Gambling addiction, clinically recognized as pathological gambling, is a growing reality that may go unnoticed in its initial stages. Many individuals maintain seemingly normal functioning, but as the behavior intensifies, constant worry and the time dedicated to gambling begin to severely interfere with personal, family, social, and economic life.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) recognizes pathological gambling as a disorder. Key warning signs include difficulty stopping gambling, the need to increase bets, irritability when trying to cut back, constant preoccupation with gambling, and repeated attempts to recover losses. Furthermore, gambling is often used as an escape from negative emotions like anxiety, guilt, stress, or sadness.
Access to gambling has radically changed with the ability to play anytime, anywhere via mobile phones. Recent data from the Spanish Observatory on Drugs and Addictions indicate growing concern over the rise of online gambling and problematic gambling among adolescents and young adults. Nearly one in four students aged 14 to 18 admits to having participated in gambling in the past year, with an increase in associated risk behaviors.
The problem often starts innocuously, but the situation changes when gambling ceases to be a casual leisure activity and occupies an ever-larger space in a person's life. Often, those who develop this addiction take time to recognize what is happening, and it is their environment that detects the first signs when the consequences are already significant. This reality is concerning due to the ease of access, its normalization among young people, and its link to other risky behaviors.
Recognizing the situation and accepting the need for help is crucial for recovery. Fundación AEPA, a center specializing in the care of people with addictions in Dénia, offers a specific group workshop to address pathological gambling, focusing on problem awareness and relapse prevention. For more information or support, they can be contacted.
