Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Monday, January 18, 2010
Gambling Addiction on the Rise as Gambling Opportunities Multiply
Experts are warning that the increased availability of gambling opportunities may be causing an increase in problem gambling and gambling addiction. According to San Francisco psychotherapist Michael Halyard, addiction treatment providers are receiving more requests to treat gambling behaviors, which are extremely similar to drug and alcohol abuse behaviors.
According to Halyard, "Compulsive gambling is the urge to gamble despite having harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. It's not how much time or money a gambler gambles, but the harm to the gambler or his or her partner or family that determines whether it is compulsive gambling. Compulsive gambling, like drug and alcohol addiction, is a debilitating condition that wrecks havoc in people's lives."
Halyard says that problem gamblers seeking treatment even include teens who become addicted to Internet gambling. Teen gamblers, like other gamblers, are falling prey to the new proliferation of gambling opportunities, especially on the Internet.
He said, "It used to be that if you wanted to gamble, you had to go to Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Now days, people can gamble in the comfort of their own homes on the computer, or go to nearby card room or Indian Casino. Casinos offer slot machines, sports betting, card games, but there's also the horse racing, greyhound racing, card rooms, bingo parlors, and state lotteries. Gambling is ubiquitous and one of the few booming industries. In 2006, Americans lost nearly 91 billion dollars gambling."
(Source: www.prweb.com)
According to Halyard, "Compulsive gambling is the urge to gamble despite having harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. It's not how much time or money a gambler gambles, but the harm to the gambler or his or her partner or family that determines whether it is compulsive gambling. Compulsive gambling, like drug and alcohol addiction, is a debilitating condition that wrecks havoc in people's lives."
Halyard says that problem gamblers seeking treatment even include teens who become addicted to Internet gambling. Teen gamblers, like other gamblers, are falling prey to the new proliferation of gambling opportunities, especially on the Internet.
He said, "It used to be that if you wanted to gamble, you had to go to Las Vegas or Atlantic City. Now days, people can gamble in the comfort of their own homes on the computer, or go to nearby card room or Indian Casino. Casinos offer slot machines, sports betting, card games, but there's also the horse racing, greyhound racing, card rooms, bingo parlors, and state lotteries. Gambling is ubiquitous and one of the few booming industries. In 2006, Americans lost nearly 91 billion dollars gambling."
(Source: www.prweb.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 8:12 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Substance Abuse Medications May Treat Gambling Addiction
New research indicates that medication used to treat drug addiction may be useful in treating gambling addiction.
Gambling addiction, or pathological gambling, is a condition in which a person people will continue to gamble in spite of significant negative consequences to themselves and their families. The study, conducted by Dr. Jon Grant of the University of Minnesota, indicates that pathological gamblers may respond positively to medications designed to treat impulsive or urge-driven behaviors.
Dr. Grant and his colleagues enrolled men and women with a primary diagnosis of pathological gambling into one of three medication studies. They then used tasks that measure cognition to explore the triggers and motivations for extreme gambling behavior. The researchers attempted to understand the gamblers' urges to bet in the context of two brain processes: urge and inhibition.
The researchers were able to separate pathological gamblers into two categories: those driven by urge (those who gamble when the desire to do so becomes too strong to resist), and those who lack normal inhibition of impulsive behaviors (those who cannot restrict behaviors even when urges are minimal).
Dr. Grant commented on the findings: "By understanding these different subtypes [of gamblers], we are able to target the core biology of the illness with individualized treatment. When we look at pathological gambling as an addiction and try to understand the sense of urge and inhibitions, we are able to target the treatment with medication more effectively."
The study findings were presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's annual meeting.
(Sources: www.wiredprnews.com; www.psychcentral.com)
Gambling addiction, or pathological gambling, is a condition in which a person people will continue to gamble in spite of significant negative consequences to themselves and their families. The study, conducted by Dr. Jon Grant of the University of Minnesota, indicates that pathological gamblers may respond positively to medications designed to treat impulsive or urge-driven behaviors.
Dr. Grant and his colleagues enrolled men and women with a primary diagnosis of pathological gambling into one of three medication studies. They then used tasks that measure cognition to explore the triggers and motivations for extreme gambling behavior. The researchers attempted to understand the gamblers' urges to bet in the context of two brain processes: urge and inhibition.
The researchers were able to separate pathological gamblers into two categories: those driven by urge (those who gamble when the desire to do so becomes too strong to resist), and those who lack normal inhibition of impulsive behaviors (those who cannot restrict behaviors even when urges are minimal).
Dr. Grant commented on the findings: "By understanding these different subtypes [of gamblers], we are able to target the core biology of the illness with individualized treatment. When we look at pathological gambling as an addiction and try to understand the sense of urge and inhibitions, we are able to target the treatment with medication more effectively."
The study findings were presented at the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology's annual meeting.
(Sources: www.wiredprnews.com; www.psychcentral.com)
Labels: gambling, medication, substance abuse, treatment
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 8:34 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, December 4, 2009
Las Vegas Lacks Workplace Assistance for Addiction
During the National Center for Responsible Gaming conference, held last week at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the lack of workplace assistance for problem gamblers employed by Las Vegas businesses was a hot topic.
Punam Mathur, NV Energy vice president of human resources, who spent 13 years as a senior vice president at MGM Mirage, commented: "How do we communicate or educate our employees about these issues? The answer is: We don't."
Although Las Vegas is the center of the gaming industry, local employee assistance programs rarely address problem gambling, according to Carol O'Hare, executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling. Although there is no evidence that problem gambling is a bigger problem in Nevada than other areas of the country, some experts warn that the sheer accessibility of gambling in the state should warrant increased vigilance by employers against problem gambling behavior.
(Source: www.lasvegassun.com)
Punam Mathur, NV Energy vice president of human resources, who spent 13 years as a senior vice president at MGM Mirage, commented: "How do we communicate or educate our employees about these issues? The answer is: We don't."
Although Las Vegas is the center of the gaming industry, local employee assistance programs rarely address problem gambling, according to Carol O'Hare, executive director of the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling. Although there is no evidence that problem gambling is a bigger problem in Nevada than other areas of the country, some experts warn that the sheer accessibility of gambling in the state should warrant increased vigilance by employers against problem gambling behavior.
(Source: www.lasvegassun.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 8:52 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Task Force Urges Anti-Gambling Measures for College Campuses
A national gambling task force, the Task Force on College Gambling Policies, published a report this week urging colleges to treat problem gambling as a form of addiction. Problem gambling by students, the task force says, should be treated as a health issue and schools should establish policies to restrict wagers on campuses and to treat students who develop destructive gambling habits.
A 2005 report by the Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, found that only 22 percent of colleges have written gambling policies, in spite of the fact that nearly half of all college students reported gambling at least once in the previous year.
Christine Reilly, a task force member and executive director of the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders in Beverly, Mass., commented, "It is important, we believe, for schools to send a clear, unified message about acceptable behaviors ... It's very common for schools to have different rules for alcohol use ... and for gambling, and so we think this is an issue that colleges should think about."
(Source: www.ap.org)
A 2005 report by the Cambridge Health Alliance, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, found that only 22 percent of colleges have written gambling policies, in spite of the fact that nearly half of all college students reported gambling at least once in the previous year.
Christine Reilly, a task force member and executive director of the Institute for Research on Gambling Disorders in Beverly, Mass., commented, "It is important, we believe, for schools to send a clear, unified message about acceptable behaviors ... It's very common for schools to have different rules for alcohol use ... and for gambling, and so we think this is an issue that colleges should think about."
(Source: www.ap.org)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 10:28 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Monday, September 28, 2009
Prison Gambling Associated with Parolee Crime, Substance Abuse upon Re-Entry to Community
A new study by the University of Alberta (UA) in Canada suggests that parolees with gambling problems may be more likely to commit crimes and use substances when they re-enter the community.
According to the report, gambling is prevalent in prisons and researchers found that even inmates who do not gamble habitually prior to incarceration can acquire a taste for it that they are unable to shake when they are released.
D.J. Williams and Gordon Walker, researchers from the UA Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, examined the perceptions of 15 correctional officers in the states of Nevada (a gambling state) and Utah (where gambling is illegal) on offender gambling and its impacts on offender re-entry.
Williams, the report's lead author, said he and Walker found that problem gambler offenders lack the resources and support to successfully reintegrate into the community. Correctional officers participating in the study reported that it was often assumed that other forms of treatment would address gambling problems; however, the findings show that isn't necessarily the case.
Researchers found that gambling often complicates offenders' efforts to live crime-free, and said this problem urgently needs to be addressed if parolees are to transition successfully from prison to their community.
(Source: www.eurekalert.org)
According to the report, gambling is prevalent in prisons and researchers found that even inmates who do not gamble habitually prior to incarceration can acquire a taste for it that they are unable to shake when they are released.
D.J. Williams and Gordon Walker, researchers from the UA Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, examined the perceptions of 15 correctional officers in the states of Nevada (a gambling state) and Utah (where gambling is illegal) on offender gambling and its impacts on offender re-entry.
Williams, the report's lead author, said he and Walker found that problem gambler offenders lack the resources and support to successfully reintegrate into the community. Correctional officers participating in the study reported that it was often assumed that other forms of treatment would address gambling problems; however, the findings show that isn't necessarily the case.
Researchers found that gambling often complicates offenders' efforts to live crime-free, and said this problem urgently needs to be addressed if parolees are to transition successfully from prison to their community.
(Source: www.eurekalert.org)
Labels: gambling, substance abuse
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 5:10 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Pennsylvania Launches New Counseling Program for Gambling Addicts
The recent opening of the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh has some residents worried about a surge in problem gambling. Studies have found that the closer people live to a casino, the more likely they are to become compulsive gamblers.
People living within 10 miles of a casino have twice the rate of gambling problems as other adults, according to a national study by John Welte, a researcher at Buffalo State College. He said it correlated with a similar study, used by a national commission on gambling a decade ago, which found that the rate of problem gambling among adults doubled within 50 miles of a casino.
Studies have also found that slot machines tend to attract more problem gamblers than any other type of gambling because they provide rich sensory stimulation and are programmed to present tantalizing near misses to users.
State officials are hoping that a newly created state-funded treatment system will assist problem gamblers. The program was created within the same bureau that oversees drug and alcohol treatment because of the similarity among the addictions.
Proponents of the casino argue that the revenue and jobs created by the casino more than compensate for the possible social toll.
(Source: www.post-gazette.com)
People living within 10 miles of a casino have twice the rate of gambling problems as other adults, according to a national study by John Welte, a researcher at Buffalo State College. He said it correlated with a similar study, used by a national commission on gambling a decade ago, which found that the rate of problem gambling among adults doubled within 50 miles of a casino.
Studies have also found that slot machines tend to attract more problem gamblers than any other type of gambling because they provide rich sensory stimulation and are programmed to present tantalizing near misses to users.
State officials are hoping that a newly created state-funded treatment system will assist problem gamblers. The program was created within the same bureau that oversees drug and alcohol treatment because of the similarity among the addictions.
Proponents of the casino argue that the revenue and jobs created by the casino more than compensate for the possible social toll.
(Source: www.post-gazette.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 4:10 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, July 3, 2009
Canadian Researchers Use Rats to Study Gambling Addiction
Researchers at Canada's University of British Columbia (UBC) have designed the first ever laboratory experiment that successfully models human gambling behaviors.
Researchers followed the habits of 32 rats over six months to test new treatments for gambling addiction. Researchers placed rats in chambers for half an hour every day. The rats would poke their noses into four holes, each leading to a different quantity of sweet pellets.
Catharine Winstanley, an assistant professor in UBC's Department of Psychology and study author, commented on the motivation for the study: "For most people, gambling is a harmless recreational activity, but for some it becomes a maladaptive obsession similar to drug addiction. We hope to find treatments to offer people who have this problem. This study is the first in hopefully many studies that looks at the biological basis of gambling."
(Source: www.canada.com)
Researchers followed the habits of 32 rats over six months to test new treatments for gambling addiction. Researchers placed rats in chambers for half an hour every day. The rats would poke their noses into four holes, each leading to a different quantity of sweet pellets.
Catharine Winstanley, an assistant professor in UBC's Department of Psychology and study author, commented on the motivation for the study: "For most people, gambling is a harmless recreational activity, but for some it becomes a maladaptive obsession similar to drug addiction. We hope to find treatments to offer people who have this problem. This study is the first in hopefully many studies that looks at the biological basis of gambling."
(Source: www.canada.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 4:23 PM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, May 1, 2009
Oregon May Cut Treatment for Gambling Addiction
A $4.4 billion budget shortfall in Oregon is forcing all state departments to cut back by about 30 percent. The Department of Health has named treatment for gambling addiction as one of the programs that may fall victim to these cuts.
The suggestion has caused controversy among Oregon residents, however. Michele Tantriella-Modell, an addiction counselor in Eugene, Ore., commented, "I believe it's the state's responsibility, if they're going to sell and promote gambling, that they provide prevention and treatment for those folks it affects."
Currently, Oregon state law requires that 1 percent of the net proceeds from the Oregon Lottery go to a problem gambling fund; this provision may not stand up to impending budget cuts.
(Source: www.kval.com)
The suggestion has caused controversy among Oregon residents, however. Michele Tantriella-Modell, an addiction counselor in Eugene, Ore., commented, "I believe it's the state's responsibility, if they're going to sell and promote gambling, that they provide prevention and treatment for those folks it affects."
Currently, Oregon state law requires that 1 percent of the net proceeds from the Oregon Lottery go to a problem gambling fund; this provision may not stand up to impending budget cuts.
(Source: www.kval.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 11:52 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Friday, January 2, 2009
Medication for Alcoholism Helps Gamblers
Recent research by the University of Minnesota indicates that a drug used to treat alcoholism may also be effective at curbing the urges of compulsive gamblers. Seventy-seven people participated in the double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Approximately 40 percent of those who took the medication and completed the study reduced their gambling behaviors for at least one month. Results were similar among men and women. Dosage did not appear to have an effect, and the drug was well-tolerated by participants.
Principal investigator Jon Grant, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., a University of Minnesota associate professor of psychiatry, commented, "This is good news for people who have a gambling problem. ... This is the first time people have a proven medication that can help them get their behavior under control."
Grant estimates that approximately 1 to 3 percent of the population suffers from compulsive gambling. With regard to the use of medication, however, he cautions, "Medication can be helpful, but people with gambling addiction often have multiple other issues that should be addressed through therapy."
The medication, Naltrexone, is sold under the brand names Revia and Depade. An extended-release formulation is sold under the name Vivitrol. (Sources: ScienceDaily.com)
Principal investigator Jon Grant, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., a University of Minnesota associate professor of psychiatry, commented, "This is good news for people who have a gambling problem. ... This is the first time people have a proven medication that can help them get their behavior under control."
Grant estimates that approximately 1 to 3 percent of the population suffers from compulsive gambling. With regard to the use of medication, however, he cautions, "Medication can be helpful, but people with gambling addiction often have multiple other issues that should be addressed through therapy."
The medication, Naltrexone, is sold under the brand names Revia and Depade. An extended-release formulation is sold under the name Vivitrol. (Sources: ScienceDaily.com)
Labels: alcoholism, gambling, medication
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 7:29 AM
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Drug and Alcohol Rehab Blog
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A Growing Problem: Internet Addiction
Addiction treatment professionals are facing a new trend: Internet addiction. Professionals are only beginning to understand the similar problem of gambling addiction, and this new trend is leaving them at a loss. Experts anticipate that the problem will grow in coming years. Louise Nadeau, a professor at the Université de Montréal's Department of Psychology, commented:
"The problem isn't widespread but we know of serious cases in which teenagers don't leave the house, don't have interpersonal relationships, and have been isolated in front of their computer screen for the past two or three years, and only speak in the language of the characters they play with in network video games. ... In a few years we'll have couples in therapy because the Internet will have become their main occupation." (Source: sciencedaily.com)
posted by Drug-Rehab.com at 12:29 PM
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