Naltrexone Gambling Addiction

by Jerry "Jet" Whittaker
Oct 6, 2006
 

Gambling Addiction:

Gambling addiction, which often refers as pathological gambling or compulsive gambling is become a nightmare for us. The National Council on Compulsive Gambling defines compulsive gambling or gambling addiction as a "progressive behavior disorder, in which an individual has a psychologically uncontrollable preoccupation and urge to gamble." Gambling addiction is also similar to drug or alcohol addiction. It is a behavioral addiction. People once addicted with gambling, then it’s very difficult for him to avoid that behavior.

The object of playing gambling is an enjoyment with earning some quick money. But addicted gamblers have no object for playing. They are playing neither for fun nor for money. They actually addicted with the action without which they can’t survive. They use gambling as to avoid their family responsibilities and duty.

Therefore if you might personally have a problem with gambling, don't delay in getting help. Today there are many treatments available for gambling. So, get treatment in the right time and get rid of from gambling addiction.

Naltrexone: A Drug for Gambling Addiction:

Though prevention is considered as the best way to remove pathological gambling, but it is very difficult to prevent gambling addiction. Therefore treatment is necessary to overcome compulsive gambling. Psychological treatment is the conventional treatment of gambling and it is quite effective. But today people want some medicated treatment also, which can help a compulsive gambler to overcome from gambling addiction. There is a growing interest in developing pharmacotherapy for pathological gambling to complement the emergence of specific psychological interventions for gambling. But there is very little research done on development of drug for pathological gambling.

American’s medical science pays some interest in research for development of some effective drug for gambling addiction.  Naltrexone is the best drug found till date for the medicated treatment of compulsive gambling.

Initially Naltrexone is use on alcoholic and drug addiction that show impressive result in development of addictive behavior. Actually Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist. Opioidergic neurotransmitter system may be beneficial in reducing pathological gambling, as this behavior depends on the release of endogenous opioids. Therefore it helps in reducing compulsive gambling behavior. Naltrexone hydrochloride (ReVia), which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of alcohol and heroin dependence, has been found to be helpful in treating pathologic gambling disorder.

Though Naltrexone has shows some promise in removing gambling addiction but the medical community feels that appropriate treatment needs further researching.

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