Gambling Disorder and Its Symptoms
Gambling disorder is just not a character flaw. It also doesn’t imply that someone might be immoral, has poor financial judgment, or is unconcerned about the consequences of their gaming.
Gambling disorder is classified as a stimulant and addictive condition in DSM-5 or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition.
According to the DSM-5, you must have repeated problematic gambling activity that causes distress and anxiety for more than a year to be classified with gambling disorder.
Signs and Symptoms of having Gambling Disorder
If a person exhibits four or so of the following signs or behaviors, they may be labeled with gambling disorder:
- having a preoccupation with gambling
- gambling with increasing amounts of money
- feeling jittery or irritable when trying to stop or cut back on gambling
- gambling when distressed, anxious, or depressed
- progressing to gamble even after losing, telling lies to family members regarding their gambling engagement
- jeopardizing or losing an important relationship
- choosing illegal acts to fund their gambling habit resulting to financial problems
Gambling is sometimes referred to as a ‘secret addiction,’ because most gamblers can disguise the extent of their misery from relatives and friends until it’s too late.
According to certain studies, compulsive gambling is connected to dopamine synthesis in the brain, comparable to drug addiction. While gambling, the unpredictability of winning might cause a continuous release of dopamine.
