Gambling Disorders:
by Jerry "Jet" Whittaker
February 14, 2006
Which are the
gambling disorders?
Pathological gambling is
an illness characterized by persistent and recurrent
maladaptive patterns of gambling behavior however it
appears to be relatively common but uncontrollable
gambling behavior may lead to personal, family and
occupational difficulties. While impulse control
disorders are characterized by an inability to resist
the impulse to perform an action that is harmful to
one's self or others and this is a relatively new class
of personality disorders, and the most common of these
are intermittent explosive disorder, kleptomania,
pyromania, compulsive gambling disorder, and
trichotillomania.
Description about
gambling disorders:
All of
these impulse control disorders involve the loss or lack
of control in certain specific situations and the
hallmark of these disorders is the individual's
inability to stop impulses that may cause harm to
themselves or others. Mostly the affected individuals
often feel anxiety or tension in considering these
behaviors and this anxiety or tension is relieved or
diminished once the action is performed.
Now, the
intermittent explosive disorder is more common among
men, and involves aggressive outbursts that lead to
assaults on others or destruction of property but these
outbursts are unprovoked or seem to be out of proportion
to the event that precedes them.
However
Kleptomania is more common among women and involves the
theft of objects that are seemingly worthless also the
act of stealing relieves tension and is seen by the
individually to be rewarding. But the actual stealing is
not pre-planned and the concept of punishment for the
crime doesn't occur to these individuals even though
they are aware that what they are doing is wrong.
Next is
Pyromania which is more common among men and involves
setting fires in order to feel pleasure and relieve
tension while pathological gambling occurs in roughly
1-3% of the population, and involves excessive gambling
despite heavy monetary losses. Last Trichotillomania
involves pulling hair from one's own scalp, face, or
body, and is more common in women and also dangerous.
How are
these disorders diagnosed?
A
diagnosis of any of these impulse control disorders can
only be made once whereas all other medical and
psychiatric disorders that may cause the same symptoms
have been ruled out.
Intermittent explosive disorder involves severe acts of
assault or destruction of property and the aggression
seen during these acts is vastly out of proportion to
events that may seem to have precipitated the acts. Next
is Kleptomania that involves stealing objects that are
unnecessary and of little monetary value. Pyromania is
classified by the deliberate setting of fires more than
once and the individual will exhibit a fascination as
well as attraction to fire and any objects associated
with it. However acts of true pyromania are not done for
monetary gain, to express anger, to conceal criminal
behavior, or in response to hallucination.
Last
pathological gambling is a
disorder to gamble despite
continuing losses and monetary insufficiency and this
disorder typically begins in youth, and affected
individuals are often competitive, easily bored,
restless, and generous.
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