Causes, Effects, And Treatment Of Gambling Addiction

Gambling, a really common activity nowadays. It is also very popular in Hong Kong, Mark-Six, football betting, horserace betting are the most popular gambling activities in Hong Kong. But the question is why people love gambling? According to a report on the Study of Hong Kong People’s Participation in Gambling Activities in 2016 prepared by Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, there were 61. 5% of Hong Kong people have participate in gambling. The most popular reason is money. As a traditional view, people gamble is because of money drive. There is an opportunity for them to win money. Of course, a big win is rare, but people believe that the chance of winning a lot is not impossible. In this traditional view, money is a gambler's primary motivation, and randomness in games allows the gambler to hope that the gains will overcome the losses. However, this motivation is too strong and too big that let people cannot control their behavior at gambling, then gambling disorder exists. According to American Psychiatric Association, Gambling disorder involves repeating problematic gambling behavior that causes significant problems or distress. It is also called gambling addiction or compulsive gambling. But first gambling disorder is defined as a mental disorder, an impulse control disorder.

Impulse control disorder has a few features: Repetitive engagement in a behavior despite negative consequences; Inability to fully control the problematic behavior; Experiencing strong urges or cravings to engage in the problematic behavior and Performing problematic behavior to release pressure or feel pleasure. People who have impulse control disorder don’t feel in control of what would be considered normal behavior if done to a lesser degree or done infrequently. For example, hair pulling disorder and Pyromania is also an example impulse control disorder. Gambling disorder (in that time the name is pathological gambling) is also in the same category with these disorder in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition. But in DSM-V, gambling disorder is only an addiction disorder, the main changes are it eliminate the criterion for labelling problems. But gambling disorder will lead to many impacts towards to the sufferer and people surrounding him like his family, friends because of different reasons like financial problems. People with gambling disorder often hide their behavior. They may lie to family members and others to cover up their behavior and may turn to others for help with financial problems. Some gamblers are seeking excitement or action in gambling, others are looking more for escape or numbing. There are different reasons why people go to gambling, maybe because of pressure, someone think that in daily life they have many things need to concern, need to process. But gambling is an activity that can let them focus on one thing, also enjoy in the excitement, let them have a time to forget things they need to concern. There are more different reasons. But these are some indirect reasons. In the past research we found that there were three chemicals that Dopamine, Serotonin and Norepinephrine is also having a role in gambling disorder. So later I will talk about these three of chemicals and I will also talk about the treatment of gambling disorder.

First, I will talk about Dopamine first. Dopamine is the dominant power driver and the chief neurotransmitter in the reward system. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. Released by neurons, neurotransmitters control myriad body functions and transmit signals from the brain to the body by passing across synapses between each neuron. Dopamine is involved in many functions in the brain, playing an important role in a range of body systems as well as functions, including movement, sleep, learning, mood, memory, and attention. In the past research we can see that gambling will increase dopamine secretion. The rewards from gambling, money enhance mesolimbic dopamine levels in the human striatum during gambling episodes, when dopamine level increases, brain system will receive positive signals and it will affect serotonin levels. Gambling will trigger the reward system of our brain, our brain will think a lot of different experience of rewarding, the motivation to gamble maybe somewhat determined by this inability to predict reward occurrence. And slowly when people continue to gamble, gambling tolerance can be developed. And those rewarding experience, stimulation from the environment and the enjoying effects will reflect to the amygdala which will weaken our own control at our behavior. These effects, as a happy and enjoyable feelings will cause us keep pursuing these feelings, which will let us lose the control and the ability from getting out from gambling. People who have lack of control of their own self will be easier to have addiction in gambling disorder. So, in overall, dopamine giving us a little wave of satisfaction and encouraging us to make a habit of enjoying hearty meals and romps in the sack. Just like addiction in drug, people addicted in drugs because they want to have the happy feeling they experience before, so they will keep pursuing themselves to find the feelings one more time, in that time their control behavior have weaken and slowly become addiction. And dopamine is the main role of this whole process.

Second, I will talk about Serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that has a wide variety of functions in the human body. It is sometimes called the happy chemical, because it contributes to wellbeing and happiness. As I said before, dopamine will affect the level of serotonin. When the level of serotonin has been interfered, it will generate a repeat of wants of gambling. And this process will generate more dopamine. Serotonin is controlling impulse behavior. Low serotonergic (5-HT) activity correlates with increased impulsive-aggressive behavior.

Third, I will talk about Norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a chemical released from the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress. It is classified as a neurotransmitter, a chemical that is released from neurons. Because the release of norepinephrine affects other organs of the body, it is also referred to as a stress hormone. When Norepinephrine is interfered, client cannot receive any positive feedback, the function of dopamine will be weakening and some negative feelings and emotions can be occur.

Forth, in the past research, someone think that gambling disorder can be Genetic base on a theory of personality model. In this model, there is a personality call addictive personality. In the theory it talks about that an addictive behavior mode can be based on genetic, physiological condition, structure of the brain and the serotonin disorder. For example, if your father has a disorder in serotonin, makes him have suffered in gambling disorder. Because you have lived with him and this environment will also affect you having a disorder in serotonin and easier to have a gambling disorder. Some psychologist disagrees to this statement, they think that everyone can have gambling disorder. It will not be decided by the behavior mode of a person.

Now I will talk about the treatment of gambling disorder. First there is some medication. Medications that have been found to be helpful in decreasing the want to gamble or the thrill involved in gambling include antiseizure medications like carbamazepine (Tegretol) and topiramate (Topamax), mood stabilizers like lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid), medications used to address addictions like naltrexone (ReVia), and antidepressants like clomipramine (Anafranil) and fluvoxamine. These medicines are used to stabilize the dopamine and serotonin level as I have mention about the issue will occur when the dopamine and serotonin level is decreasing or increasing. However, medication is not too effective for helping gambling disorder because medication can only help to lower the wants of gambling. But it cannot help to solve the root of this disorder. Financial counseling and self-help interventions also are some important aspects of the care provided to individuals with gambling addiction. So, therapy is needed for patient who are suffering gambling disorder. So, therapist usually will use Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). This is a talking therapy that can help patients manage their own problems by changing the way they think and behave. It is a psychodynamic therapy. CBT is based on the concept of client’s thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap client in a negative loop. So people may have different reasons to lead them gambling, maybe these reasons are unconscious, they may not know why they will choose to gamble, so therapy will help them to find out the reason out, turn the reasons from unconscious to conscious. And this can change the way they think, before they may think gambling is the only way for them, in therapy they can realize that there are different ways to solve their problem other than gambling. In the past research, CBT is the only therapy that show efficacy in the treatment of pathological gambling.

To concluded, gambling is a really common in the society. Gambling is like a normal activity for people to consume time. The society also makes gambling as a simple thing and have an easy way to win money. But is this true? Is this the facts of gambling? Gambling disorder, just only a few chemicals in our brain have some problem and that made a huge impact to clients. Not only to the client but also to their family, friends, people who have relationship with them. Horizontally affected. In this review paper, we have talk about what is the problem while gambling, different chemicals interfered and that leads patients have different feelings that affects their behavior. So, after all people discover that gambling disorder is more and more common and serious in the past years. There is some treatment for gambling disorder. Medication is one of the treatments, but it is not effective. The most effective way is using therapy, CBT is the most effective one to change their behavior and believes. But there are more and more people still suffer in gambling problem and financial problem. So, hope one day the world realize the problem and make the policy out to make people far away from this evil thing. Money is not the only thing in the world. Gambling is also not the only way to make money. There are many solutions in the world, just see are you finding them out.