Financial problems
- Gambling Effects On Society
- Problem Gambling Effects On Family Life
- Problem Gambling Effects On Family Game Night
- Problem Gambling Effects On Family Violence
Individuals with a gambling disorder will exhaust all accessible monetary resources to satisfy their addiction. Exhausting savings, selling property, cashing-in stocks, borrowing on insurance policies, taking out loans are common and often happen quickly and without the knowledge of other facility members.
Nov 12, 2017 In fact, gambling addiction is one of the most destructive addictions in terms of the impact it has on the individual and those around him or her. The issue of how gambling addiction affects the family is one that often arises because this illness can have a devastating impact on so many individuals. How Does Gambling Addiction Begin? But with help, your family can deal with and get over problems caused by gambling. People with gambling problems do recover, and their families do heal. Your family can be one of them. By reading this information on ProblemGambling.ca, you have taken an important first step.
With every asset expended, families find themselves in severe financial crisis which leads to feelings of fear, frustration, anger and betrayal.
Emotional problems
Family members are often embarrassed to admit that a loved-one has a gambling problem. Shame, fear, betrayal, confusion, distrust are all emotional reactions that make life difficult. These difficulties carry over to every aspect of a family member’s life including their personal relationships, their work and interactions with other members of the family.
Gambling Effects On Society
Gambling problems cause strong feelings. Family members may feel ashamed, hurt, afraid, angry, confused and distrustful. These feelings make it harder to solve problems. The person who gambles may even deny that there is a problem.
Isolation
To avoid the emotional stress of “putting on a face” in light of the many family issues caused by gambling, family members, particularly spouses, may simply avoid social situations. This compounds the problem by denying family members access to much-needed support from others. It’s common for family members to lose friends do to unpaid debts. They engage less in intellectual and cultural activities. And because of anger and resentment toward the addicted gambler, there is also no comfort from, or closeness to, the gambler, leaving the family member to struggle alone.
Physical and mental health
There is a strong connection between mental health and physical health. For both the individual with a gambling disorder as well as the family member, anxiety, depression and stress reactions are common. These issues when untreated can lead to poor sleep, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, muscle tension, high blood pressure and many other physical problems. Due to financial limitations, many never seeking help for these issues until they become severe.
Emotional Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
Family members often bear the brunt of supporting, encouraging and trying to aid the problem gambler. While giving so much care to another, self-neglect is common. Over time, the multiple burdens of prolonged financial problems, emotional problems and physical health problems can result in emotional burnout. Burnout is a state of chronic stress that results in physical and emotional exhaustion, cynicism, detachment, and in the worst cases, despair.
Emotional burnout may manifest as chronic fatigue, insomnia, problems with concentrating, loss of appetite, increased illnesses, anxiety, anger and depression.
Physical and Emotional Abuse
Family violence is more common when families are in crisis. Gambling problems can lead to physical or emotional abuse of a partner, elder parent or child. Children may be hurt due to pent-up anger. If this is happening in your family, get help right away. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Otherwise, please contact the Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline.
Suicidal thoughts and attempts
No other addiction has as high a suicide rate as gambling. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) estimates that one in five people with a gambling disorder will attempt to kill themselves, about twice the rate of other addictions. Whether attempted or completed, this can has devastating, life-long emotional effects on loved ones, spouses and children. Further, family members facing isolation, panic, finical ruin, divorce, and despair are also at higher risks for suicide.
For both the problem gambler and family members, risks for suicide are highest for those with a prior history of depression, past attempts or who misuse or abuse alcohol or other substances.
Problem Gambling Effects On Family Life
Last updated: 03/29/2019
Author: Addictions.com Medical Review
Reading Time: 3minutes
Gambling addiction is officially a compulsive or behavioral addiction. Gambling is when someone bets something, usually money, in order to have a chance at winning more money. People bet on a lot of things including cards, horse racing, sports, and dog races. Although the main focus on gambling addiction is the financial ruin, gambling addiction often has severe negative consequences to the families of the addict as well.
FinanciaforRuin in Families
Financial problems due to gambling can lead to the breakdown of families.
The significant other and the children of a gambling addict suffer the negative consequences of the gamblers actions. They wind up in debt, unable to pay bills, and very often homeless because of the gamblers addiction. Many families break up over debts, bills, and fight over money. Gambling addiction just makes this worse. In the case of gambling addiction, the gambler will bet money that the family does not have to spend such as the money for rent, mortgage, or other bills.
Loss of Trust within Families
Gamblers will often lie about their gambling habits. It is only a matter of time before the family finds out where all of the money is going and recognizes the lies for what they are. These lies destroy the families trust in the gambler.
People with a gambling addiction may also get bad enough to steal from family and friends. Theft is one of the worst things that people can do to each other. It includes a complete loss of trust because of the deception and the actual theft.
Gambling Addiction Coincides with Other Addictions
People who have a gambling addiction often have other addictions as well. Alcohol addiction and gambling go hand in hand. Just as drinking establishments and gambling establishments go together gambling addiction and alcohol addiction do as well.
Problem Gambling Effects On Family Game Night
Abuse and Neglect
Problem Gambling Effects On Family Violence
As tensions about money mount, someone with a gambling addiction has the possibility of becoming abusive. The anger that can be associated with financial loss and instability can turn to violence very quickly.
People who gamble excessively also often neglect their family, especially their children. This neglect is often to stay at gambling establishments or to find money to gamble more. The more time a parent spends away from their children to gamble the more neglectful they become. There is also the possibility of financial neglect.
People with a gambling addiction often neglect their parental responsibilities. They do not pay bills or purchase food in favor of spending their money gambling. When all of the money goes to pay back bets there is no money left for the necessities.
Gambling addiction is a treatable addiction. With time, counseling, and treatment, it is possible to overcome a gambling addiction and get your life and more importantly your family back. Most counseling for gambling addiction also includes family counseling to help repair the damage done.