FREE ESSAY ON THE UNCONTROLLABLE DISEAS OF GAMBLING

THE UNCONTROLLABLE DISEAS OF GAMBLING

The Uncontrollable Disease of Gambling
In the US today, as gambling is becoming more popular so are gambling addicts. As the
states institute legalized gambling, their income increases dramatically. Compulsive
gambling needs to be recognized and medically treated before it is too late for the
gambler. The only way to treat the disease of compulsive gambling is absence from
gambling. Therefore, compulsive gambling must be considered and uncontrollable disease.
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, compulsive means an irresistible
(uncontrollable) impulse (Mish 166). A disease is defined as being an abnormal bodily
condition that impairs functioning and can usually be recognized by signs and symptoms.
Uncontrollable means incapable of being controlled (Mish 222). 
Pathologic gambling has been defined by the American Psychiatric Association "as a
chronic progressive failure to resist impulses to gamble, and gambling behavior that
comprises, or damages personal, family, or vocational pursuits" (Glazer 2). 
How can it be determined if an individual is a compulsive gambler or not? According to
the American Psychiatric Association you are a pathological (compulsive) gambler if you
exhibits theses traits: (1) you have "preoccupation with gambling; (2) a need to increase
the excitement produced by gambling; (3) restlessness or irritability when unable to
gamble; (4) repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop 
gambling; (5) gambling in an effort to get back money lost during gambling on a previous
day; (6) gambling in an effort to escape" an unpleasant "mood; (7) lying to cover up
gambling; (8) jeopardizing a significant job, relationship, or educational opportunity by
gambling (9) engaging in illegal activity to finance gambling; and (10) going to someone
else to relieve a desperate financial situation produced by gambling. An individual who
fulfills five out of the ten criteria is diagnosed as a pathological gambler. Problem
gamblers would satisfy only two, three, or four of these criteria" (Lesieur 2). If you
answered five of the ten questions yes, you need to check yourself in to the nearest
Gamblers Anonymous support group, because you have the uncontrollable disease of
compulsive gambling.
Although evidence is presently sketchy on compulsive gambling, certain facts are
beginning to emerge. In the past men were 95% of all compulsive gamblers. Today women
make up almost a third of compulsive gamblers (Compulsive 1). Therapists have begun to
notice many similarities between alcohol, drugs, and gambling addiction (Lesieur 6). "An
addiction to gambling must be considered a sever problem, similar to that of alcohol and
drugs." Gamblers often experience an exhilarated high when gambling and withdrawal
symptoms when they are not gambling (Glazer 8). Since pathological gamblers are
determined to have similarities to alcoholism and drug users, which is considered to be
an uncontrollable disease, pathological gambling must be labeled as an uncontrollable
disease, in order to properly diagnose the problem and solve it (Lesieur 6). 
"Compulsive gambling is perceived to be a disease that cannot be cured, only arrested"
(Lesieur 5). In the past twenty years, gambling has dramatically increased, as has the
rate of pathological gambling. By 1991, the total money spent on gambling has risen over
three hundred billion dollars (Pathological 1). Although states revenues from gambling
have increased immensely, the help for problem and pathological gamblers lags far behind.
It has been proven that the rate of compulsive gamblers is rising at an alarming rate.
The most common approach for pathological gamblers is to join self-help groups such as
the Gamblers Anonymous (GA), a twelve-step program base on Alcoholics Anonymous (Lesieur
5). Many more hours need to be put into researching pathologic gambling. Research needs
to be conducted on numerous angles, including whether or not pathologic gamblers should
use abstinence from gambling for the rest of their life (Glazer 9). If we do not start
spending money on researching the uncontrollable disease of compulsive gambling the
problem will only continue to skyrocket into the next millennium. 
If an individual is not able to control his or her mind they are out of control, in other
words they are uncontrollable. A "compulsive gambler is unable to control the
overpowering impulse to gamble" (Wedgeworth 4). Thus, the compulsive gambler is 
determined to fit the concept that the overpowering drive to gamble is an impulse and not
within the gamblers conscious control (Wedgeworth 5). Compulsive gambling is an
uncontrollable disease that thrives in the victim's head. 
According to Aprile, a nurse practitioner, recent studies indicate compulsive gamblers
suffer from inadequate levels of brain chemicals. Thus, the imbalance causes 
the gamblers to engage in risk-taking chances (Aprile 6). If you are out of control of
your body and your brain is not functioning properly, then you are not in control of
yourself.
Since the compulsive gambler's mind is not functioning properly, he or she is considered
to be out of control and need help immediately. Otherwise, the uncontrollable disease of
gambling will continue to ruin their lives. 
Compulsive gambling is obviously an uncontrollable disease. The gamblers often drift into
a state of mind that they have to gamble. They believe it will solve all of their
problems, so the gambler has no choice, but to gamble away every penny he or she was able
to get hold of. Compulsive gamblers make biased evaluations of the outcome. Often time,
gamblers make irrational decisions that gambling will solve their financial problems.
Which is just and illusion of control so the gambler can defend his or her gambling
habits (Lesieur 7). 
Although Gamblers Anonymous is a deep program aimed to cure gamblers from their
uncontrollable urge to gamble by not gambling at all, the argument comes whether the only
cure for the disease is abstinence. The easiest way to solve an uncontrollable disease is
to never get it. So don't start gambling if you don't have to, otherwise, you will need
all the friends you have to help you keep you away form the uncontrollable disease of
gambling. 
Bibliography
Works Cited
Aprile, Dianne. "You bet your Life." Courier-Journal and Louisville Times Co. 3 Dec.
1989: 1-10. 12 July 1999 Sirs.
"Compulsive Gambling is an often Overlooked." Consumers' Research. June 1999: par. 
1. 12 July 1999. Ebsco.
Ed. Mish, Frederick C. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Massachusetts: Springfield, 
1997. 
Glazer, Amy. "Pathologic Gambling. "The Nurse Practitioner Sept. 1998: 12 par. 12 July 
1999. Infotrac.
Lesieur, Henry R. "Costs and Treatment of Pathological Gambling." Annals of the 
American Academy of Political and Social Science. March 1998: 4 pars. 12 July 1999. GW2.
"Pathological Gambling." Harvard Mental Health Letter. Jan. 1996: par. 1. 12 July 1999. 
Sirs.
Wedgeworth, Raymond L. "The reification of the 'pathological' gambler: an analysis of 
gambling treatment and the application of the medical model to problem gambling."
Perspectives in Psychiatric Care. 1-14. June 1998. Infotrac.