Addiction Among Immigrants: The Risk of Alcohol, Gambling and Betting Abroad

Addiction among immigrants can rise with loneliness and stress. Learn the signs of alcohol, gambling and betting problems abroad and ways out.

Evenings that begin with "just one beer" after work gradually become a few drinks every night. A betting app opened at weekends to push away the loneliness starts to swallow part of the rent money at the beginning of the month. Or visits to the casino "just for a bit of fun" turn into a secret you are hiding from your partner. Addiction among immigrants often develops not suddenly but slowly, together with the loneliness, stress and emptiness of life abroad. In this article we look at why the risks of addiction such as alcohol, gambling and betting may increase abroad, the early signs, the effects on the family, and concrete steps that can be taken to get out of this cycle. Our aim is not to blame, but to understand and to point a way forward.

What Is Addiction Among Immigrants and How Does It Begin?

Addiction can be defined as continuing a substance or behaviour in a way that cannot be controlled despite its negative consequences. Just as there are substance addictions such as alcohol and other substances, there are also behavioural addictions such as gambling and betting. What both have in common is that, at some point, the person can no longer decide for themselves "when to stop."

Addiction is no one's "weakness of character." It is a complex problem in which biological, psychological and social factors play a role together. It often begins with a need: to relax, to sleep, to forget, to have fun, to fill loneliness or to find a quick way out of financial trouble. The substance or behaviour seems to meet this need in the short term; but in the long term it deepens problems and creates new ones.

The migration process can be a period when these needs are felt more intensely. So it would be wrong to say that everyone living abroad will develop an addiction; but knowing the risk factors makes it easier to notice early.

Factors That Increase the Risk of Addiction Among Immigrants

Some factors that can increase the risk of addiction among immigrants are as follows (these factors do not lead to addiction on their own, but can raise the risk):

• Loneliness and social isolation: Being far from family and close friends can make evenings and weekends feel empty and long. Alcohol or betting can seem an easy way to fill that emptiness.
• Migration stress: Bureaucracy, language, job insecurity, uncertainty about residence permits and experiences of discrimination can create constant tension. We deal with this subject in detail in our article on immigrant stress.
• Hard working conditions: Long hours, shift work and physically tiring jobs can increase the need to "unwind with something in the evening."
• Economic pressure: The responsibility of sending money to family in Turkey, debts, or the dream of "getting rich quickly and going back" can make gambling and betting attractive.
• Easy access: Online betting sites, gambling machines and alcohol are easily accessible in many countries. Betting apps that can be reached on a phone at any moment are a factor that raises the risk.
• Reduced social control: Behaviours that might be noticed in Turkey by family, neighbours or the local community can stay invisible abroad for a long time.
• Loss and grief: Difficult life events such as losing a loved one in Turkey, divorce or unemployment can trigger the addiction process.
• Untreated psychological problems: Depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress symptoms can lay the groundwork for addiction through a person trying to "medicate" themselves.

Young people and the second generation also have a separate area of risk: feeling caught between two cultures, peer pressure, and betting and games of chance intertwined with online gaming. We touch on this in our article on gambling addiction in young people.

Retirement, unemployment and free time

The risk is not only in young people or in those who have just moved. For first-generation immigrants who have worked in hard jobs for years, retirement can create an unexpected emptiness. The working rhythm that filled the day suddenly ends, the children have left home and the circle of friends has narrowed. Spending time in a coffeehouse or club setting is a good place to socialise for some people; but sometimes, combined with card games, machines or alcohol, it can turn into a risky habit. Similarly, for people who have lost their jobs or been unable to find work for a long time, unstructured time is a vulnerable period in terms of addiction. For this reason, planning free time with meaningful activities can be seen as a preventive step.

Cultural context: shame, embarrassment and silence

Within Turkish communities, addiction is still a subject that is largely not talked about. Thoughts such as "What will people say?", "It will bring shame on the family's name" and "Things like that don't happen with us" can cause both the person with the addiction and their family to stay silent. This silence lets the problem grow for a long time.

In some families alcohol is treated as a religious or moral matter, and a person may choose to hide with shame rather than ask for help. Gambling and betting, on the other hand, can sometimes be taken lightly as "luck," "fate" or "men's entertainment." Cultural patterns in which men are expected not to show their feelings can leave alcohol or betting as the only way of coping with stress.

An important reminder: addiction is not a moral problem but a health problem. Shame is often one of the feelings that feed addiction. The more a person is ashamed, the more they hide; the more they hide, the lonelier they become; the lonelier they become, the more they turn again to the substance or behaviour. One of the first steps in breaking this cycle is being able to talk about the problem without blame.

Signs of Alcohol, Gambling and Betting Addiction

Addiction often progresses insidiously. While the person says "I'm in control," those around them may have already noticed the changes. The signs below may point to situations that need attention:

Signs related to alcohol

• Drinking more or for longer than you planned
• "Needing" alcohol to relax, to sleep or to be able to talk in social settings
• Drinking more and more to get the same effect
• Symptoms such as restlessness, sweating, trembling and insomnia when you don't drink
• Hiding the amount you drink from your family
• Neglecting responsibilities such as work, home and childcare

Signs related to gambling and betting

• Playing again to "win back" lost money
• A desire to play with ever larger amounts
• Constantly thinking about gambling or betting
• Restlessness and anger when you try to stop playing
• Borrowing money, or using savings or money meant to be sent to family
• Lying about how much you play

General signs

• Moving away from other activities you enjoy
• Increasing conflicts with your partner, family and friends
• Shame, guilt and secrecy
• Repeatedly breaking the promise "This is the last time, I won't do it again"

One or two of these signs alone does not mean a diagnosis of addiction. But if several of them have continued for a long time, it is important to assess the situation with a specialist.

The Effect of Addiction on the Family, Spouse and Children

Addiction among immigrants is never only an individual's problem. Abroad, since the family is often the only source of support, the effects can be felt even more intensely.

• Spouses: Loss of trust, financial worries, a constant state of alertness and loneliness. Some spouses may enter a cycle of "covering up" the problem, finding excuses and trying to control everything.
• Children: Tension at home, unpredictable moods, arguments and financial strain deeply affect children. Children often look for the fault in themselves and are ashamed to share what is going on at school or with their friends.
• Family in Turkey: The decrease in the money sent, unexplained debts or reduced communication can worry the family far away as well.

Let's say a woman living in Belgium notices that her husband has been betting on his phone in the evenings for the past year. Credit card debts have risen and the rent is late. Each time her husband says, "This time I'll win, I'll pay off the debts." The woman, though, cannot tell anyone: not her family in Turkey, not her Turkish friends here. In this picture, it is not only the person with the addiction but also their spouse who needs support.

If you are a relative of someone with an addiction, changing them is not your responsibility. But protecting your own boundaries, securing your financial safety and getting support for yourself are important for the good of both you and the family.

Steps You Can Take on Your Own

If you have noticed an addiction risk or think you are having a problem, the following steps can be a start:

1. Keep an honest record. For a week, write down how much you drink or how much you play, at what times and with what feelings. The picture often turns out different from what was estimated.
2. Identify the triggers. Lonely evenings? Work stress? Bad news from Turkey? Payday? Knowing the triggers lets you plan ahead.
3. Make access harder. Delete betting apps, close your accounts, and look into the self-exclusion options available in some countries. Not keeping alcohol at home is also a step.
4. Take measures around money. Lowering card limits, automatically transferring part of your salary into a separate account or getting support from someone you trust with financial matters can help.
5. Develop alternative ways of coping. A walk in the evenings, sport, a hobby, a regular phone call with a loved one in Turkey. Filling the gap is easier than simply giving something up.
6. Tell someone. Talking to a person you trust reduces the power of shame.
7. Consult a doctor before stopping alcohol suddenly. With long-term and heavy alcohol use, stopping abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms that are medically risky. In this case, a medical assessment is essential.
8. Notice small progress. An evening without alcohol, a payday that ended without betting, or a moment when you were able to put the phone down despite the urge are small but important gains. Writing these down helps you keep your motivation alive and be fairer to yourself.

Getting out of addiction is not a test of willpower; it is a path taken step by step, with support.

When Should You Seek Professional Support?

It is important to get support from a specialist in the following situations:

• If you have tried to stop or cut down but have not managed
• If you are having serious problems at work, in the family or financially because of alcohol or gambling
• If you experience withdrawal symptoms when you don't drink
• If debts have gotten out of control
• If depression, anxiety or sleep problems accompany it
• If your loved ones say they are worried about you

For substance addiction, you need to turn to your family doctor, addiction centres or local psychiatric services in the country where you live for medical assessment and, if necessary, detox treatment. Online psychological support can complement this process, but it is not a substitute for medical treatment. If there are thoughts of harming yourself, severe withdrawal symptoms or an emergency, call the emergency number of the country you are in: 112 in EU countries, 911 in the US and Canada, 999 or 112 in the UK, and 000 in Australia. Online therapy is not an emergency intervention service.

How Do We Work with Addiction in Online Therapy in Your Mother Tongue?

Being able to talk about a subject surrounded by strong feelings of shame and embarrassment with someone who knows your culture, in your mother tongue, can make it easier to take the first step. The mother-tongue support offered to Turks abroad is an option that can be used together with the addiction treatment services in the country where you live.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is one of the approaches frequently used in working with addiction. The work may include the following topics:

• Strengthening motivation: Talking without judgement about ambivalence over change, and the person discovering their own reasons.
• Trigger and cycle analysis: Identifying which situations, thoughts and feelings lead to use or gambling.
• Working with thought patterns: Testing thoughts such as "One drink won't hurt" and "This time I'll definitely win."
• Coping skills: Coping with waves of craving, stress management, alternative activities.
• Relapse prevention: Anticipating risky situations and a plan for getting back on track when a "slip" occurs.
• Family support: Involving the spouse or family members in the process where appropriate.

Sessions can be held through online therapy at times that suit the time difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is having a few drinks every evening an addiction?

It is not the amount alone that is decisive, but loss of control and negative consequences. If you are finding it hard to cut down, if you cannot relax without alcohol, or if your drinking worries your loved ones, it is useful to assess this with a specialist.

Can online betting be addictive too?

Yes, gambling and betting can lead to behavioural addiction. Being reachable on a phone at any moment can make control even harder. Playing to make up for a loss is an important warning sign.

My partner is addicted but doesn't want help. What can I do?

You cannot change them by force, but you can protect your own boundaries, secure your financial safety and get support for yourself. Sharing your concrete observations without blame can sometimes open a door for change.

Is it possible to get completely free of addiction?

Many people can get out of the addiction cycle with the right support and noticeably improve their quality of life. The process varies from person to person; there are sometimes ups and downs. What matters is not giving up when a slip occurs, and not moving away from support.

• #alcohol addiction
• #gambling addiction
• #online betting
• #stress abroad

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Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

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