Compulsive Gambling Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

What Is Compulsive Gambling?

Compulsive gambling is an urge to gamble continuously despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop.

Gambling can stimulate the brain’s reward system much like drugs such as alcohol can, leading to addiction.

Causes And Risk Factors Of Compulsive Gambling:

Like many problems, compulsive gambling may result from a combination of biological, genetic and environmental factors. However, exact cause is yet to be found.

Some common risk factors include:

Other behavior or mood disorders.

People having ADHD, personality disorders, substance abuse problems etc are more prone to compulsive gambling

Compulsive gambling is more common in younger and middle-aged people.

Compulsive gambling is more common in men than in women

Family influence.

People whose parents have gambling problems are more likely to be compulsive gamblers.

Medications used to treat Parkinson’s disease and restless legs syndrome.

Dopamine, a drug, has a side effect of compulsive behavior

Certain personality characteristics.

Being highly competitive, a workaholic, restless or easily bored may increase risks of compulsive gambling.

Symptoms Of Compulsive Gambling:

Some common symptoms of compulsive gambling may include the following:

Gaining a thrill from taking big gambling risks
Taking increasingly bigger gambling risks
Preoccupation with gambling
Reliving past gambling experiences
Gambling as a way to escape problems or feelings of helplessness, guilt or depression
Taking time from work or family life to gamble
Concealing or lying about gambling
Feeling guilt or remorse after gambling
Borrowing money or stealing to gamble
Failed efforts to cut back on gambling

Diagnosis Of Compulsive Gambling:

In order to be diagnosed with compulsive gambling, one needs to fulfill DSM criteria which need to be present for one year.

The criteria include the following salient points:

Is preoccupied with gambling, such as reliving past gambling experiences or planning ways to get gambling money
Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money to become excited
Tries to control, cut back or stop gambling, without success
Gets restless or irritable when attempting to cut down on gambling
Gambles as a way to escape problems or to relieve feelings of helplessness or sadness
Chases losses, or tries to get back lost money by gambling more
Lies to family members, therapists or others to hide the extent of gambling
Jeopardizes or loses an important relationship, job, or educational or career opportunity because of gambling
Turns to others for money when the financial situation becomes desperate