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Drug Addiction
Most people enjoy gambling as a pleasurable pastime or as a form of entertainment. However, for some people it can become an out-of-control compulsion and chronic behavioral issue. There are many terms used to describe someone who chronically gambles such as; pathological gambler, problem gambler or compulsive gambler. All of these terms describe someone who is experiencing serious gambling addiction issues that need to be addressed before leading to more problematic behaviors.
While some of the terms do not have a specific meaning, all denote “problem gambling” which is an umbrella phrase used to describe a wide range of problems a person can have, being classified as a pathological gambler. Being a pathological gambler is recognized by the American Psychiatric Association as a valid medical condition which is likened to an alcohol or drug addiction. Mental health professionals compare the condition to other progressive impulse control disorders, which if left untreated can continue and grow worse as time passes. This type of compulsion is often co-occurring which means it commonly presents with other disorders which can include depression and substance abuse issues.
The results of compulsive gambling can be quite devastating. A person with the disorder is unable to maintain financial solvency and as a result, cannot support themselves or their family. When the person seeks money to feed the addiction, he or she may result to antisocial behaviors to obtain money, which can include lying, theft, embezzlement, fraud or other types of criminal behavior. A significant factor that affects most pathological gamblers is a secondary addiction to drugs or alcohol, which only serves to enhance the addiction and creates further problematic complications.
There are approximately 1-3 million people in the United States that currently have some sort of pathological gambling problem. The statistics are believed to be only an estimate because many addicts are in denial and cannot be relied upon to be truthful about the condition they have.
At one point in time, Gamblers Anonymous (GA) was the only form of treatment available for people who have the compulsion to gamble. However, this has dramatically changed since the inception of GA, now there are many forms of treatment available, tailored to meet the specific needs of the individual. Most health experts agree that pathological gambling becomes an uncontrollable addiction because of the “rush” that is felt when a person wins or loses, the personality and experiences of a person also play a significant role into whether or not a person exhibits compulsive behaviors.
The addiction can be extremely difficult to treat because a gambler seldom addresses the situation willingly and will go to great lengths to hide the problem. Many times to get into an effective treatment program for an addiction of this nature, a person needs to consult with a mental health professional for further evaluation and analysis. A mental health professional can help a gambler learn to understand the urges and triggers that cause the addiction, recommend advice about resisting the urges and provide treatment for depression and possibly substance abuse if necessary.
An addiction is a compulsive need, what begins as a pleasurable experience or enjoyment spirals into an unstoppable destructive behavior that is a driving need and an urge. People with any type of addiction are powerless to stop and driven to perilous behavior that is both dangerous and destructive. For a gambler, this type of lifestyle is a daily occurrence that permeates the core of a persons very existence.
A gambler can feel out of control and harbor feelings of guilt, shame, and fear, the addiction is simply something they are unable to control. The propensity to gamble has taken over every area of life including mentally, emotionally, physically and psychologically. Only when a gambler hits rock bottom is the importance of treatment fully understood.
All gambling treatment centers are different, some specialize in providing treatment for dual diagnosis patients and some address the addiction in question as a field of specialty. Some treatment centers offer detoxification services, some accept health insurance and some are private pay. The process of finding the right treatment facility is of the utmost importance and can be frustrating and time consuming. After consulting with a primary care physician, a person should be able to receive enough information to make a decision as to which type of treatment would be beneficial.
Dealing with an addiction and mental health issues can be a grueling and tremendous prospect, for both the person affected and those who love them. Because it is so difficult, proper treatment is the key to recovery and finding quality treatment is highly beneficial at this most precarious time. The benefits of successful treatment can last a lifetime and allow a gambling addict to learn new behaviors and deal with the problems surrounding the addiction as a whole.
Though there are many options available for treatment, the truth is some people may be clueless as to how to go about finding help. According to recent medical statistics, approximately 65% of adults are not fully aware of what mental health and addiction treatment truly entails. However, even if a person may not be completely knowledgeable about getting help for mental health conditions, it is still possible to get help and benefit from treatment. Seeking assistance from a friend or relative who has had previous addiction issues, or consulting with a physician should yield some very helpful information.
The draw of online casino sites, online betting, off track horse race betting, lottery tickets and various other forms of gambling-related entertainment make the chances for addiction quite high. If a person has an obsessive-compulsive type of behavior, this only increases the likelihood of an addiction forming. In life and when engaging in any form of enjoyable but potentially addictive behavior, a person needs to know how to say no but for some people this is impossible.
If a behavior has become an addictive compulsion, there are many benefits that can result from seeking gambling addiction treatment. There are millions of people all over the world who suffer from some sort of addiction, when approaching the problem with the right treatment, chances for success are dramatically improved and a person can learn to live a healthy lifestyle free from the clutches of addictive behaviors.
