THE HIGH STAKES OF GAMBLING ADDICTION
Gambling hurts the whole family, not just the wallet.
How F&ST can help in gambling addiction treatment and prevention

By Lisa Pridmore

Robert’s life savings took him a lifetime to acquire and only three and a half years to loose. His gambling addiction cost him $200,000. It nearly cost him his marriage too.

Robert is just one of the 600,000 to 1.2 million Canadians to whom gambling is like alcohol to an alcoholic. Most people are not aware that gambling can be just as addictive as alcohol or drugs.

A compulsive gambler does not have to go far to gamble. Even if there is not a racetrack or casino in the area, gambling is still available. Lotteries are one of the most common forms of gambling for compulsive gamblers. Problem and compulsive gamblers prefer forms of gambling that give instant gratification such as lotteries, Video Lottery Terminals, Bingo, horse racing, casino betting, sports pools and card games.

Research indicates that the majority of compulsive gamblers have unresolved underlying issues. Gamblers may become compulsive if they use gambling as a way of escaping from these issues. Underlying issues can include; stress, depression, loneliness, unhappy personal relationships, grief, feelings of inadequacy or boredom. A substantial initial win can also get a gambler “hooked”.

Robert used gambling as a way to escape from the troubles of his everyday life. “Gambling makes you forget your problems. When you’re gambling nothing else exists,” says Robert. The problem with gambling is that it inevitably causes more problems, which just end up compounding the original problems one was trying to escape from. A compulsive gambler then feels he needs to gamble more to escape from the problems caused by gambling, and thus gets caught in a destructive gambling cycle.

Compulsive gambling can lead to financial ruin, job loss, family break down, health problems, and even suicide.

Compulsive gambling takes its toll on the whole family, not just the individual struggling with the addiction. Spouses of compulsive gamblers are more likely to have nervous breakdowns or substance abuse problems. They are also three times more likely to attempt suicide than individuals without a problem gambler in the family. Children of compulsive gamblers are more likely to attempt suicide, have lower grades and higher rates of substance abuse. They are more likely to have gambling problems themselves. Since gambling effects the entire family, treatment and prevention programs that work with all family members are quite effective.

Families and Schools Together (F&ST) is a family and parent involvement programme offered by Family Service Canada in schools throughout Canada. A child and his or her entire family are invited to attend the programme. F&ST has the potential to provide support for families struggling with gambling problems, and to prevent gambling addictions. Sue Eason is the coordinator of the F&ST program for Family Services of Peel. She has been exploring the possibility of adding a gambling addiction prevention and treatment aspect to the F&ST program. “It would be quite helpful in communities in which gambling has been identified as a problem, in communities with casinos or racetracks for example,” says Eason.

Families with and without gambling problems would be invited to F&ST. They would be given the opportunity to learn about gambling as an addiction, and if necessary, to seek help from the addictions counselors who make the presentation.

More teens are gambling. Canadian Research indicates adolescents are three to four times more likely than adults to become problem gamblers. To prevent a huge future increase in the number of problem gamblers, prevention programs must be targeted towards youth. Because it works with children and families, F&ST is an ideal setting for gambling addiction treatment and prevention.

Gambling is often a hidden addiction. Problem gamblers are usually able to keep their addiction a secret from the people closest to them, at least until the gambling leads to some crisis such as missing money or fraud.

Robert kept his gambling a secret from his wife for three and a half years. “I worked hard to keep my gambling a secret form my wife. I would gamble whenever I could. At lunchtime I would go to the casino. I was the boss at work, so I would give myself an hour for lunch and come back three hours later. Anytime my wife was out of the house I would gamble. I would tell her I was seeing a movie with friends when in fact I would be gambling. She had no idea I was gambling,” says Robert.

Gambling is particularly harmful to relationships because of the betrayal of trust that goes along with it. It can be difficult to forgive the secrets and the lying. Treatment programs that cater to both the needs of the gambler and those of the family members are sometimes able to save relationships that otherwise may not be able to get past the gambling problem.

Most compulsive gamblers repetitively attempt to stop gambling on their own, but attempts are usually unsuccessful. Robert made two unsuccessful attempts before he sought counseling and was able to quit. “I knew gambling was a dead end road, and I tried to quit, but I just couldn’t,” says Robert.

Robert’s gambling left him depressed and broke. He had spent his life savings, cashed in RRSPs and special savings accounts, and exceeded his credit limit. He had maxed out his own credit cards and his company expense account. He even tried to cash in his retirement pension, but company policy wouldn’t allow it. “I hit bottom. I had no more money. Gambling was never a problem when I had money,” says Robert.

Robert started attending treatment at a local family service centre that offers help for problem gamblers. He also started attending Gamblers Anonymous: a combination that usually leads to success. Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is a self-help organization for compulsive gamblers. GA follows the principals of the 12 steps of recovery also used by Alcoholics Anonymous. Jane Aston is the coordinator of the Problem Gambling Program at Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services in Ottawa. She highly recommends anyone who is working to recover from a gambling problem to attend both a treatment program and Gamblers Anonymous. “Statistically, people who attend both treatment and Gamblers Anonymous have a much higher recovery rate than if they attend just one or the other. The more actions you take and the more support you have, the more likely you are to make a durable change,” says Aston.

Treatment of a gambling problem is quite different than treatment of a substance addiction like alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. Gamblers develop distorted perceptions, and these distortions need to be addressed in treatment.

Compulsive gamblers have what psychologists call “cognitive distortions.” Cognitive distortions are distorted perceptions that gamblers believe are true. For example, a gambler may believe he can control the randomness of where the ball lands on the roulette wheel, or when a slot machine will pay out. These are all things that a person has no control over, but a gambler cannot accept this fact.

A F&ST gambling prevention programme could include games and math building skills that teach the nature of randomness. For example a dice game.

Treatment for problem gamblers has to address cognitive distortions. Gamblers need to re-learn the rules of randomness and realize that their cognitive distortions are not true. Gamblers need to re-learn the rules of randomness and realize that their cognitive distortions are not true. If a gambler does not learn this, he cannot recover from his addiction. If he still believes he has a special power to win, he will continue to gamble.

Treatment of compulsive gamblers differs in that it involves the financial aspect that substance addictions may not. If an individual gambles away this family’s life savings, financial matters have to be part of treatment and counseling. At Rideauwood gambling addictions counselors refer clients to financial services.

Robert sought help at a local addiction treatment centre. He attended the 12-week program offered at the center, and his wife attended a group for family members of compulsive gamblers. He attends Gamblers Anonymous and his wife attended Gam Anon, a support group for family and friends of compulsive gamblers. “Treatment and Gam Anon saved our marriage. Since treatment my wife and I have been able to re-establish a relationship that is closer than it has ever been,” Robert says.

Names and other identifying details have been changed to protect privacy. Many of the statistics appearing in this article are from Gambling in Canada: a report by the National Council of Welfare. Minister of supply and Services Canada, 1996.