I Want to Break Myself, When I’m Already Broken: Experiences of Gambling in Relation to a “Rock Bottom” Hypothesis

Ellen Gerle, Tove Lundberg, Björn Hofvander, Anders Håkansson, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund Clinical Research on Externalizing and Developmental Psychopathology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University

Qualitative Health Research

Published online on July 19, 2025

Abstract

Qualitative Health Research, Ahead of Print.
This study explores narratives about gambling problems and experiences of “rock bottom” through interviews with ten participants. The analysis generated three main themes. InA bumpy road—Plunging toward “rock bottom,”participants described hitting “rock ...