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Gambling is now a medical theory–at least for those hard-wired specifically for dopamine indulgence. Naturally it seemed the fervor and craving to play the slots, pull the cards or roll the dice normally sits on the “Bad Habit” Category. It takes psychological legwork and baby steps to solve a gambling problem. However, scientists have shown that the same dopamine-inducing effects alcohol and drugs produce actually exist in that moment when a compulsive gambler sits at the table. Win or lose, too. Experiments monitored the brain and found the results to be conclusive. That puts gambling on the “Psychotherapeutic” Category. So what does a gambler do when gambling gets “gamey”?
Medication is a must, obviously. It fits the gamut of any other psychological disorder or neurological disease. Opioid antagonists are being explored and researched as a possibility, a substance that can disrupt the neurochemistry (dopamine) that’s responsible for those feelings of well-being gamblers experience when they step into the casino.
The 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous may also be an effective choice. Certain states such as Illinois have also instituted a self-exclusion program allowing compulsive gamblers to put their names on a blacklist that would permit casinos to either eject those gamblers, have them donate their winnings to specific gambling-treatment programs, or simply charge them for trespassing on private property. Regulation is key.
It’s no wonder the gambling industry profits even more than the whole entertainment industry combined with film, music and everything else! Casinos catch all the compulsives and trap them much like the Lotus Eaters of Greek mythological fame. Pretty terrifying. Now that modern medicine has pinpointed one aspect of the gambling mentality, solidifying the truth that gambling isn’t just a ‘bad habit’, it may very well be possible to quell the deadly, “gamey” death of the slots and the poker demons once and for all. Just follow these steps…. 12 steps, actually.
