Family systems theory reveals why the scapegoat turns to gambling as a desperate shortcut to redemption. Research shows the way out isn't winning — it's stepping out of the role.
Family systems theory reveals that the 'identified patient' or scapegoat carries the emotional weight of the entire family's dysfunction. Peer-reviewed research shows how this unbearable pressure drives vulnerable family members toward gambling as a desperate shortcut to redemption, financial rescue, and proof of worth, only to confirm the very label the system assigned them. The way out is not winning the lottery. It is stepping out of the role entirely.
By Kate Mosley, Gambling Recovery Coach.