A Parent With a Gambling Addiction
Many would be surprised at the impacts of gambling addiction on children. Did you know that gamblers often steal money from their children? Shocking but true. We have listened to stories of a parent stealing from a child’s piggy bank! Gambling addicts resort to behavior they would not otherwise engage in. Theft is often a part of the addiction. And sometimes, it knows no boundaries. What is known:
1) Causes devastation and psychological injury. Think of a memory when a loved one stole something from you. Money or a personal item. You felt angry. But the feeling of betrayal was even worse.
2) For a child, heaped upon the hurt is feeling confused. They question whether they were to blame or were bad. Ironically, they feel ashamed. A child cannot sort out the emotions that result from a parents theft. And they feel overwhelmed.
Emotional Abandonment
Gambling addiction is partly defined as a “preoccupation with gambling or thoughts of gambling”. With severe forms of gambling addiction – if you are a stickler, it is formally, “Gambling Disorder”- most of the day the individual is thinking about gambling. They are awake at night thinking of gambling. So between gambling and thoughts of gambling, it pretty much consumes the gambling addicts life. Hard to have any time for the children, true? Even when the gambling mother or father is “there”, they aren’t really “THERE”. Hence emotional abandonment. So it’s about more than not being there for the basketball games, or piano recitals, or soccer matches. The addict has “checked out”.
Effects of Family Violence
Gamblers become irritable. Irritated when they lose. Irritated when they can’t gamble. Short-fused thinking of a “come-up” or ways to get money. ‘Hmmm…maybe I can sell something on ebay…’. The end result is conflict. Often with the spouse. We have worked with a number of court-ordered gamblers in connection with domestic violence charges. Particularly, physical altercations over…money. But children are victimized in two ways: the terror of witnessing violence between parents and the physical and psychological abuse they themselves suffer. A child is a convenient target for a parent’s stress. Here is an outstanding article on the impact on children of different forms of violence.
What are the signs gambling is impacting my children?
First, hopefully this article has helped you understand that gambling has a harmful impact on children.
A common sign that your child is being impacted by a parent’s gambling addiction is a decline in academic performance. In all instances of family discord including gambling related violence, it is wise to seek help for your child if academic performance continues to decline. Visit with her teacher and/or make an appointment with his pediatrician. Click here to read more about Families and Problem Gambling. Call our helpline now if you need help for a gambling problem at 404-985-6785.
