Winning in life is often followed by excitement; losing on the hand is unfortunately followed by a disappointing feeling. Looking beyond the initial feelings of overwhelming sadness that accompanies a lose a bet when you are diagnosed with compulsive gambling, then the sadness you feel may be more profound than losing a game of poker at a casino. Depression goes beyond feelings of sadness. While it is easy for people to laugh it off initially, you can’t talk about depression without taking a look at another topic that’s just as important, and that is problem gambling.
Gambling Officially Recognized in DSM-5 as Behavioral Addiction The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) took gambling out of the “Impulse Control. The major mental and emotional health issues driving gambling addiction are Depression, Anxiety, and Low Self-Esteem. Address these core issues and recover. How common is depression and gambling? A recent study has found that people with a gambling problem were twice as likely to be depressed and 18 times more likely to experience severe psychological distress than people without a gambling problem.
Depression affects people of all races, genders, and it’s no respecter of age. It causes mental pain and disrupts people’s ability to carry out their daily activities down to the simplest of things, with adverse effects on relationships with family members, friends, significant other, and colleagues at work. These claims are also backed by WHO in 2017, where they talked about it.
Do you have a gambling problem? If yes, then you will be shocked to learn that the chances of you suffering from depression are high. In fact, stats show that at least 76% of compulsive gamblers are likely to struggle with depression. This health condition may be the reason why you ventured into gambling in the first place. Some use gambling as a form of distraction, a way to zone out from the never-ending drama posed by the world. We usually look for a way to fill up an empty void that’s present in our lives – this loneliness pushes us to look at gambling and another form of recreation to kill boredom. Signs of depression may include the following:
Depression And Gambling
- Having sad thoughts.
- One becomes easily irritated and frustrated.
- Insomnia or finding it hard to get out of bed.
- Incessant loss of appetite.
- Having low self – esteem.
- Loss of interest in fun activities and isolating one’s self from family and friends.
Most people experience some of the signs stated above at different times in their lives, but when it happens on a consistent basis, then these could be signs of depression.
It is vital to consider both your gambling addiction and your depression signs when in search of treatment because they are intertwined, and the signs of one can intensify the symptoms of the other. As we’ve rightly pointed out earlier, when you feel depressed, you will be looking for ways to lift your mood.
Trouble starts when the losing streaks begin to wrack up, you will feel more depressed, and the vicious cycle continues as your reliance on gambling will go deeper, and the result won’t help your mental state. To better understand this, reminisce on the days you felt great for winning and how disappointed you felt after losing. Now you know why depression and gambling can not be easily separated.
There are organizations designed to help you manage the feelings and fight depression. That’s why we are here. You can speak to any of our staff. We’ve got counselors specially trained for these types of conditions. You can trust our program plus, we are confidential and can be contacted 24/7.
One thing you should know is that there are lots of people out there battling the same condition, and yours is just one. Recovering from such a state is hard by possible if you have the willpower to counter it.
A vital part of your road to recovery is identifying the reason why you started gambling. This will let you know how you’d fill that void with something healthier. For instance, if you began to gambling because of your broken relationship, your recovery plan will include seeing a relationship expert. Also, if you only did it because you were bord, your recovery plan would consist of filling up the void with positive activity.
The effective step
While increasing your activity or updating your mental ‘fun’ library will help with your mental disorder. It will surely boost your mood, giving you something fun and creative to talk about and share with loved ones. You would train yourself before dabbling into the listed sisters. These are lots of ways to go about it. Some of the things to do are:
How do you plan on changing the world when?
Start small by making little changes in your life. For instance, do a room makeover every time you wake up in the morning.
Signup for activities such as Gardening, gym, dancing, or dancing. You will be surprised to know that there are people craving for new excitement in their lives. Go to a GP, and they will help you conduct assessments and provide you with the appropriate referral.
Conclusion
There are lots of people out there struggling with these terrible conditions. However, you don’t want to be one of the victims. The mental health should not be an issue, but it becomes one when human life is at risk, and one is unable to compromise
Frequently Asked Question
How common are gambling and depression?
According to a recent study, compulsive gamblers were twice as likely to be depressed and 18 times more likely to experience severe psychological conditions than people with no gambling issues. Also, the connection between gambling and mood is not often clear, and being depressed may be the outlined reason for gambling to begin with.
What do I do next?
If you’ve been diagnosed with both, then you should seek treatment as soon as possible. There are support groups forums. Speak to a counselor. They will talk to you about the strategies you can incorporate into your life
How do I deal with depression and gambling?
Depression From Gambling
It is critical to look at your addictions and mood when treating the problem. This will ultimately help you determine the kind of strategies you’d want. Gambling won’t help you deal with your loneliness or help you settle your relationship issues.