Yes, social interactions matter to us. There's also evidence that solitude can cause addictions, especially gambling. When lonely, people turn to fast gratification, like gambling. It's a quick getaway, right?
Like you said, relationships aren't simply about statistics. Quality of relationships matters. We need caring folks who can say, "Hey, something's off. You okay? " Ironic that sometimes being closer makes it harder to discuss the elephant in the room? Why are we afraid to communicate our worries for fear of hurting them? Doesn't quiet hurt more in such cases? No single solution exists for this complex subject. But openness, understanding, and support may change everything
I agree with this.
Sometimes it's hard to address things with your loged ones compared to sharing it and laying all your concerns to a stranger. Perhaps there's a side of us that do not want to be judged or if ever we will be, it will not come from those who matter to us, so it'll hurt less or not at all.
A caring and supportive relationship can help a lot in solving most problems including gambling addiction. If one is facing challenges that's hard to overcome, it will be a relief if someone will check up on him and ask what's wrong in a genuine matter because of care and concern, not out of pity or because of meddling. After all, it's really hard to undergo all through the hardships alone. Turning into vices will just create more problems rather being solved.