If you are between 18 and 24, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) says you are in the age group that has the highest rate of moderate to severe problems with gambling, doubling the rate of adult gambling.
From lottery and scratch tickets to speculating on the stock markets, gambling can take over your life and even end it. Betting on card games, horse races, sports or games of skill such as pool, qualifies as gambling.
Gambling Problems – Signs to Watch For
On the surface, buying a lottery ticket is entertaining and seems harmless. There are levels of gambling and one level is casual gambling for pleasure. Other levels are serious social gamblers and excessive gamblers. The differences between the levels are the degrees to which the activity becomes a part of life. CAMH identifies that “gambling is a problem when:
- it gets in the way of work, school or other activities
- it harms your mental or physical health
- it hurts you financially
- it damages your reputation
- it causes problems with your family or friends.”
Starting as just a way to spend time with friends, gambling can take on a more serious note when factors such as hoping for a big win, trying to win back lost money, escaping from life’s problems or relieving physical or emotional pain enter into the equation. Boredom, impulsivity, depression, trauma or problems with alcohol or drugs can accelerate gambling for pleasure to problem gambling.
CAMH recommends seeking professional help immediately if you think you may have a problem with gambling. Left untreated, this condition can become so severe that suicidal thoughts may occur.
How Family Members Can Help Gamblers
If you are a family member or friend affected by someone else’s gambling, CAMH says:
“You can:
- tell the person how gambling affects you
- change activities that support gambling
- not help the person who is gambling avoid responsibility for his or her actions
- make sure the family’s money is protected (a legal advisor, financial advisor or problem gambling counsellor can help direct you.)
- learn about problem gambling and share the information with the person with gambling problems
- get support for yourself and begin to get your family life back in balance
- join a support group for families affected by problem -gambling
- avoid arguing – it won’t help.”
Stanton Peele, PhD, JD Fellow, of The Lindesmith Center – Drug Policy Foundation says: “Any powerful experience in which people can lose themselves can become the object of an addiction. The result of this immersion is deterioration of the person's engagement with the rest of his or her life, which increases the person's dependence on the addictive object or involvement.”
The Canada Safety Council says: “Addiction to gambling is linked to a range of serious personal and social harms such as depression and suicide, bankruptcy, family breakup, domestic abuse, assault, fraud, theft, and even homelessness. These effects can be devastating to the individual as well as their friends, family, workplace or community. That is why the Canada Safety Council considers gambling addiction a community safety and crime prevention issue.”
“You could be living or working with a compulsive gambler and not know it until the problems are out of control,” says Canada Safety Council president Emile Therien. “It’s crucial to recognize the signs and know how to get help. Lives could be at stake.”
For further information, visit the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health website.
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