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Depression, Anxiety and Gambling

by Jerry "Jet" Whittaker

February 28, 2006

 

Dog races, card games, slot machines, dice, sporting events, lotteries, Internet gaming, bingo, the stock market... the list is endless. Gambling has increasingly enveloped our society and is widely endorsed as a fun and exciting form of entertainment. But some people have to bear serious social, financial, interpersonal, and emotional costs because of gambling and it can even lead to significant health problems.

 

Characteristics associated with Gamblers:

The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) has characterized gambling consisting of five or more of the following behaviors:

  1. Preoccupied with gambling

  2. Spending huge amounts of money on gambling in order to achieve desired excitement

  3. Repeatedly trying to control, cut back, or stop gambling

  4. Restlessness and irritability in response to cutting down attempts to gamble

  5. Gambling to escape problems and feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression

  6. Returning to gambling after losing money (chasing losses)

  7. Lying to others to conceal the extent of gambling

  8. Committing acts of forgery, fraud, theft, to finance gambling

  9. Depending on others for money to relieve serious financial problems caused by gambling

 

Many compulsive gamblers suffer from addictive disorders such as alcohol and substance abuse and mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.

 

Diagnosing the problems of Anxiety and Depression:

Diagnostic instruments used to identify gamblers are the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS, 1978) and the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-III-R, 1987 and DSM-IV, 1994). DSM-IV characterizes it as a disorder of impulse control and a chronic and progressive failure to resist impulses to gamble and gambling behavior. These are accompanied by features such as mood disorders, stress related medical conditions and personality disorders.

Depression and Anxiety among Gamblers:

Many problem gamblers list stress, anxiety and depression as major symptoms of their gambling behavior. These symptoms are associated with feelings of despair, dread and worthlessness. Problem gamblers may be suffering from stress and anxiety, which is often related to some kind of financial crisis. They could be heavily in debt, or have no money to live by.

Depression, anxiety and associated symptoms are most likely to be related to the problem gambler's history of losses, lies, secrets, and broken promises. For the individual these symptoms may be a possible connection with financial pressures and perhaps a history of excessive gambling. It may be difficult for the patient to disclose this kind of information which is a far more common scenario than is generally recognized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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