Gambling involves wagering something of value on an event that has a small chance of success in order to win a prize. It is a widespread activity that has been endorsed and promoted by countless governments around the world, while also contributing to crime, economic instability, social unrest, and personal ruin for many.<\/p>\n
Gambling has been around for thousands of years and has always involved a range of human emotions, behaviors, and attitudes. It has been viewed as an entertaining pastime, a source of thrills and escapism, a form of competition, and a way to meet basic human needs for money, status and belonging.<\/p>\n
Problem gambling is an impulse control disorder and a leading cause of suicide in the United States. The current DSM-IV classifies compulsive gambling as a subtype of an underlying mood or anxiety disorder, but new research has found that the neurobiology behind PG is more similar to that of substance abuse than previously thought. This has led to a proposed change in the American Psychiatric Association\u2019s diagnostic manual (DSM-V) which will move PG out of Impulse Control Disorders and into Behavioral Addictions.<\/p>\n
While there is no single form of gambling that is more addictive than others, a few people develop problematic behavior to the point where the negative effects outweigh the entertainment value. In addition to monetary costs, the psychological cost of a gambling addiction can be devastating and long-lasting. Gambling is a behavioral addiction that hijacks the brain\u2019s natural learning mechanism through random rewards and is associated with the same dopamine response as a drug.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Gambling involves wagering something of value on an event that has a small chance of success in order to win a prize. It is a widespread activity that has been…<\/p>\n