ADDICTIONS

Gambling Disorder

“It’s okay, I bet I will win back the money the next round!”

Does this sound familiar to you? There are many people who enjoy gambling — even teens engage in gambling activities (especially during Chinese New Year, right?). Gambling can be harmless if we gamble responsibly as casual social gamblers who know when to stop. However, one red flag of pathological gambling is when people find it increasingly difficult to stop themselves from gambling and gambling eventually takes up a big part of their lives.

Here’s a fun fact — Did you know that the pathological and problem gambling rate in Singapore has increased to about 0.9% in 2017? That accounts for approximately 28,000 Singaporeans.

What is a Gambling Disorder?

Individuals with a gambling disorder find it difficult to restrain themselves from gambling. This often leads to serious spillover effects on their everyday lives, such as relationship difficulties, deterioration of physical and mental health, and poor work performance (which may eventually lead to retrenchment).

Symptoms include:

Ψ Difficulty restraining oneself from gambling
Ψ Unsuccessful attempts to quit gambling
Ψ Gambling when distressed (e.g. depressed, anxious or helpless)
Ψ Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when attempting to quit gambling (e.g. feeling restless or irritable)
Ψ Lying or refusing to admit how much one actually gambles
Ψ Relying on others for money, especially for help with financial difficulties due one’s gambling tendencies
Ψ Loss of career or significant relationships due to one’s gambling tendencies
Ψ Continuing to gamble even after losing large sums of money 
Ψ Preoccupation with thoughts of gambling
Ψ Needing to gamble with increasing amounts of money to receive the same amount of gratification

Comorbidity

Pathological gamblers often have one or more other disorders as well. Common co-occurring disorders include substance use disorder and alcohol use disorder. These disorders are similar in terms of how they are associated to self-regulation and impulse control.  

Other disorders that may be comorbid with pathological gambling include mood disorders (e.g. major depressive disorder), personality disorders (e.g. borderline personality disorder) and anxiety disorders. 

Risk Factors

The desire and impulse to gamble can be exacerbated by certain risk factors: 

Ψ Psychiatric comorbidity: People with other mental health disorders are at a higher risk of developing gambling disorder.
Ψ Peer or family influences: People with family members or friends who gamble often or who are pathological gamblers are at a higher risk of developing gambling disorder.
Ψ Financial problems: People with financial problems and mistaken beliefs about the odds of winning are at a higher risk of developing gambling disorder as the thought of making a profit makes it hard for them to stop gambling.
Ψ Life stressors: People who experience high levels of stress may turn to gambling as a means of coping with stress, hence increasing their risk of developing gambling disorder.