Author
Cristina Varela Galan
Problem Gambling Expert
Fact checked by:
Sol Fayerman-Hansen
Editor-in-Chief
Last Updated: May 27, 2024, 6:23 PM
How Gambling Addiction Affects The Family?
Gambling disorder involves persistent gambling behaviors despite negative impacts on personal, professional, and financial well-being.
Who is at Risk
- Family: The disorder affects the individual but also significantly impacts their family.
- Emotional Shock: Family members may experience shock and stress upon discovering the gambling issue, leading to altered perspectives and increased stress.
- Most Affected: The partner and children of the gambler often bear the brunt of the emotional and sometimes physical repercussions.
- Gambler's Response: Acknowledging the problem can bring relief to the gambler, but it introduces new challenges for the family.
- Family's Initial Reaction: Family members often show greater concern and anxiety about the gambling problem than the gambler, who may minimize the addiction's severity.
The Ripple Effect on Families
Gambling addiction profoundly impacts families, creating a cascade of emotional, financial, and relational challenges.
- Emotional Distress: Family members often experience a wide range of emotions, including shock, betrayal, and anxiety, upon discovering the gambling problem.
- Financial Strain: The addiction can lead to significant financial difficulties, including debt accumulation and loss of savings, which affect the entire family.
- Relationship Breakdown: Trust and communication within the family can deteriorate, leading to strained or broken relationships.
Immediate and Extended Family Impact
The consequences of gambling addiction extend to both immediate and extended family members, with varying degrees of severity.
- Spouses and Children: Experience the most direct and profound impacts, including emotional turmoil and financial insecurity.
- Extended Family: May also suffer from the stress and fallout of the addiction, particularly if they are financially or emotionally involved.
The Cycle of Response
Families typically go through a three-phase cycle in response to gambling addiction:
- Denial Phase:
- Refusal to acknowledge the problem.
- Belief that the gambling behavior is not harmful.
- Stress Phase:
- Recognition of the severity of the addiction.
- Attempts to help the gambler, often enabling the addiction.
- Exhaustion Phase:
- Overwhelming stress and frustration.
- Physical and psychological health issues among family members.
The Path to Recovery
For families facing gambling addiction, seeking professional help is crucial.
- Consult Healthcare Professionals: Access expert advice and support for dealing with addiction.
- Rehabilitation Units: Specialized services can provide tailored treatment and recovery programs.
- Support Networks: Associations for compulsive gambling offer resources and community support for gamblers and their families.
References
Sources
History
Federación Española de Jugadores de Azar Rehabilitados
2015
Intervención en el entorno familiar de personas con conductas adictivas. La familia, un agente más en el cambio.
https://proyectohombre.es/biblografia_fejar/
American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5 Task Force
2013
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-14907-000
