A new study from Montreal has found that pathological gamblers are more likely to commit suicide, and also tend to suffer from personality disorders. These findings could help develop improved suicide prevention programs.
To effectively reach through to pathological gamblers, clinicians may need to customize treatment strategies for patients that meet their specific therapeutic needs.
The Cambodian refugees that have settled in the United States may suffer high rates of trauma (Marshall, Schell, Elliott, Berthold & Chun, 2005). In order to treat this trauma, it is also important to understand how the trauma manifests itself in behaviors, such as substance abuse, employment dysfunction or gambling disorders. Recent research examined the…
Rats are often studied to determine how humans might behave in a similar situation or react to a medication. Though rats have been known to understand simple reward and punishment responses, it has not been explored whether rats could understand the concept of “playing the odds.” A recent study by Zeeb, Robbins, & Winstanley in…
Gambling has become practically a national pastime. Recent reports suggest that more money is spent on gambling than other entertainment venues combined. Along with this love affair for risk has come a growing addiction. In a recent Sioux City Journal article, gambling therapist Matt Cihak believes it is only a matter of time before his…
Treatment for gambling addiction is not simply a matter of substituting the word “gambling” for “alcohol” or “drug” addiction and doing an Internet search. While gambling addiction is a type of impulse-control disorder, and the classic addiction definition definitely applies, the gambling addict needs specialized counseling and therapy to overcome the compulsion to gamble. A…
Compulsive or pathological gambling is a progressive illness, a psychological disorder which is just as difficult to overcome as addiction to alcohol or drugs. The compulsive gambler experiences a series of stages, each with its own warning signs. While the number of stages varies from 3 to 5, depending on the source, all are similar…
When there’s a problem or compulsive gambler in the family, more than just the gambler is negatively affected. The entire family suffers as a result of the behavior and thinking of the gambling addict. How each family is impacted depends on the severity of the gambling problem, how long it has gone on, the closeness…