How Gambling Affects Your Life
Gambling involves putting something of value on a random event with the aim of winning more than what was put at risk. There are many reasons people gamble, from the excitement of the game to socializing with others. However, gambling can also have negative consequences if it is not controlled. For example, it can lead to financial instability, family problems, and even addiction. If you are worried that your gambling is affecting your life, it’s important to seek help. Our counselors are here to help.
The most obvious impact of gambling is on the gamblers themselves, but there are other impacts that can affect a person’s quality of life. These impacts can be categorized at the personal, interpersonal and society/community level (Fig. 1). Personal impacts include those that affect the gambler directly and interpersonal impacts are those that affect the gambler’s friends, family and co-workers. Societal/community impacts are those that affect the community as a whole, such as the increased crime rates caused by problem gambling.
While the negative financial effects of gambling are evident, it can also provide benefits to players and gambling venues. Some of these positive benefits are mental developments and skill improvement, as well as socialization. Some studies have shown that gambling helps increase the intelligence of a person by forcing them to use their brains in a different way. For instance, playing a game such as poker or blackjack requires careful strategizing and the ability to think quickly on the fly.
Some research shows that gambling may also increase the productivity of a gambler. This is because it helps to divert their attention away from other less productive activities, such as watching TV or using the Internet. Moreover, it can increase the time they spend at work, which in turn increases their income. Furthermore, some studies have found that people who gamble have higher levels of self-esteem than those who do not.
In addition, some studies have shown that gamblers often have a higher sense of control over their finances than non-gamblers. Therefore, they tend to feel more confident that they can handle unforeseen expenses. Moreover, gambling is often used to promote charity events and this can be a form of indirect employment.
In the past, the psychiatric community generally viewed pathological gambling as more of a compulsion than an addiction. In fact, until recently, it was included in a section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) that includes other impulse-control disorders such as kleptomania and trichotillomania (hair-pulling). In a move that is being hailed as a milestone, the APA has moved pathological gambling to the addictions chapter in its latest edition of the DSM. This shift is based on new understandings of the biology of addiction and the science of behavioral control. This is a significant change in the way therapists treat gamblers who are struggling with their addiction. It is hoped that this change will help to alleviate the stigma associated with gambling addiction and reduce the number of people who are unable to get treatment because of their gambling habits.