Gambling, defined as placing money on an event with an unpredictable outcome, is often enjoyed for entertainment or relaxation purposes. People can gamble for various reasons including socialisation and relieving stress; however, gambling that becomes problematic can have serious repercussions for mental health and wellbeing.
There are multiple signs that gambling has become a problem for you. If you find yourself lying to friends and family about spending time together or passing TABs or casinos on your way to work, or passing by them while driving to work – taking action could be key. Furthermore, taking note if your gambling habits require using credit cards or borrowing money in order to finance them may also indicate problems with control and should be monitored closely.
People suffering from gambling disorders may display symptoms including restlessness, anxiety and irritability. They may also find difficulty focusing and are often preoccupied with thoughts of gambling. Gambling is especially harmful when combined with depression or bipolar disorder – these people are at an increased risk for developing an addiction problem and may find it more challenging to recover from one.
Gambling causes your brain to release chemicals that stimulate its reward center, creating feelings of pleasure when winning and even leading you towards other high-reward activities, like drugs or alcohol abuse or dangerous acts like theft. But the good news is that these chemical changes can be reversed so if gambling has become a problem for you it is essential that you seek assistance and alter your behaviour as soon as possible.
As part of your recovery journey, the initial step should be understanding what’s happening in your brain when gambling. To achieve this objective, ‘gambling self-report inventories’ provide tests designed to gauge what thoughts and feelings arise when gambling; their results can help identify individual triggers.
Insurance is a way to transfer risk away from yourself to another party, much like gambling in that you place a bet on events with unpredictable outcomes. Insurance companies use actuarial methods to calculate premiums accordingly – much like how gamblers choose their bets.
Your best defense against gambling for your children lies in teaching them about its risks. Talk with your child about how betting works and emphasize the low odds of success. Teach your children to gamble responsibly using only money you can afford to lose; and lead by example by not gambling before them or encouraging reckless gambling by saying or doing things which encourage their bets. Seek advice from either your GP or counsellor regarding local referral sources for counselling and treatment services near where you live.