Gambling
Signs and Symptoms of a Gambling Addiction
- Feeling the need to be secretive about your gambling
- Having trouble controlling your gambling
- Gambling even when you know you can't afford it
- Not being able to control the the impulse to gamble, even when you know it's hurting yourself an/or your loved ones
Risk Factors
- Family history of gambling problems
- Mood disorders
- Personality disorders
- Drug abuse or gambling at a young age
- Certain traits such as having a competitive character, being restless, or being bored easily
Causes of Gambling
- There aren't any specific causes of gambling
- There is some evidence that shows some cases of gambling could be from genetics
- Research shows that people with gambling addictions experience changes in their brains, just like the changes people experience when they're addicted to drugs
Diagnosis and Treatment
When trying to diagnose a gambling problem, many questions will be asked such as:
- Medical histories
- Mental health histories
- What symptoms you are having
- Therapy
- Medications such as selective serotonin