The changing structure of gambling in the United States has been studied for decades. A recent study, by Haller, in the Journal of Social Issues, 35.3 (1979), examined the evolution of gambling in the United States. In an effort to understand this phenomenon, we turned to Wiktionary, a free online dictionary. A few quotations on gambling are also available at Wikiquote. The free Wikipedia has several media related to Gambling. For more information, see Wikipedia:Gambling.
Problematic gambling
A person with problematic gambling may hold a position of responsibility in their community. Even those with a long history of responsible behavior can develop this disorder. Problem gamblers often come across as irresponsible and are at risk for committing crimes. These people engage in pathological behavior when they enter a compromised mental state and take risks or actions that they cannot control. To avoid such consequences, a person must seek help for their gambling problems.
The study findings suggest a relationship between problem internet use and problem gambling. Further, problem gaming is accompanied by problems related to social isolation. While the association between problematic internet use and problem gambling is unclear, the study showed a positive correlation between these two disorders. The authors also controlled for known risk factors for problem gambling such as age, gender, sexual orientation, mental health, and occupation. They suggest that problem gambling should be actively screened before seeking treatment.
Signs and symptoms
Problem gambling often manifests with a desire to gamble all the time. Whether the person wins or loses, they still get a rush from gambling. The gambler perceives the urge to play as a necessity to feel normal. In addition, problem gamblers usually borrow money to cover major expenses, making excuses to avoid repayment. Other symptoms include service disruptions and lack of food. Even if the problem gambler is not able to find food at home, they might eat only a snack every now and then.
Other signs of gambling addiction include denial and lying. An addict may have a habit of cheating on people or stealing from them. If this is the case, professional help is needed. An addict may also engage in denial and covert acts of theft to fund his habit. Eventually, he may end up in jail or on probation. If you see any of these signs, it is time to seek treatment. If you are concerned about your loved one’s gambling habits, it’s important to seek help right away.
Treatments
Several types of gambling-related treatments are available. Many involve behavioral therapy, which seeks to break down learned associations between stimuli and unwanted responses. Exposure therapy is another popular approach, which aims to eliminate gambling-related urges in response to actual gambling experiences. Imaginal desensitization, on the other hand, intentionally triggers gambling-related urges in the client by introducing imagery that triggers them. Cognitive restructuring is often achieved using audiotaped gambling scenarios. However, most research on these therapies uses weak experimental designs and lacks the rigor necessary for causal attribution.
Although the FDA has not approved any specific treatment, research suggests that some drugs may be effective. The effectiveness of glutamatergic agents and combined pharmacological and psychological interventions are promising. The authors conducted a systematic review of 34 studies involving 13,403 patients, in which pharmacological interventions were associated with a reduction in the number of gambling episodes and total expenditures in the six-month follow-up period. They also found no difference between group therapy and individual therapy, regardless of the type of treatment used.