Gambling is a Family Problem

Our second part/episode on this topic looks at the family impact of problem Gambling. Family members and friends may struggle with questions such as: Why did they lie to me? How come they didn’t talk to me? Why are they never home? Why don’t they just stop? How could they do this to themselves, and to us? How are we going to manage financially? Who is going to take care of us? They may also experience: sleepless nights, feelings of isolation, sadness or despair, financial problems and the deterioration of relationships. In this video, the presenter Brenda Teasell outlines the physical, emotional and financial costs of problem gambling on family members, including adults and children. She also identifies the importance of communication and how working on problems with the support of family and friends can increase positive treatment outcomes for the person with a gambling problem. Brenda also discusses the wide range of community resources and online tools that are available to help family members cope with the effects of someone else’s problem gambling behaviour. Questions for Further Consideration: 1. An individual calls the distress/crisis line seeking information about gambling. They are concerned about a family member’s increased frequency with gambling. They want to know the difference between responsible gambling and problem gambling. It is important to know that problem gambling is not just about losing money, but can also include the amount of time someone is spending gambling. Gambling is a problem when it involves the following factors: gets in the way of work, school or other activities, harms the person’s mental or physical health, hurts the individual and/or the family financially, damages the person’s reputation, and causes problems with family or friends. Feelings of depression and suicide can sometimes set in when people feel they are losing control of their lives as a result of an addiction. Can this also apply to problem gambling? The behaviour of the person with a gambling problem and family members can be affected as a result of gambling. Recent statistics show that depression is very high for both the person with the gambling problem and their family members. Suicide attempts are higher for people with a gambling problem compared to other addictions. It is important for family members to be aware of some of the following behavioural signs associated with problem gambling including, the person: Withdraws from family and friends, Seems far away, anxious or has difficulty paying attention, Has mood swings and sudden outbursts of anger, and Complains of boredom or restlessness. Does getting rid of the debt, get rid of the problem? Should family members help pay down the debts accumulated by someone else’s gambling? When someone starts to lose money due to gambling, the losses can accumulate quickly and may remain hidden until the debt seems insurmountable. When someone agrees to pay off the person’s debt or “bails them out”, it can feel like a ‘win’ for the person with the gambling problem. They may feel that their financial problems are gone and they may want to return to gambling again. When addressing this concern with family members it is important to consider cultural and family values. Some families may believe it is important to pay off a person’s gambling debt, while others do not. Whatever the family’s value system, if a family member agrees to loan money to reduce someone’s debt caused by gambling, ensure that a repayment plan is established immediately. It is important that a person with a gambling problem takes responsibility for their financial losses and is committed to paying off the debt.