Gambling addiction difficult to overcome

Mar. 1, 2014

Written by

Suzanne Weiss

HTR Media

MANITOWOC — Gamblers who start out chasing money may end up chasing a high.
“I’ve had people tell me that the high from gambling, and particularly winning, is a bigger high than cocaine,” said Paulette Sears, license professional counselor with a private practice in Manitowoc.

“It’s a hard addiction to break. It’s not just a habit, it’s an addiction to that chemical in your brain, that endorphin rush that the individual gets when they engage in that behavior, that very powerful feeling that the person feels like they need more and more of,” she said.

Affects various populations

Some people are more vulnerable than others.

“The largest growing population of problem gamblers is adolescents because of the access to gambling online. Texas hold’em is popular online. It’s kind of a gateway to furthering that gambling behavior as they get older and go to casino and bars with gambling machines,” Sears said.

Another susceptible population segment is the elderly, who often live on fixed incomes.

“There are companies that give them a certain amount of tokens to go to the casino and they’re going to jump at the chance to take a bus to the casino,” Sears said. “They might be really lonely and isolated and they see it as a way to socialize. If they’re spending money they don’t have, that’s when it becomes a problem.”

Women also can become problem gamblers, sometimes sitting in front of slot machines to escape depression, she said.

“They’ll go and enter a trance-like state and not have to worry about their problems. The way casinos are set up, you’re not aware of the passage of time. There are no windows. No clocks. Some casinos give free drinks. There’s no reason to get up and leave your machine,” Sears said.

People who are going through grief or a sense of emptiness also are vulnerable because they want to escape these painful feelings. Sometimes problem gamblers have a history of trauma in their lives, she said.

Then there are people with mental health disorders, such as ADHD, who like action and may be drawn to poker tables. Those with bipolar disorder may have manic episodes, where they are feeling on top of the world, thinking they’re going to win and have energy to keep playing, Sears said.

“What all of these gamblers have in common is they’re seeking out certain feelings. They either want to escape their painful feelings or they want that adrenaline rush,” she said.

Vicious cycle

Gambling becomes a vicious cycle because when gamblers start to lose money, they chase that win and soon, they are trying to make up for all their losses, Sears said.

“It’s kind of hidden addiction, unlike a person who is drinking excessively, you don’t see the red eyes, the slurred speech or the stumbling,” she said. “You don’t smell the alcohol on their breath, so it’s very secretive. For that very reason, the people closest to that person aren’t aware of that addiction. They’re more apt to think that person is having an affair rather than gambling because they spend a lot of time away from home ... and they’re secretive about it. When they are home, they’re preoccupied.”

Sometimes the only way the spouse learns about the problem is at the bank, when the money from a savings or retirement account is missing.

“The addict will do whatever they can do to get the money. In their mind, they don’t see it as hurting anybody, because in their mind they have every intention of paying it back,” Sears said.

Gambling symptoms

Symptoms that there may be a gambling problem in the family includes having a shortage of money and not knowing why, someone asking to borrow money for ordinary expenses, noticing things of value mysteriously disappear, money missing from a purse of wallet, someone is taking out secret loans or has new credit cards, she said.

Loved ones with a gambling problem might try to distract family members from conversations about money, Sears said.

There is help for problem gamblers, whether it be Gamblers Anonymous, counseling, inpatient programs or outpatient programs, Sears said.

“Just coming to counseling is a huge step. They have a willingness to admit they have a problem and to seek help. It’s often helpful to include family members because they are going through a lot. By the time they discover their loved one has a gambling problem, there’s been a lot of damage done,” Sears said. “All their priorities and values are upside down ... because so much emphasis has been put on the gambling behavior to the detriment of their family and friends.”

Problem gamblers need to earn back the trust of their families, she said.

They may also need to see a debt counselor to help work with creditors.

“It’s often required to have a family member take over management of the money to curtail access to money,” Sears said.

Sometimes there are illegal acts involved like embezzling money. Then there also can be suicidal thoughts or attempts, she said.

Sears said she works with triggers or situations that lead them to have that urge to gamble and ways to avoid these relapse risks. She also work on finding substitute behaviors to get their lives back in balance, like healthy recreational activities or things they used to enjoy before they began gambling.

For a link to a self-assessment, visit: paulettesearscounseling.com.

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