Loved Ones Impacted by Problem Gambling

A gambling addiction extends beyond the gambler. Family members and friends are often severely impacted by the gambler’s behaviors and activities.

Statistics show that an average of 5-10 people are also negatively affected by a compulsive gambler. Family members, friends, co-workers and others can experience financial and emotional repercussions due to this addiction.

Because of the non-physical symptoms of a gambling addiction, even the ones closest to the gambler often do not recognize that there is a problem until the gambler has crossed into a desperate or hopeless phase. Hence, compulsive gambling is known as the “hidden addiction”. There are signs that loved ones can look for.

To determine whether you have a compulsive gambler in your life, here are a few things to look for:

❒     Isolation
❒     Unaccounted blocks of time
❒     Mood swings
❒     Neglecting personal needs or responsibilities
❒     Claiming a sudden need for money or loans
❒     Secretive or lying about money and/or gambling
❒     Spending more time gambling than any other activity
❒     Boasting about winning, often minimizing or denying losses and exaggerating wins
❒     Missing work or school due to gambling
❒     Arguing with spouse, partner, other family members, or friends due to gambling
❒     Experiencing behavioral or personality changes when watching or listening to sports
❒     Having difficulty sleeping or eating

To see if a loved one would benefit from our resources, please take our Loved Ones Assessment Quiz below or contact the 888-ADMIT-IT HelpLine today.

Resources are Available for Loved Ones of Problem Gamblers

Compulsive gambling results in broken promises, broken rules, broken hearts, and broken homes. 

Impacts from a gambling problem are devastating to those closest to the gambler.  In fact, often time’s family members suffer just as much or even more than the gambler does themselves. In most cases, loved ones rarely know the extent of the gamblers’ behaviors.

Effects of a gambling problem can range from loss of basic necessitates, such as food and shelter, to loss of hope, trust, and family security.  Family members frequently report physical and emotional issues that mirror those of the gambler, including high suicidal ideation and stress related illnesses.  Neglect and abuse can impact the family, not only financially, but physically and emotionally as well.  Children growing up in homes where a gambling problem is present feel the effects of this disease too, and the impacts can be long-lasting, especially if help is not received.

The good news is that help is available, and family members, friends, and other loved ones of problem gamblers can get help for themselves through the 888-ADMIT-IT HelpLine (888-236-4848), even if the gambler is not ready to stop gambling, or get help for themselves. There are resources available that are specifically geared towards assisting loved one, such as the FCCG’s A Chance for Change Workbooks Series, developed specifically for loved ones of problem gamblers and addressing important issues such as insomnia, stress, relationship difficulties, co-dependency, and anger, and the FCCG’s Peer Connect Program which provides loved ones with the opportunity to speak to someone in recovery for problem gambling, or a loved one of someone in recovery, who can share their personal experiences in a relatable way in effort to facilitate an easier transition into the recovery process.

Other loved one’s specific resources available include self-help support group referrals to programs such as GamAnon, where members are provided opportunities for learning how to better understand the illness and best cope with the accompanying difficulties, and counseling services referrals for individual, family, or even group sessions with a licensed mental health professional who is certified to treat gambling disorder, and much more.  Whether or not the gambler is engaged in recovery, the loved ones can utilize multiple resources and participate in different recovery programs to learn how to protect themselves, deal with the problem, and support the gambler, if and when they are ready to change.