Posted by Sparrow on 18th June 2008
Drug commonly used for alcoholism craving curbs urges of pathological gamblers
A drug commonly used to treat alcohol addiction has a similar effect on pathological gamblers – it curbs the urge to gamble and participate in gambling-related behavior, according to a new research at the University of Minnesota.
Seventy-seven people participated in the double-blind, placebo controlled study. Fifty-eight men and women took 50, 100, or 150 milligrams of naltrexone every day for 18 weeks.
- Forty percent of the 49 participants who took the drug and completed the study, quit gambling for at least one month.
- Their urge to gamble also significantly dropped in intensity and frequency.
The other 19 participants took a placebo. But, only 10.5 percent of those who took the placebo were able to abstain from gambling.
Study participants were aged 18 to 75 and reported gambling for 6 to 32 hours each week.
Dosage did not have an impact on the results, naltrexone was generally well tolerated, and men and women reported similar results.
“This is good news for people who have a gambling problem,” said Jon Grant, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., a University of Minnesota associate professor of psychiatry and principal investigator of the study. “This is the first time people have a proven medication that can help them get their behavior under control.”
The research is published in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Compulsive gamblers are unable to control their behavior, and the habit often becomes a detriment in their lives, Grant said. He estimates between 1 to 3 percent of the population has a gambling problem.
While the drug is not a cure for gambling, Grant said it offers hope to many who are suffering from addiction. He also said the drug would most likely work best in combination with individual therapy.
“Medication can be helpful, but people with gambling addiction often have multiple other issues that should be addressed through therapy,” he said.
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Posted by Sparrow on 1st June 2008
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Couple Therapy for Alcoholism: A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Manual
by Phylis J. Wakefield, Rebecca E. Williams, Elizabeth B. Yost, Kathleen M. Patterson
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Posted in 12-Step Groups, Addiction, Adult Children of Addiction, Al-anon, Alcohol, Alcoholics Anon, Alcoholism, Blogroll, Brief-TSF, Disease of addiction, Drugs, Family, Gamblers Anon, Gambling, Medication, Narcotics Anon, Recovery, Relapse prevention, Research, Spirituality, Stages of Change, Symptoms of addiction, TSF, Women, Youth | No Comments »
Posted by Willhunger on 25th February 2008
What are the social and economic effects of gambling addiction?
In 1998 the National Gambling Impact Study Commission funded a study to determine the overall cost to society posed by problem and pathological gamblers in the United States.
The results showed that approximately $5 billion was lost annually, with an additional $40 billion in lifetime costs for productivity reductions, social services and creditor losses. Studies have concluded that two out of three pathological gamblers commit illegal acts in order to pay gambling-related debts. This places a hardship on our legal systems, prison systems and public assistance programs.
The following consequences of problem gambling all result in economic costs for states, communities and individuals:
- Job loss, unemployment
- Debt, bankruptcy
- Embezzlement, fraud, check forgery
- Eviction, forced home sales
- Crime, arrest, incarceration
- Poor physical and mental health, suicide
- Alcohol and drug abuse
The families of problem gamblers also suffer greatly from physical and psychological abuse; harassment and threats from bill collectors and creditors; increased stress stemming from neglect and divorce; and the extra financial burden placed on them to repay debts.
Sadly, children are negatively affected by gambling addiction in several ways.
- Physical and emotional abandonment is a very real phenomenon.
- “Casino kids” are left in cars or on the periphery of the gambling action while their parents gamble, or may spend hours with babysitters, thus missing the nurturing they need.
- Children of pathological gamblers are typically abused verbally, mentally and physically by the gambler, and often even more so by the co-dependent spouse.
- Finally, these children are much more likely to develop gambling addiction than their peers.
Excerpted from research: Effects of Problem Gambling. California Council on Problem Gambling (Anaheim, CA); 2006.
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