Gambling is a common recreational activity for many people. However, when taken to the extreme, gambling can become an unhealthy addiction that leads to significant negative consequences. Excessive gambling is often defined as gambling behavior that disrupts finances, relationships, work, or other important areas of life. In this article, we will explore some of the major effects that can occur when someone gambles too much.
Financial Effects
One of the most obvious and immediate effects of excessive gambling is financial damage. Gambling costs money, and over time those costs can add up to staggering amounts. People who gamble too frequently often get caught in a problematic cycle of chasing losses. After losing money, they continue gambling in hopes of winning their money back. But this often leads to even more losses, resulting in severe debt, bankruptcy, or even homelessness in extreme cases.
Some specific financial effects of excessive gambling include:
Accumulation of Debt
Gamblers may borrow or take out loans to get more money to gamble with. This creates a cycle of accumulating more and more debt. Loans may be taken out privately or from casinos directly in the form of lines of credit. Debt can quickly snowball, making it difficult or impossible to pay back.
Bankruptcy
The weight of gambling debt may eventually become too much, forcing gamblers to declare bankruptcy. Gambling is estimated to be one of the major causes of personal bankruptcy in the United States. The financial ruin caused by excessive gambling can take years to recover from.
Loss of Savings and Assets
Savings accounts, retirement funds, homes, cars, and other assets may need to be sold or drained to cover gambling debts and continue gambling. This can be financially devastating and leave the gambler with few resources.
Credit Damage
Problem gambling can seriously damage credit scores and ability to borrow if loan and credit card payments are missed. This can make things like leasing an apartment or taking out future loans very difficult.
Foreclosures
In severe cases, gamblers may lose their home due to an inability to make mortgage payments. The house may then go into foreclosure.
Work and Legal Effects
Gambling addiction can also lead to consequences involving a person’s career and legal status:
Poor Work Performance
Those preoccupied with gambling often experience a decline in work performance. Absenteeism increases as more time is spent gambling. There may be a lack of concentration, lack of motivation, fatigue from staying out late gambling, and other factors causing poorer work. This can lead to lost wages, poor reviews, denied promotions, or even job loss.
Criminal Activity
Desperation may lead some problem gamblers to resort to criminal means such as theft, fraud, or embezzlement to get money for gambling. Some may even turn to dealing drugs or other illegal activities for gambling funds. Getting caught for such crimes can mean jail time along with having a criminal record.
Strain on Relationships
The lies, loss of money, unreliability, and preoccupation that come with excessive gambling take a toll on relationships. Marriages and other committed relationships often suffer from increased conflict and distrust. Relationships with friends and family members may also become tense or fractured. This social cost can leave the gambler feeling isolated.
Mental Health Effects
Excessive gambling can lead to multiple effects on mental health:
Addiction
Compulsive gambling is considered an addictive disorder, similar to drug or alcohol addiction. There are usually underlying brain and psychology components driving the addictive behavior. Like other addictions, gambling addiction is quite challenging to overcome. Relapse rates for gambling addiction are high.
Anxiety
The pressure of gambling debts and stress of lying often provoke anxiety in those with gambling problems. Panic attacks, constant worrying, and other anxiety issues are common. Anxiety may be especially heightened when anticipating gambling or during attempts to stop.
Depression
The loss of money and relationships, self-loathing, and hopeless outlook on the future lead to high rates of depression among problem gamblers. Feelings of depression may get more severe as the gambling and its consequences spiral out of control. Suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts are unfortunately common with gambling addiction.
Substance Abuse
Using drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes while gambling is common. Excessive gambling may also lead to increased use of these substances due to the associated lifestyle. Substance abuse can become another unhealthy addiction that compounds the gambling problem.
Health Effects
The stress of compulsive gambling takes a toll on physical health. Some potential health consequences of excessive gambling include:
Fatigue
Gambling into all hours of the night can lead to fatigue and lack of energy. Preoccupation and worrying about gambling can also make it hard to sleep properly. Fatigue makes it tough to function mentally and physically.
Weakened Immune System
Chronic stress from gambling problems weakens the immune system. This makes problem gamblers more susceptible to various illnesses.
Aches and Pains
The tension and sitting for long periods inherent in frequent gambling lead to back aches, headaches, and other physical pains. Grinding teeth during play can also cause jaw and dental pain.
Poor Nutrition
The bad habits and lack of proper self-care that come with compulsive gambling often lead to nutritional deficiencies, weight gain or loss, and digestive issues. Gamblers may often subsist on fast food and snack on sugary drinks for an energy boost.
Neglect of Existing Conditions
Preoccupied problem gamblers may avoid or forget to take prescribed medications and neglect proper treatment of conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. Exacerbation of these conditions can be life-threatening.
Social Effects
Compulsive gambling takes a toll on the gambler’s social life in various ways:
Isolation
As gambling increasingly takes over someone’s life, they tend to withdraw from family and friends. This may be due to shame over gambling losses and debts or an inability to engage socially outside of gambling. The isolation can lead to further psychological issues.
Decline of Hobbies
As leisure time becomes absorbed by gambling, other hobbies and interests fall by the wayside. Life starts to revolve entirely around gambling for its excitement. This causes a less fulfilling and well-rounded lifestyle.
Reduced Social Skills
With less interaction and practice, social skills can deteriorate over time. This makes it more challenging to reconnect with others down the road. Basic social interactions may become uncomfortable.
Family Conflict
Failed promises to stop gambling and continued requests for money lead to many arguments. Family members may eventually become unwilling to interact with the gambler. Divorce rates are high for those affected by problem gambling. This family conflict causes great stress.
Conclusion
As illustrated, excessive gambling has the potential to negatively impact almost all areas of a person’s life, from financial stability to mental wellbeing. Jobs, relationships, health, criminal records, and financial security are all put at risk. And these consequences tend to perpetuate further harmful gambling behavior. Seeking professional treatment and joining a support group are recommended to overcome gambling addiction before it causes irreparable damage. Though the difficulties faced may seem daunting, many lives have been transformed by recovering from problem gambling.