Gambling Addiction And Its Negative Aftermaths
Simply put, gambling is any act of betting money with the hope or chance of receiving a monetary gain. In most scenarios, gambling is done at casinos or online while playing card games such as poker or blackjack, playing electronic slot machines, and betting on sports outcomes. Many people gamble because they desire to win despite the low chances. Some of these people also struggle with reasonably betting, sometimes gambling away more money than they have. “Commercial gambling providers… also urge players to not play for the hope of winning money, but instead for the ‘entertainment value’ of enjoying the games”. Gambling addiction is considered a behavioral addiction because it involves an activity that induces good feelings and keeps the addicted individual coming back despite bad results. The addiction aspect of gambling can be seen through the reports of sleep loss and a deviance in eating patterns. Gambling addiction causes those who are addicted to have issues with depression and low self-esteem due to loss of employment, destruction of relationships, and lack of financial security.
Addiction to gambling causes issues related to loss of employment. Some of the health problems that go along with gambling create a great interference with work. When it comes to mental health issues, anxiety has been linked to addictive gambling. Workers are unable to perform their work at an efficient level and are often absent from their jobs when anxiety causes them to be worried about so many other things that are going on in their lives. Also, gambling addiction is associated with a greater use and abuse of controlled substances. It is difficult for individuals to show up to work or be effective workers when they are under the influence of a chemical that negatively affects their motor skills. This creates a large lack of employability.
When a worker is more focused on other things, such as using drugs, they are unlikely to be reliable workers as they will miss work or not make their work a priority in any way. Of course, they would also rather be gambling than working and are willing to miss work in favor of gambling. There is also a correlation between gambling and the risk for suicide. There is too much physically and emotionally going on in the life of a gambler to allow them to not be a distraction to an employer, especially with the involvement of potential self-harm. Problem gambling is associated with low self-esteem linked to financial difficulties caused by unemployment as the result of excessive gambling. Gambling is damaging when addiction is causing poor mental health in those who are affected.
Gambling addiction also hurts mental health through the destruction of relationships. A large number of addicted gamblers are men. The stereotypical problem gambler is a young man - in his 20s - while the stereotypical exclusionary gambler is a middle-aged man - in his 40s. The men in their 40s are more likely to have a developed family or at least be in a committed relationship with a partner. But by becoming secluded, it is difficult for them to maintain a relationship with any loved ones that they do have. There is a 68% increase in the choice to abstain from sexual encounters with a partner between middle-aged men who don’t gamble and middle-aged men who do gamble. This leads to struggles with in relationships as the men are more focused on gambling than fixing their relationships. Men who gamble have reported depression, but an increased quality of life at home when they go on stretches of refraining from gambling. This is noteworthy as it suggests that gambling could be the direct cause of a poor quality of life and a mental illness such as depression.
Some people, perhaps, would argue that gambling benefits people who participate. One study notes that people who can control their gambling impulses have been known to show better skills of coping with struggles along with a higher ability to feel sensation. Though this is significant, many people who gamble are unable to control their urges, and resort to gambling compulsively rather than for the fun or enjoyment that they may have originally received. It is also worth noting that gamblers who overindulged were more likely to act out or treat others harshly. And when it is so hard to keep gamblers from becoming too involved once they begin, it is not worth it to gamble for the potential “benefits” when things can turn so poor mentally. It has been studied that the effects of gambling on the brain are comparable to the effects of drug abuse but without the chemical damage caused by drugs. Still, gambling gives people a craving that they will satisfy by dangerous means, causing harm to their mental health.
Additionally, it is hard for people to trust in themselves when they lose their financial security due to gambling. People play betting games expecting a chance to win and continue playing even though they often don’t win and despite the fact that the games are intended for the players to lose. People are willing to repeatedly throw money into a game knowing that they have a chance of making a gain even though it leaves them with an uncertainty that doesn’t allow them to support themselves on a daily basis. Mike Robinson talks about the tough feelings associated with lack of gambling success: “. . . almost 80 percent of American adults gamble at some point in their lifetime”. He also notes that approximately 2% of Americans are considered problem gamblers and often excluded themselves from activities, increasing their chances for depression and likelihood for suicidal thoughts or actions. Many gamblers are unable to afford the things that they could previously afford to do because they invest a large portion of their decreasing income in gamblng. Because they aren’t truly enjoying gambling, they aren’t partaking in any activities that they really enjoy. This leads to poor feelings about life and increase in suicidal thoughts due to mental illnesses like depression.
Unemployment, weak relationships, and unsound financials as a result of gambling addiction contribute to poor mental health. Gambling can be a fun way to spend time with friends and family and have a chance at winning money, but when it gets extreme, life becomes difficult for those who are addicted and their loved ones.
