Gambling Addiction and Its Treatment
Gambling disorder is characterized by the inability to control gambling behavior, leading to unwanted and persistent gambling activities that disrupt individual, familial, or occupational functionality. In recent years, with the increased use of the internet, gambling disorder has been observed to rise even more due to online gambling activities (Yeşilay, 2021).
Gambling, briefly, is the act of playing games of chance for money or other gains. There are three elements in gambling:
Bet: The amount wagered as the cost of playing.
Uncertainty: The outcome of the game is unpredictable or not guaranteed.
Risk: The value of the bet is at risk because of the uncertain outcome. Gambling addiction is often associated with increased amounts of money spent on betting, the inability to stop gambling behavior, persistent thoughts about gambling, gambling taking precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuing to gamble despite negative consequences.
The DSM-5 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines gambling disorder as follows:
Increasingly larger amounts of money spent on gambling
Withdrawal symptoms (restlessness, irritability)
Unsuccessful attempts to stop gambling
Constantly thinking about gambling
Gambling while experiencing distress (feeling desperate, guilty, overwhelmed, depressed)
Playing to win back what was lost
Lying about gambling
Negative impact on social relationships, work, or education
Dependence on others for financial support to overcome financial problems caused by gambling
Among the risk factors are male gender, starting gambling activities at a young age, geographical location, low socioeconomic status, co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses, family history of gambling, alcohol, and substance use disorders, adverse childhood experiences. The risk of suicide in gambling addiction is high, with suicidal ideation ranging from 17-80%, and at least one suicide attempt ranging from 4-23% (Ogel, Guliyev, Tekin, 2023).
In the treatment of gambling addiction, both outpatient and inpatient treatment options are available. Outpatient treatments may include individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, family group therapy, self-help groups, and pharmacological treatment. In outpatient treatments, behavioral addictions are addressed during psychotherapy sessions, and the treatment compliance of both the individual and the family is crucial. The process is maintained through regular individual sessions and group therapies. The duration of treatment is recommended to be long-term, and the frequency of sessions is determined based on the severity of the disorder. Interventions cover various aspects such as the biological aspect of addiction, treatment motivation, cognitive distortions of the individual, relapse prevention, life organization, and personality characteristics (Ogel, Guliyev, Tekin, 2023).
Psk. Eda AYDIN YILMAZ
Clinical Psychologist
Uzman Bilgisi
Psy. Eda AYDIN YILMAZ
Clinical Psychologist
- Üniversite : Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University (High Honor Degree)
- Uzmanlık : Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology Specialization
Yazıları
Gambling Addiction and Its Treatment
Gambling disorder is characterized by the inability to control gambling behavior, leading to unwanted and persistent gambling activities that disrupt individual, familial, or occupational functionality. In recent years, with the increased use of the internet, gambling disorder has been observed to rise even more due to online gambling activities (Yeşilay, 2021). Gambling, briefly, is the …
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