Which of the following is NOT a DSM-5 criterion for Gambling Disorder?

• A. Seeks professional counseling to help stop gambling
• B. Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve desired excitement
• C. Restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling
• D. Repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling

Answer: (A)

In DSM-5, Gambling Disorder is diagnosed when a person shows persistent gambling behavior that causes clinically significant impairment or distress, with four or more of specific behavioral symptoms occurring within a 12-month period. These symptoms reflect escalating involvement and the impact on life: needing to gamble with increasing amounts to achieve the same excitement; feeling restless or irritable when trying to cut down or stop; making repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling; preoccupation with gambling; gambling when distressed; returning another day to get even after losing money; lying to conceal the extent of gambling; risking or losing important relationships, jobs, or opportunities; and relying on others to provide money to relieve financial desperation caused by gambling. Seeking professional counseling to help stop gambling is not a diagnostic criterion—it's a treatment step, not a symptom used to diagnose the disorder.