by Jerry "Jet" Whittaker

Jan 2, 2007

Article on compulsive gambling

Some of the gamblers have strong addiction of gambling and later becomes savior addiction and it becomes compulsory for them to play again and again it is known as compulsive gambling. There has been an increase of gambling places across the world recently, thereby, creating more attraction for those with gambling problems. According to some experts, gambling has led to the increase in the number of addicts. It is related to other addictions like alcoholism and tobacco addiction. It is a result of doing something so often that it changes the way brain works. Nearly 2 % of adults across the world are categorized as pathological gamblers as per addiction experts. Compulsive gambling is a psychiatric problem, but previously it was thought to be a moral weakness. Addicts reveal physical difference in brain mainly, in the frontal lobe.

Effects health

The person with the gambling disorder has a little bit of less blood flow to the frontal lobe than the people without the compulsion as per researchers. Some gamblers with addiction problems actually re-wire their own brains, just from the act of constant gambling. To some extent, gambling itself rewrites the brain. Whenever one does something that is very stimulating, like winning, it changes way brain works. This can be cured by the therapy and support groups, which effectively heal this addiction. There are several types of drug used for treatment of alcoholism. Of late, it has been found that this drug may obstruct the brain’s processing of pleasure. So it may help in treating gambling addiction by taking the thrill out of winning

What is compulsive gambling?

Moderate gambling is an accepted part of the recent culture and causes no problems. Gambling to excess is a common weakness that may lead to serious security problems. Compulsive gambling or pathological gambling as most psychiatrists prefer to call, it is an inability to stop gambling even when one recognizes that gambling is causing serious financial, family, work or other problems. Compulsive gambling follows with alcohol and drug addiction in many ways. Compulsive gamblers lose control over their behavior and commonly lie and cheat in order to continue gambling. Compulsive gambling does not involve use of a psychoactive material, but the action, which compulsive gamblers crave, is an aroused, excited state similar to the high sought by drug users. This aroused state is accompanied by changes in brain chemistry that is similar to those caused by alcohol or drugs.

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