The article "What Makes Gambling Addictive" is about casino gambling, it has been created by Jay Bauder.
Gambling Addiction
To people who don't gamble, or more so to normal gamblers, the
thought that they will progress to compulsive gamlbers is
ridiculous.
The strat of compulsive gambling may be incited by
situations or circumstance. But the conditions are real.
What's the simliarity between pathological gambling and chemical
dependency?
The first distinct similarity is the inability to take control
or stop the addiction.
The denials to the addiction accompanied
by severe depressoin are also similarities. Both diseases are
progressive in ntaure and goes through similar stages.
The first satge being the "chase", looking for that high or win.
The use of the addiction to numb the pain brought about by
problems. The pathological gambler and a drug or alcohol
dependent person are preoccupied with nothing else excpet their
addiction. They look for immdeiate gratification and have very
low self-esteem.
Pathological gambling not like chemical addiction is a disease
not easily noticeable. There are a lot of indicators that would
identify a chemiclaly dependent person. But a gmabler can exist
normally for long periods of time. The large debt that a gambler
can incur requires attention.
Pathological gamblers require crisis counseling at the start of
their treatment, mainly cause pathological gamblers have a
higher suicide rate than persons addicted to drugs or alcohol.
Is the level of addiction for all types of gambling the same?
Forms of gambling that give immediate gratification are the
worst kind. The slot machine and video are prmie examples of
these. The use of the instant gratification and effective
reinforcement, gamblers that play these machines often progress
into pathological gamblers more otfen than gamblers that play
other games.
The time it takes to go from the first bet to a chronic
addiction is shortest for this form of gambling. Before it would
take many years before a person would be considered "sick"
gambling in races, etc. Nowadays, it is fairly common for a
person to be addicted to a slot machine or video poker with two
to three years.
Is pathological gambling biological in nature?
Recent findings would indicate that pathological gambling is a
dependency quite similar to a chemical dependency.
A stduy by a
psychiatrist Alec Roy, M.D. formerly of the NIAAA showed that
compulsive gamblers have low lveels of norepinephrine compared
to normal gamblers.
The chemical is secreted from the brain when stressed, aroused
or excited.
A pathological gambler engages in his addiction to
raise the levels of norepinephrine.
The findings reinforce the assertion of Dr.
Henry Lesieur that
pathological gamblers are "thrill seekers" who gamble for the
excitement brought about by the game and not the pursuit of
money.
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