Full Truth About Problem Gambling

Have you ever considered self-destruction as a result of your playing? If your answer is yes, it is time to give a thought to gambling addiction or as some people say “problem gambling”.

Gambling Addiction (or ludomania) is an impulsive disorder. Player, diagnosed with gambling addiction has the uncontrollable urge to keep constantly risking in online games, notwithstanding the harsh consequences.

That soft border between the real illness and gambling myths has resulted in a substitution of notions. We want to make the concept of PG (problem gambling) plain to players. As true PG can lead to a life of crime. It is a serious condition that can destroy your quality of living. Let’s face it before you will hit rock bottom.

2 Theories: Evidence Is Not Clear

Nowadays there are 2 explanations of the phenomenon. One group of doctors say it is the psychiatric disorder, connected to problems in emotional and behavioral self-control.

The other insists on the compulsive engagement in rewarding stimuli, known as pathological gambling. In that case, the disease is on a par with alcoholism and drug abuse in Dr. Charles O’Brien’s view.

Scientific Approach to Problem

The failure to resist impulses to gamble can turn out to be pathological gambling, which can result in problems include impulsivity, heart attacks, susceptibility to depression. Neuroscience and genetics research has played the lead in these determination.

Pathological gamblers act in response to their stimulus of choice. Experts in that area have solid grounds for supposing that from 2% to 4% of people suffer from the disease.

It is submitted that the high prevalence is set to rise in the UK. But it stems from the fact that gambling in the United Kingdom is legalized and regulated.

The disease can also be inherited, oftentimes with other addictions. The possible risk factors for it are depression, schizophrenia, antisocial personality disorder and bipolar disorder. It usually begins in early adolescence in men, between ages 20 and 40 in women. Interestingly, it rapidly progresses in women.

7 Reasons to Worry

You may often hear about the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the gambling addiction. But how to diagnose a case in line with all 2 explanations? Indeed, the treatment is different in each case. You won’t see the obvious physical signs or symptoms like there are in drug or alcohol addiction.

Though, compulsive gamblers typically deny or minimize the problem. But when they go to great lengths to hide their disease, one can see they withdraw from their friends, relatives, lovers, sneak around, and lie about where they’ve been and so on.

20 questions will help you to determine a diagnosis. Pathological gamblers usually answer in the affirmative on at least 7 of such questions. Also, if you have doubts whether you need to take this remarks personally, you can take a test anonymously:

Has gambling had significant negative consequences on your family life? Did you idle time instead from work or school, because of gambling? Have you ever tried to solve your money troubles through gambling? Do you remember the situations when you gambled to the last dollar? Did gambling make you thoughtless about the welfare of others? Did you ever play longer than you had intended? Have you ever pulled or thought about committing an illegal action to finance gambling? Did gambling have a negative effect on your reputation? Do you have trouble sleeping over gambling? Do you feel the need to continue gambling after a win? Were you pursued by remorse after betting online? Have you ever given a thought of suicide or self-destruction in relation to gambling? Has trouble, boredom, grief, loneliness or loss given rise to your gambling? Having lost money, do you feel a strong urge to recover your losses? Do you think gambling affects on the decrease of your ambition or efficiency? Did you sell your expensive things to cover the gambling expenses? Did you deny your gambling activity? When you achieve great triumphs, do you reward yourself with gambling? Are you displeased to spend “gambling money” for normal costs? Have you ever played to pay your debts?

Feel free to pass this test and get your results to check out if you are addicted.

Pathological Gambling Is Treatable

A few, however, realize that compulsive gambling is something referred to as the “hidden illness”. The most important step in treating a disorder is to diagnose it right.

Many compulsive gamblers have found a help through a professional treatment due to significant advances in pathological gambling studies, compared with what was available several years ago.

Let’s take a look at medications as serotonin, opioid antagonists, mood stabilizers, that can probably be used as a treatment. Probably? Yes, because no medication currently is approved.

Serotonin

For example, it is proved that depression or low serotonin, that is in charge for our mood, can put you to problem gambling. Fortunately, this is treatable affliction. The antidepressants that influence serotonergic systems may be effective in reducing the symptoms of pathological gambling.

Mood Stabilizers

Bipolar people are also prone to pathological gambling twice as much as healthy women and men. And as Lithium is the “classic” mood stabilizer, it can give positive results. It is reported that those taking it show statistically significant improvement.

Opioid Antagonists

Pathological gambling and substance abuse have the same characteristics. Gambling or using drugs triggers the release of dopamine, which produces feelings of pleasure. Opioid antagonists are thought to decrease dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens, thus dampening gambling-related excitement and cravings.

Rehab Centers You Can Turn to for a Help

Few people have noticed the borderline, when all goals of your life reduce to the favorite game, before it’s too late. That’s why, gamblers should always be on the guard. Weak will is generally thought to be a necessary condition for addictions, you must know it’s not true.

These people are strong-willed and they get used to gain purposes, in our case, it is to win money. Falling into a trance, they can’t wake out of it by themselves. However, much wanted to wave it away, you shouldn’t deny the problem.

There are a lot of centers where you can apply for a help. Here is the list of the trusted sites, have appeared with the purpose to give a hand to suffering from gambling addiction. You can choose any center due to your location.