Veterans and Gambling Addiction – Facts for Families and Employers
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From traumatic brain injury to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), many of us are becoming more aware of the physical, mental, and emotional issues that affect our nation’s military members. But there’s one veterans’ issue that hasn’t received as much attention: gambling addiction.
Veterans are more vulnerable to excessive gambling than non-military members.
A Veterans Administration-funded study revealed surprising findings about American veterans and gambling behavior:
Some military vets with gambling addiction report they started by playing poker to relieve stress and boredom during active duty. Other vets may be attracted to table games, slots, and sports betting because of the thrill they provide.
And while many are able to enjoy occasional gambling as entertainment, others develop a dangerous addiction. This excessive behavior creates havoc for veterans, their families, and their employers. It triggers arguments between partners, an inability to focus on non-gambling activities (like work or a child’s soccer game), and poor financial decision making. And, for some, the effects of the addiction are serious enough that they lead to suicidal thoughts or actions.
Gambling addiction in veterans often co-exists with other mental health issues.
Former military members with an addiction to gambling often live with other—sometimes undiagnosed—illnesses, like PTSD, anxiety disorder, clinical depression, and alcoholism. If that’s the case, it’s crucial to find a treatment team able to manage any other conditions the addicted person may be suffering from.
How can you get help for a veteran with a gambling problem?
Everyone deserves to live an addiction-free life. If you know or love a veteran who gambles enough that it’s destroying their relationships, finances, and workplace performance, it’s time to reach out for a helping hand.
http://www.safestakes.org/blog/tag/gambling-addiction-statistics/
Veterans are more vulnerable to excessive gambling than non-military members.
A Veterans Administration-funded study revealed surprising findings about American veterans and gambling behavior:
- About 8% of veterans show signs of problem gambling behaviors, while an additional 2% suffer from pathological gambling—these numbers are about double the rate of the general population.
- Vets in their 20s have higher rates of pathological gambling. This is a sharp contrast from the rest of the population, in which the people with the most serious gambling addictions are typically over age 35.
- Male and female veterans have identical problem gambling rates; but in the general population, men addicted to gambling outnumber women at least 2 to 1.
Some military vets with gambling addiction report they started by playing poker to relieve stress and boredom during active duty. Other vets may be attracted to table games, slots, and sports betting because of the thrill they provide.
And while many are able to enjoy occasional gambling as entertainment, others develop a dangerous addiction. This excessive behavior creates havoc for veterans, their families, and their employers. It triggers arguments between partners, an inability to focus on non-gambling activities (like work or a child’s soccer game), and poor financial decision making. And, for some, the effects of the addiction are serious enough that they lead to suicidal thoughts or actions.
Gambling addiction in veterans often co-exists with other mental health issues.
Former military members with an addiction to gambling often live with other—sometimes undiagnosed—illnesses, like PTSD, anxiety disorder, clinical depression, and alcoholism. If that’s the case, it’s crucial to find a treatment team able to manage any other conditions the addicted person may be suffering from.
How can you get help for a veteran with a gambling problem?
Everyone deserves to live an addiction-free life. If you know or love a veteran who gambles enough that it’s destroying their relationships, finances, and workplace performance, it’s time to reach out for a helping hand.
http://www.safestakes.org/blog/tag/gambling-addiction-statistics/
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