We adore mental health professionals. They are the backbone of any resource that helps people overcome unhealthy behaviors relating to gambling and trading. They are why we built this online pathway between those who need help and their invaluable services. But beloved clinicians along with researchers, related media, gambling/trading regulators, and operators simply won’t stop fixating on what semantics can and can’t be used when describing compulsive behavior. They don’t even like the word “compulsive”, but the biggest bee in their respective bonnets regarding irresponsible betting, is “addiction”. Oh boy, does it get the collective powers-that-be (PTB)all riled up.
Their problem, is that “gambling addiction” and “trading addiction” are not validated in the indigestibly-named Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)– the Bible among mental health professionals in the U.S.. The good book prefers “Gambling Disorder ” complete with same acronym grandmothers use when resisting the urge to take the Lord’s name in vain. They refuse to use the word “addiction” in any public-facing discussion on gambling/trading, afraid that they will ruffle the feathers of peers and any stakeholders who dangle a carrot (funding) in front of them for as long as they play nicely and not disrupt the order of things. We can’t blame them, mind you, as without funding support many providers won’t be able to reach those who need help. But at the same time, this obsession over terminology leaves the very same sufferers confused about where to get that help.
In an Alex Trebek-esque voice, the PTBs can accept alternative versions such as “addictive gambling behavior”, “unhealthy gambling behavior”, “problematic gambling behavior”, and the aforementioned “gambling disorder”. But do you know how many Americans use those expressions when seeking help to quit?
None of them.
Instead, they open their online search browsers and self-report to whomever will listen that they are struggling with “addiction”.
The PTBs who work in gambling and trading treatment should be careful not to become so focused on clinical terminology that they lose touch with the people they are trying to reach. While the DSM-5 formally classifies the condition as “gambling disorder,” the vast majority of the vulnerable public recognizes and searches for the term “addiction.” If professionals avoid that language out of concern for diagnostic precision, they risk creating a communication gap between treatment providers and those who need help. People struggling with compulsive gambling and trading often describe themselves as being addicted to gambling or trading long before they encounter the terms gambling disorder or problem trading. Effective outreach requires meeting people where they are, using language they understand, and ensuring that concerns about terminology do not overshadow the larger goal of connecting individuals with support and treatment. Clinical accuracy remains important in many circles, but accessibility and audience engagement are more important when addressing the serious behavioral health issues.
It’s either that, or we continue to allow Reddit to capture the bulk of online search for gambling and trading addiction.
“If professionals avoid that language out of concern for diagnostic precision, they risk creating a communication gap between treatment providers and those who need help.”
We’ll put the soapbox away for now, but rest assured we’ll be watching.
PMH
