Mark Vahrmeyer UKCP Registered Psychotherapist, Supervisor and Co-Founder of Brighton and Hove Psychotherapy. For any questions or more information about the subjects discussed on this page please contact us.