Mental Health and online betting and gaming
THEN. SHOPPING FOR INSURANCE, AND ALWAYS BE SURE TO PAY YOUR BILLS ON TIME. WELL, MAY IS NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH. IT’S A TIME TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS, EDUCATE AND GIVE SUPPORT. THIS MORNING WE’RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT ONLINE BETTING AND GAMBLING AND GAMING AS THEY BECOME MORE POPULAR AND THE RISK OF DEVELOPING ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS. JOINING ME NOW IS DOCTOR RACHEL HEIDI, A PSYCHIATRIST WITH BAPTIST HEALTH BRAIN AND SPINE. THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US DOCTOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME. SO WE’VE SEEN GAMBLING MOVE FROM CASINOS TO SMARTPHONES. HOW HAS ONLINE BETTING KIND OF CHANGED THE WAY THAT PEOPLE ARE DEVELOPING GAMBLING PROBLEMS? THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION. SO YOU KNOW, ONLINE BETTING HAS MADE GAMBLING CONSTANT RIGHT. SO IT’S IMMEDIATE. IT’S PRIVATE. YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST, PEOPLE HAD TO GO TO CASINOS OR, OR, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF SPORTING PLACE SO THAT THEY CAN DO THE BETTING. NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GAMBLE 24 OVER SEVEN ON YOUR PHONE, IN BED, AT WORK. IT’S EXTREMELY CONVENIENT THAT EASY ACCESS LOWERS THAT BARRIER TO IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR. SO WE’RE SEEING PEOPLE DEVELOP PROBLEMS FASTER BECAUSE APPS ARE DESIGNED FOR THAT RAPID, REPETITIVE BETTING. IT HAS INSTANT REWARDS, CONSTANT STIMULATION. SO I FEEL LIKE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THE ONLINE GAMBLING IS, IS A SORT OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR THEM. WHEN DO IT, WHEN DOES IT BECOME ADDICTIVE? WHEN DO THEY KIND OF SEE THOSE SIGNS THAT IT BECOMES ADDICTIVE? SO YEAH, COMMON COMMON WARNING SIGNS CAN BE THINGS LIKE SPENDING MORE MONEY THAN YOU INTENDED, SPENDING MORE TIME THAN YOU INTENDED. SO IT KIND OF TAKES OVER LIFESTYLE. IT INTERFERES WITH OF YOUR LIFE. ESSENTIALLY, RIGHT? YOU’RE CHASING LOSSES. YOU’RE HIDING THE GAMBLING FROM LOVED ONES, FROM YOUR YOUR FAMILY, FROM WIVES, FRIENDS, HUSBANDS. YOU FEEL ANXIOUS OR YOU EVEN GET IRRITABLE WHEN YOU’RE NOT BETTING. SO WHEN IT REALLY STARTS TO INTERFERE WITH YOUR DAILY AND IT STARTS INTERFERING WITH YOUR MOOD, IS WHEN YOU SHOULD, YOU SHOULD REALLY TAKE HEED. AND WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS MOST AT RISK? SO WHO I WOULD SAY MOST AT RISK WOULD PROBABLY BE YOUNGER MEN. YOUNGER GENERATIONS AS A WHOLE, A YOUNGER ADULTS, YOU KNOW, THEY GROW UP. THEY GREW UP IN A IN A COMPLETELY DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT. THEY DON’T KNOW A WORLD WHERE THERE, THERE AREN’T DEVICE SMART DEVICES. AND THIS IS ALSO A WORLD, UNFORTUNATELY, WHERE SPORTS BETTING IS HEAVILY NORMALIZED. YOU SEE BETTING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, INFLUENCERS. ADVERTISINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, YOUNG ADULTS ARE VERY IMPULSIVE, ESPECIALLY YOUNG MEN WHEN IT COMES TO THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR. REWARD SEEKING IS HIGH. AND, YOU KNOW, WE’RE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN UNDERLYING ANXIETY, WHO HAVE DEPRESSION, ADHD, WHO ALREADY HAVE SUBSTANCE USE, WHO MAY HAVE ADDICTION AS A FAMILY HISTORY. SO ALL OF THIS CAN CAN INCREASE RISK. DOCTOR HEIDI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. WE WANT TO WATCH THIS INTERVIEW AGAIN. FOR
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. The month focuses on raising awareness, educating and offering support. Dr. Rachel Rohaidy, a psychiatrist with Baptist Health Brain and Spine Care, spoke to WPBF 25 News about these topics and the new risks they are seeing when it comes to online betting and gaming.
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. The month focuses on raising awareness, educating and offering support.
Dr. Rachel Rohaidy, a psychiatrist with Baptist Health Brain and Spine Care, spoke to WPBF 25 News about these topics and the new risks they are seeing when it comes to online betting and gaming.