The Connection Between Gambling and Mental Health
Mental health and gambling share a complex, bidirectional relationship that affects millions of people worldwide.
Research reveals a striking statistic: approximately 40% of individuals struggling with gambling also experience depression or anxiety.
This connection isn’t coincidental – mental health and gambling often create a challenging cycle that can be difficult to break. What’s core is often a story of trauma or a story of mental health, and I think that’s something the broader community doesn’t understand.
The relationship between mental health and gambling manifests as a self-reinforcing cycle. When people experience depression or anxiety, they may turn to gambling as a way to escape their emotional pain or find temporary relief. This relief is often short-lived and typically leads to financial losses, which in turn create additional stress and anxiety.
As financial problems mount, depression can deepen, and feelings of shame and guilt about gambling behavior can severely impact self-worth. The resulting social isolation often compounds these mental health challenges, creating an even stronger urge to escape through gambling.
Understanding the Cycle
The gambling-mental health cycle typically progresses through several distinct phases, each with its own challenges and implications for recovery.
The Emotional Trigger Phase
During the emotional trigger phase, individuals find themselves particularly vulnerable to gambling urges. Stress, anxiety, or depression creates an emotional state where gambling appears as an attractive escape route. The false promise of quick financial gains combines with the excitement of gambling to create a powerful draw. Many people report feeling a temporary sense of control or excitement during this phase, which can make it particularly difficult to resist gambling urges.
The Gambling Phase
As the person begins to gamble, they experience an initial rush of excitement and adrenaline that temporarily masks their underlying emotional distress. This phase often involves increasing bet sizes or time spent gambling as the person chases losses or seeks to maintain the emotional high.
During this time, other responsibilities often fall by the wayside, creating additional problems that will need to be addressed later.
The Consequence Phase
The consequences of gambling behavior eventually become impossible to ignore. Financial losses create immediate stress, while feelings of shame and guilt begin to surface. Relationships with family and friends become strained as trust erodes. Work or study performance might suffer due to preoccupation with gambling or lack of sleep.
The emotional toll of these consequences often leads to increased anxiety and depression, setting the stage for the next phase.
The Desperation Phase
In the desperation phase, individuals often take increasingly risky actions in an attempt to recover losses or maintain their gambling habit. This might include borrowing money from family members, taking out high-interest loans, or selling personal possessions.
The stress of mounting debts and damaged relationships intensifies feelings of anxiety and depression, making it even harder to break free from the cycle.
Common Mental Health Issues
Depression and gambling often go hand in hand, affecting approximately one in nine people at some point in their lives. Depression manifests through a persistent sense of sadness and loss of interest in previously enjoyable activities. People experiencing depression often notice significant changes in their sleep patterns and energy levels, finding it difficult to maintain their usual routines.
Physical symptoms can include changes in appetite, unexplained aches and pains, and a general sense of fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest.
Anxiety represents another significant mental health challenge that frequently accompanies gambling behavior. As the most common mental health condition affecting more than one in four people, anxiety can manifest in various ways. People might experience constant worry about future events, find it impossible to relax, or suffer from physical symptoms like muscle tension and sleep disturbances. Social anxiety can be particularly problematic for those with gambling issues, as it may lead to increased isolation and a greater reliance on gambling as a form of escape.
Prevention and Early Intervention
Prevention begins with understanding your personal risk factors and developing strategies to maintain mental wellbeing. The most effective approach combines self-awareness with practical safeguards and a strong support network. Those who have experienced gambling-related problems often report that recognising their emotional triggers was a crucial first step in prevention.
Understanding your triggers involves paying attention to the emotional states that typically precede gambling urges. These might include feelings of loneliness, stress after a difficult workday, or anxiety about financial matters. In identifying these patterns, you can develop alternative coping strategies before gambling urges become overwhelming.
Building protective factors into your daily life creates resilience against both gambling urges and mental health challenges. A strong support network of friends and family provides emotional backup when you’re struggling, while regular exercise and consistent sleep patterns help maintain emotional stability. Many people find that pursuing meaningful hobbies and interests not only fills time that might otherwise be spent gambling but also provides a sense of accomplishment and purpose.
Financial safeguards play a crucial role in prevention. Setting up automatic bill payments ensures essential expenses are covered before money can be diverted to gambling. Many people find it helpful to allow a trusted family member to monitor their accounts or to use specialized software that blocks access to gambling websites. A detailed budget, while sometimes challenging to maintain, provides a clear picture of your financial health and can serve as an early warning system if gambling begins to impact your finances.
Treatment Approaches
Professional treatment for gambling and mental health issues typically involves a comprehensive approach that addresses both the gambling behavior and underlying mental health concerns.
Different types of therapy and support work together to provide the tools needed for recovery.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has proven particularly effective in treating both gambling addiction and mental health issues. This therapeutic approach helps individuals identify and challenge the thought patterns that drive problematic behaviors. Through CBT, people learn to recognise distorted thinking about gambling, such as the belief that a win is “due” after a series of losses, or that gambling can solve financial problems. The therapy also addresses anxiety and depression by helping people develop more balanced thinking patterns and healthy coping mechanisms.
Mindfulness-based therapies complement traditional approaches by teaching present-moment awareness and emotional regulation skills. These techniques help individuals observe their thoughts and urges without automatically acting on them. Many people find that mindfulness practices reduce the intensity of gambling urges while also alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression. Regular mindfulness practice can help break the automatic pilot mode that often characterises problematic gambling behavior.
Group therapy provides a unique healing environment where individuals can share experiences with others who truly understand their struggles. The power of group therapy lies in its ability to reduce isolation and shame while providing practical strategies for recovery. Hearing others’ stories of both challenges and successes can instill hope and provide practical examples of how to overcome obstacles in the recovery journey.
The Recovery Journey
Recovery from gambling and mental health issues is best understood as a gradual process rather than a single event. This journey typically involves both progress and setbacks, with each experience providing opportunities for learning and growth.
The early stages of recovery often focus on establishing stability and safety. This might involve setting up financial protections, engaging with treatment providers, and learning basic coping skills. During this time, many people find that their emotions fluctuate significantly as they adjust to life without gambling. Physical symptoms of anxiety and depression may temporarily intensify as the brain adjusts to new patterns of behavior.
As recovery progresses, the focus typically shifts to deeper healing and personal growth. This might include exploring the root causes of gambling behavior, rebuilding damaged relationships, and developing a more balanced lifestyle.
Many people discover new interests and abilities during this phase, as energy previously devoted to gambling becomes available for other pursuits.
Setbacks, while challenging, should be viewed as normal parts of the recovery process rather than failures. Each setback provides valuable information about triggers and vulnerabilities that might need additional attention. The key is to respond to setbacks with self-compassion while reaching out for support quickly to prevent a brief lapse from becoming a full relapse.
Supporting Family and Friends
Family members and friends play a central role in the recovery process, yet they often need support themselves to maintain their own wellbeing while helping their loved one. Understanding both gambling addiction and mental health challenges helps family members provide more effective support while protecting their own emotional health.
Supporting a loved one with gambling and mental health issues requires a delicate balance between offering help and maintaining healthy boundaries.
Family members often benefit from professional guidance in navigating this challenge. A counsellor can help family members learn to distinguish between helpful support and enabling behaviors, while also providing strategies for maintaining their own mental health.
Practical support might involve helping with financial management or accompanying the person to appointments, but it’s essential that these activities don’t compromise the supporter’s own wellbeing. Family members should feel empowered to set limits on their involvement and to seek their own support when needed.
Creating gambling-free social activities helps build new patterns of family interaction that don’t revolve around crisis management. Simple activities like sharing meals, taking walks together, or pursuing shared interests can strengthen relationships while providing healthy alternatives to gambling.
Crisis Support and Professional Resources
When immediate support is needed, several 24-hour crisis services are available throughout Australia. These services provide professional support and guidance during critical moments, whether you’re struggling with gambling urges, mental health challenges, or thoughts of self-harm.
The Gambling Helpline (1800 858 858) offers specialised support for gambling-related issues, while Lifeline (13 11 14) provides comprehensive crisis support for mental health challenges. Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) offers both immediate support and connections to ongoing mental health services. For men seeking support, MensLine (1300 789 978) provides targeted assistance that considers the unique challenges men might face in seeking help.
Young people aged 5 to 25 can access specialized support through Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can connect with culturally appropriate support through 13 YARN (13 92 76). These specialised services ensure that help is available in a form that feels relevant and accessible to different groups within the community.
Recovery
Recovery from gambling and mental health challenges is possible with the right support and resources. The journey may be challenging, but each step forward builds momentum toward lasting change. The deep connection between gambling and mental health allows for more effective treatment approaches that address both issues simultaneously.
Remember that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Whether you’re struggling with gambling, mental health issues, or both, professional support services are available to help you move forward. With commitment, support, and appropriate treatment, you can break free from the cycle of gambling and mental health challenges to build a more balanced and fulfilling life.
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, call emergency services (000) immediately or contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24/7 crisis support.
