Gambling is becoming a way of life, to the detriment of individual and family lives. Poker is becoming increasingly popular, now offered in neighborhood bars. Buses transport gamblers to casinos from convenient locations. Exposure on TV, video games and the Internet is increasing. Gambling is being considered as a means to increase revenue for the …
Problem gambling negatively affects individuals, families, and communities in Minnesota. The behavior patterns associated with problem gambling compromise activities of daily living such as relationships, education and vocational opportunities, personal and financial well-being, substance use, emotional stability, physical health, and housing. Problem gambling also impacts families and other loved ones. It contributes to chaos and …
Maria suspected that something was going on with her husband but didn’t know what. He was taking a lot of phone calls behind closed doors. He often seemed frantic to intercept the mailman before the mail was delivered to their house. And his interest in the outcome of various sporting events seemed to intensify in …
We feature an expert in the mental health and substance use disorder field to answer questions. This issue is Jessica Nelson-Mitchell of Fairview Recovery Services. We asked her questions about compulsive gambling. Q: What are some of the different ways that people gamble? Many people associate gambling with the casinos, but gambling is much broader …
The summer before my father died, I traveled Upstate to visit him. After lunch in our town’s arts district, we drove to Lake Ontario to watch the waves roll in. It was warm and pleasant, so out the pier we walked, Dad chatting on about all the fun we used to have, barbequing and playing …
Each person’s addiction is unique, as is each story of renewed hope. Gambling disorder, also known as gambling addiction or compulsive gambling, continues to be misunderstood as being caused by a lack of willpower in which gamblers are blamed for their disorder. These myths need to be debunked. To illustrate the insidious way that gambling …
When we talk about co-occurring disorders, we usually have some sort of mental health issue to consider with those of us in recovery. After all, many of us were “out there” self-medicating; for undiagnosed (or diagnosed) depression, trauma, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and a myriad of other maladies that we either didn’t have the …
Keith was gambling every night. He pulled away from his family, making excuses for being gone, telling lies about where the money was going. “I didn’t get along with anyone, even my wife, Karen. I just figured my world was falling apart and she’d be better off without me,” Keith said. Gambling problems are real. …
You don’t have a gambling problem. You don’t even know anyone who has a gambling problem. So just ignore this and go to the next article. After this one question: Did you know that of all addictions, problem gamblers have the highest suicide rate? Maybe you did. Yet, some people don’t even think it’s a …
Addiction — of any kind — is often difficult for many people to understand. But gambling disorder, a compulsion in which no chemicals are actually ingested into the body, can be particularly confounding. Gambling disorder refers to the uncontrollable urge to gamble, despite serious personal consequences. In 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5 grouped …
