Question

A middle-aged man comes to you with the complaint that he cannot stop gambling. He has wasted tens of thousands of dollars in casinos, and his wife just left him. He has also been fired from his job because he misses so much work to gamble. Where would his diagnosis best fit in the following choices according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM 5)?

A. Personality disorders
B. Psychotic disorders
C. Anxiety disorders
D. Impulse-control disorders
E. Substance-related and addictive disorders

Answer 1

The middle-aged man's diagnosis would best fit in the category of impulse-control disorders according to the DSM-5.

Step-by-step explanation:

The diagnosis for the middle-aged man who cannot stop gambling would best fit in the category of D. Impulse-control disorders according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM 5).

Impulse-control disorders are characterized by the inability to resist urges or impulses that may be harmful to oneself or others. Gambling disorder is specifically classified as an impulse-control disorder in the DSM-5.

In order to be diagnosed with gambling disorder, the individual must exhibit symptoms such as persistent and recurrent problematic gambling behavior, experiencing distress or impaired functioning as a result of gambling, and exhibiting an increasing need to gamble with larger amounts of money to achieve the desired excitement.