A form of entertainment or a way to make money, gambling involves putting something of value at risk for the potential to win more. It may involve money, merchandise or even property. Examples include poker, horse races and lottery games. People gamble for many reasons, including to socialize, relieve stress and anxiety or escape from their problems. Gambling stimulates the brain’s reward center and can cause feelings of euphoria. This is why it is so addictive. Some people are more vulnerable to addiction, especially if they have coexisting mental health conditions.
A recent study found that psychiatric conditions like depression and bipolar disorder increase the risk of harmful gambling. It’s important to seek help if you have these conditions and you have issues with gambling. It is also helpful to strengthen your support network and find healthy ways to channel your energy. There are many things you can do, including joining a sports team or book club, getting involved in a community service project and volunteering for a worthy cause. It’s also important to address any financial issues you have. Speak to a debt adviser, such as StepChange, who offer free, confidential advice.
It is possible to overcome a gambling problem, but it takes a lot of willpower. You will need to change your thinking and behavior, as well as your environment. It is hard to break the gambling habit, especially when you have a family history of problem gambling. You should try to avoid visiting casinos and gambling websites as much as possible, but if you can’t stop gambling altogether, you should at least reduce your involvement in these activities.
In the past, psychiatric researchers generally thought of pathological gambling as more of a compulsion than an addiction. It was placed in a chapter of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that included impulse-control disorders, such as kleptomania and pyromania (fire-setting). The American Psychiatric Association decided to move pathological gambling to an addictions chapter in the latest edition of the DSM. The switch reflects new understandings of the biological basis for addiction.
The most effective way to study gambling is a longitudinal design. This method allows researchers to identify factors that moderate and exacerbate gambling participation over time. Moreover, it is more cost-efficient than collecting large data sets every few years and then analyzing them.
A longitudinal approach can reveal the long-term effects of gambling on individuals, families and communities. It can also identify and isolate specific causes of gambling disorders. In addition, the longitudinal design enables comparisons of groups that have different outcomes.
Several assessment instruments have been developed to assist clinicians in diagnosing gambling disorder. These include the Canadian Adolescent Gambling Inventory and the Symptom Checklist for Pathological Gambling. In addition, psychotherapy is an effective treatment for gambling disorders. Psychotherapy is a broad term for a range of treatment techniques that focus on changing unhealthy emotions, thoughts and behaviors. It is usually done by a trained, licensed mental health professional.
