Gambling Effect ON Mental

Health
Group # 2
 Mahwish ijaz
 Maham Fatima
 Dawood Afzal
 Abu Bakar
 Nisar Bukhari
 Awais
 Mohsin
 Huzaima imtiaz
 Jawad

Prepared by: Mahwish ijaz

Department of Computer Science

University of Okara
Gambling Effect on Mental Health
Gamble:
 play games of chance for money; bet.
 Take risky action in the hope of a desired result.

People gamble:
People gamble for many reasons the adrenaline rush to win
money, to socialize or to try and escape from worries or stress. However, for some
people gambling can get out of control.

Gambling:
Traditionally gambling is an activity where someone risk money or
belongings, there is an element of randomness or chance involved and the purpose
is to win. The traditional methods that usually come to mind are: Gaming
Machines/ pokies, lottery scratch cards.

Types:
There are five types of gambling are:

 sports betting,
 casino games,
 poker raffles,
 lottery and
 coin flipping.
What is problem gambling?
Problem gambling can affect your health,
relationships and leave you in debt. It can also be called compulsive gambling
or a gambling addiction. You may have a gambling problem if you:

 spend more money on gambling than you can afford

 gamble when you should be doing something else, like working or
spending time with family
 feel anxious or stressed about your gambling
 use gambling to deal with problems or difficult feelings
 lie to family and friends about your gambling
 borrow or steal to fund your gambling.

What causes problem gambling?

Problem gambling is an addiction, and there
is no single reason why addictions develop. Many different factors can increase
your risk of developing a gambling problem, including:

 having a relative, especially a parent, with a gambling problem

 being introduced to gambling at an early age
  pressure from friends to gamble
 your personality – being competitive, impulsive, restless or easily bored
can increase your risk of having a gambling problem
 taking medication to treat Parkinson’s or restless leg syndrome. This can
cause the rare side effect of compulsive behavior, including compulsive
gambling

How can gambling effect on Mental Health?

If gambling becomes a problem, it
can cause low self-esteem, stress , anxiety and depression .

Gambling can become an addiction, just like drugs or alcohol, if you use it
compulsively or feel out of control. Gambling can affect the part of our brain
that releases dopamine, a ‘feel good’ hormone that creates feelings of pleasure
and reward. When we win a bet, our brain gives us an emotional reward. If you
get addicted to gambling, other pleasurable activities may no longer make you
feel good. So instead, you will gamble to get the same buzz.

Facts about Gambling:

Gambling is a public health issue rather than an individual problem and it is
considered as an addictive disorder.

While most people use gambling as a leisure activity and would not be harmed by
it, addiction to gambling/online gaming or online betting can have negative
consequences on people who gamble, their families and their friends, communities
and wider society. Partners and children of people who gamble could be at an
increased risk for depression, anxiety and social isolation.

Harms resulting from gambling include but are not limited to:

• Relationship harms such as divorce, separation, violence, arguments and

disagreements;

• Increased level of stress, depression and panic attack;

• Homelessness and unemployment;

• Life disruption;

• Lack of motivation to do ordinary activities; and

• Inability to concentrate at work.

In Victoria around 39% of people who gamble have a diagnosed mental illness.
Among those, 41% have been diagnosed with depression, and 39% with anxiety.

Once people develop an addiction to gambling, it can be hard for them to stop.
They might not want to talk about their situations nor receive professional support.

Mental health condition:

Mental health conditions can affect every individual
in community and negatively impact on our relationships and day-to-day
functioning at home and at work. People can experience mental health conditions
from early childhood to late adulthood. So, the earlier we receive help, the earlier
we can recover.

Mental health disorders impact on people’s thinking and behavior. For example,
they might

• Thinking about ending their life;

• Forgetting simple things quickly;

• Showing aggressive behavior;

• Being lonely and not connecting with others; and

• Hearing voices and seeing things that others cannot hear or see.

There are common mental health disorders including:

1. Depression:
 Depression affects the way we feel. We all have experiences of
feeling sad, moody, low and unhappy when we lose money or loved ones, get
hurt or when we are disappointed. Sometimes we have these feelings without
any reason at all.

Depression can cause poor physical health including tiredness, changes in sleep
patterns, sexual problems, alcohol and drug dependence and body aches.

Some other symptoms are:

• Feeling sad and down

• Feeling worthless or bad about yourself

• Changes in appetite or weight

• Having difficulty in making decisions

• Feeling hopeless about the future

• Impaired thinking, concentration and memory

• Having less interest in work, life and everyday activities

• Having suicidal thoughts

• Feeling anger, irritability and anxiety

2. Anxiety:
Being fearful, distress, worried, stressed, and nervous is a
common reaction to stressful situations we face in our lives. However, like
depression if these fearful and anxious feelings last for more than two weeks,
professional support is needed.

3. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):

is a set of reactions
that may develop in people who have experienced or witnessed a terrifying
event. It could be when a person is a victim of a crime or a victim of physical or
sexual assault. It could also happen to people who have experienced war-related
events, natural disasters such as bushfire and flood, torture and terrible accident,
and leave them in a fearful and anxious state.

4. Postnatal depression:
This is a common condition that develops
following the birth of a baby and it could begin slowly or suddenly. For some
people it passes quickly, but if it becomes serious women need to seek
professional help.

5. Drug and alcohol abuse and gambling addiction:

are addictive
habits that change the way our brain and body work and cause symptoms of
anxiety and depression.
SUICIDALITY, SELF- HARM AND PROBLEM GAMBLING:
Among
individuals with problematic gambling behaviors, suicidal behaviors (e.g.,
suicide attempts, completed suicides) are more common among those who also
engage in disordered substance use than those who engage in problem gambling
without disordered substance use.

Suicidality is 5.3 times higher in individuals with problematic gambling than

those without problematic gambling behaviors.

Even after controlling for conditions such as depression, substance use,

ADHD, and anxiety, suicidality rates remained 2.9 times higher in those with
problematic gambling than in the general population.

Although the research is limited, some data suggest a positive relationship -

that is, when one increases so does the other - between non-suicidal self-harm
(e.g., cutting, self-burning, or self-mutilation) and problem gambli
 Gambling Disorder is a Mental Health Diagnosis in the
DSM-5:
Did you know that Gambling Disorder is listed right alongside substance use
disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
(DSM-5)?

In fact, three out of the nine diagnostic criteria for Gambling Disorder pertain to
psychological impacts: 1) Experiencing restlessness or irritability when attempting
to cut down or stop gambling, 2) Being preoccupied with gambling, and 3) Often
gambles when feeling distressed (e.g., helpless, guilty, anxious, depressed.)
Treatment:

Some people can stop gambling on their own. But many people need help to
address their gambling problems. Only one in ten people with gambling disorder
seek treatment.

Gambling affects people in different ways. Different approaches may work better
for different people. Several types of therapy are used to treat gambling disorders,
including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, group
therapy, and family therapy.

Counseling can help people understand gambling and think about how gambling
affects them and their family. It can also help people consider options and solve
problems.

There are no FDA-approved medications to treat gambling disorders. Some

medications may help treat co-occurring conditions like depression or anxiety.

Support from family and friends can be critical to a person's recovery from
gambling. However, only the individual can decide to stop the behaviors.

Counseling can help:

 Gain control over your gambling.
 Heal family relationships.
 Deal with your urge to gamble.
 Handle stress and other problems.
 Find other things to do with your time.
 Put your finances in order.
 Maintain recovery and avoid triggers. 

" DOS" AND "DON'TS" FOR PARTNERS, FRIENDS, OR

FAMILY MEMBERS

DO

 Seek the support of others with similar problems; attend a self-help group
for families such as Gam-Anon.
  Recognize your partner's good qualities.
 Remain calm when speaking to the person with a gambling disorder.
 Let them know that you are seeking help for yourself; the gambling is
affecting you (and possibly children).
 Explain problem gambling to children.
 Understand the need for treatment of problem gambling and that it may take
time.
 Set boundaries in managing money; take control of family finances; review
bank and credit card statements.

DON'T

 Preach, lecture, or allow yourself to lose control of your anger

 Exclude the gambler from family life and activities
 Expect immediate recovery, or that all problems will be resolved when the
gambling stops
 Bailout the gambler.