Stigma Gambling Problems

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I recently had the unique opportunity to have a conversation with one of the greatest humanitarians and champions of mental health – retired Lieutenant-General Romeo Dallaire.

General Dallaire has worked tirelessly to shape the dialogue within public discourse to create solutions on mental health issues. During our conversation, he provided great insight to what he perceives to be the challenges, gaps and opportunities in our efforts to prevent and reduce problem gambling.

Stigma attached to it. For some, gambling itself is suspect. When it comes to people who are perceived as ‘problem gamblers,’ the stigma is even stronger. Public attitudes include negative stereotypes about people seen as problem gamblers. People with gambling problems often internalize the stigma, which may prevent them from seeking help. What Victorians think of serious gambling problems. In December 2015 Inside gambling featured the report The stigma of problem gambling: causes, characteristics and consequences. Led by Professor Nerilee Hing, this study highlights the conflicting nature of how Victorians view people with gambling problems and the role of stigma within this.

It was touching to hear him speak so candidly and to hear the hope he retains for the future. He’s a remarkable individual and I’m pleased that he’s a keynote speaker at BCLC’s New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference in March 2019.

Stigma

It is my pleasure to share my interview with the Lieutenant-General Romeo Dallaire on stigma, mental health and problem gambling.

JW: In your book “Waiting for First Light” you speak about the role and importance of understanding and empathy as it relates to stigma and mental health. What does that look like to you?

RD: A critical requirement of understanding and empathy is not to isolate the injured and those who are suffering, and to keep communicating.

Isolating a person who is injured by stress or suffering from any mental health problem should never be done. Yet isolation is often the outcome and an automatic response because people are never sure about what to say or are worried that they may make the situation worse.

Communication is more important than ever before. Show a human dimension of yourself. Show empathy that the person is injured, not diseased. They are injured and will welcome communication, even just the attempt to communicate. Without a sense of belonging, the injury only gets worse.

JW: I was struck by your focus on the power of language. You use the term “operational stress injury” to promote the same sense of urgency in treatment for PTSD as those with physical injuries. How important are the words we use to describe a person’s condition and how might we rethink and reframe the way we describe a gambling problem?

RD: The minute you label a condition, people will begin to show resistance. A lot of mental health injuries are related to the stress of extremes and are not physically visible, but exist deep in the brain.

The challenge is helping the injured understand this, accept that they are not malingering and that they are still respectable. They simply have an injury that has overwhelmed them. Positioning it as an injury in this way is crucial.

When it comes to problem gambling, choose your words wisely and stray from terms that may be perceived negatively by society, or imply something that people shouldn’t do.

It’s important to never frame it that way. These people have been injured in their minds, which has moved them to this extreme inability to control themselves.

Considerations to the power of language can help make a lot of in-roads to removing the stigma.

JW: You have said “enough about the problems, let’s talk about solutions.” How would this perspective apply to problem gambling, in your opinion?

Stigma Gambling Problems Solving

RD: The industry, including physicians, outreach specialists, intermediaries and therapists, need to come together to develop a common lexicon and strategy that is reflective of human concern.

While people can recover from an injury, they still ultimately live with the lasting scars. Creating awareness campaigns to eradicate compulsive gambling does not get rid of the stigma. It just stigmatizes people even more. Therefore, it is most important to build your own lexicon based on words used by gamblers and those in the gambling industry to create effective communication.

Learn their culture and use their words in an attempt to resolve it.

Lastly, you need to build a peer-support system or a means by which a peer-support system can be created around the individual.

JW: What trends are you seeing around social norms and stigma around mental health? Do you see great improvements or are we concentrating on the wrong end goal? What are some of the best practices you support/champion?

RD: The gambling industry’s objective should be to make it easier for the injured to express that they need urgent help. To achieve this, the industry needs to first become at ease with these ‘walking wounded’ and ‘problem gamblers’ who are in the midst of their injury.

The stigma is disappearing mostly because those who are injured are talking. It’s not because of great campaigns by government or organizations. It’s because of those who are injured are getting support and feeling more confident talking about seeking help. Much like how some people would talk about their cardiologist, people are now more comfortable talking about their psychiatrist.

JW: What message do you have for the gambling industry who are balancing their role as entertainment providers with their desire to assist those for whom gambling is an issue?

RD: How do you feel about being part of the industry that can trigger extremes as much as provide so much joy and entertainment for people who want to participate?

It seems to me that the industry has got to get this chip off its shoulder and feel that it has a responsibility to those who do ultimately fall victim to excess. I think sometimes the industry feels guilty that it’s creating this problem. The more you engage in that thinking, the more it continues to stigmatize those who can’t handle it.

The industry must demonstrate a willingness to participate in the assistance of those who do fall victim. If you take a preventative position, I think you will go further and get away from this sense of culpability. Turn it into a positive aspect of your industry that gambling is simply offered for entertainment. For those who are injured, there is a whole parameter of supports that you are engaged in to help reduce the possibility of problems. This will help those who are caught up in it, and ultimately bring them back to health.

The seventh annual New Horizons in Responsible Gambling Conference takes place March 12-14, 2019, at the JW Marriott at Parq Vancouver.

There is an incredible stigma surrounding disordered gambling and even alcohol use (sometimes referred to as “addiction”) in Woodbridge and around the nation that can have a damaging effect on those who need help to recover. Labeling those with this disorder as “addicts” can have profound consequences on their health as well as their willingness to seek help.

As an organization dedicated to helping those with a gambling disorder and any other corresponding problems such as an alcohol use disorder (or “addiction”) in Trenton and the rest of New Jersey, we at the CCGNJ feel it necessary to address the stigma of disordered gambling. With this article, we aim to illuminate the adverse effects that stigmatization can have on disordered gamblers, so in the future, we as a society can better help those in need address their disorder and seek recovery.

The Stigma Surrounding Problem Gambling

Stigma is a social process in which individuals who partake in a particular social activity or context are devalued due to a perceived negative attribute associated with that activity. This labeling and stereotyping can lead to a range of consequences for the stigmatized population.

The stigma around disordered gamblers is that they are impulsive, irresponsible, and untrustworthy, among other things. As a result, disordered gamblers are reluctant to admit they have a problem. If they are then labeled as an “addict” close friends and family often begin to treat them differently and dissociate from them, which only compounds their problems.

The Damaging Effect It Can Have

Stigma Gambling Problems Children

The stigmatization of disordered gambling leads a person to delay the acknowledgment of his or her situation because he or she fears the consequences of being publically labeled as a problem gambler. For the same reasons, a disordered gambler is unlikely to disclose their problem to family and friends, which prolongs the recovery process by delaying treatment.

Stigma Gambling Problems Social

What You Can Do

Stigma Gambling Problems Involving

Instead of distancing from disordered gamblers and leaving them to seek help alone, we at the CCGNJ are encouraging you to show compassion for those battling a gambling disorder and support them on the road to recovery. We offer help meetings, online resources, and a 24-hour helpline, 800-GAMBLER for those seeking recovery. If you notice signs of disordered gambling in someone close to you, don’t feed into the stigma, be the support he or she needs and help them recover.