10.6 Gambling and Internet Use Disorders

Gambling Disorder

  • Classification: As per DSM-5-TR, gambling disorder is categorized as an addictive disorder alongside substance use disorders, indicating a broadened understanding of addiction beyond just substances.

  • Prevalence:

    • Adults: Approximately 4% are affected.

    • Teenagers & College Students: Between 3-10% suffer from gambling disorder (Black, 2020; Domino, 2020).

  • Distinction from Social Gambling: Clinicians differentiate gambling disorder from social gambling, focusing less on time/money spent and more on the addictive nature.

  • Symptoms:

    • Preoccupation with gambling.

    • Inability to walk away from bets.

    • Tendency to gamble to recover lost money (chasing losses).

    • Increased need for larger bets to achieve excitement.

    • Restlessness or irritability when attempting to reduce or stop gambling.

    • These symptoms mimic tolerance and withdrawal reactions in substance use disorders (APA, 2022).

Explanations for Gambling Disorder

  • Potential Causes:

    1. Genetic Predisposition: Some individuals may inherit a tendency to develop gambling disorder.

    2. Dopamine Activity: Heightened dopamine activity and dysfunction in the brain's reward circuitry during gambling.

    3. Personality Traits: Impulsivity, novelty seeking, and other traits can increase vulnerability (Singer et al., 2020).

    4. Cognitive Errors: Individuals may make repeated cognitive mistakes, such as unrealistic expectations regarding gambling outcomes.

  • Research Limitation: Research into these potential causes is still limited, leaving these explanations somewhat tentative (Armstrong et al., 2020; Peters et al., 2020).

Treatment Options for Gambling Disorder

  • Adapted Treatments: Several treatments for substance use disorders have been adapted for gambling disorder (Domino, 2020; Ford & Hockinson, 2020).

    • Cognitive Behavioral Approaches: Such as relapse prevention training.

    • Biological Approaches: Including the use of opioid antagonists.

    • Self-Help Groups: Programs like Gamblers Anonymous provide support and have improved recovery rates among participants.

Internet Use Disorder

  • Emergence: With the rise of internet usage for various activities (like social networking, gaming, shopping, etc.), a psychological issue called Internet use disorder has emerged (Gregory, 2020; Lee et al., 2020).

  • Symptoms:

    • Some individuals (around 1% of the population) exhibit an uncontrollable need for online activity.

    • Activities include gaming, online shopping, and excessive use of social media, leading to withdrawal-like symptoms when offline (APA, 2020).

  • Classification:

    • Internet use disorder is not currently classified as a disorder in DSM-5-TR.

    • Internet gaming disorder is under consideration for future DSM editions (Rita et al., 2020; Wong et al., 2020).

    • In contrast, the World Health Organization has included gaming disorder in the ICD-11, which is used in many countries.

Summary of Other Addictive Disorders

  • Gambling disorder is classified as an addictive disorder in DSM-5-TR, alongside substance use disorders.

  • Treatment for gambling disorder includes cognitive behavioral strategies, opioid antagonists, and support groups like Gamblers Anonymous.

  • Awareness of patterns like Internet use disorder is growing, with Internet gaming disorder under review for future DSM inclusion.