Articles>Mental Health

All people diagnosed with the behavioral addiction called gambling disorder have symptoms that indicate serious problems related to several aspects of gambling-related activities. However, the impact of the disorder may not manifest in the same ways in all individuals. In a study published in 2014 in the journal Addiction, a team of Australian and U.S. […]

Common wisdom suggests that addicts who refuse to get help are in denial about the depth of their problem. Or, their self-esteem has been damaged to the point that they don’t believe they are capable of stopping their self-destructive behavior. Or perhaps they have just given up and are using their addiction as a slow

Scientific studies notwithstanding, approaches to addiction treatment will always have a strong pragmatic aspect. In other words, counselors and rehabilitation professionals will always choose to go with methods they know actually work based on their past years of experience.

Often overlooked in the pantheon of addictions, gambling dependency can destroy hopes, dreams and lives as thoroughly, quickly and efficiently as any other type of addiction. But as potent as it is when acting alone, gambling addiction is even more destructive when accompanied by other addictions and disorders—which it almost always is.

Researchers and addiction specialists use the term problem gambler to refer informally to people who develop dysfunctional patterns of gambling-related behavior. In the U.S., doctors can officially diagnose this behavior as a form of behavioral addiction called gambling disorder. There are a number of screening tests available to help identify problem gamblers. In a study