I agree with your last statement if gambling already affecting you bringing emotional swing it's best to weight in and see if you still can handle the pressure and still able to balance both your mental and financial capabilities.
Unfortunately, many people when they enter gambling, come with the problems they have in the real world and the more they are pressured in the real world with the problems they have, the more they also sink into gambling. For example, I always play looking at it as entertainment, when I see that for example today I have some problem in the real world, then I don't play to avoid my real world problems making me play more than planned.
Maybe like those who need money then the option they take is to gamble so they hope to be able to get a win that can make them happy with their win. When having financial problems in the real world then gambling is not an option to be a solution even though there is a chance to win but what must be known is the chance of losing is greater.
As you said playing with not to avoid problems in the real world.