gambling

We are in National Gambling Awareness Week - which hopes to remind people of the strongly addictive properties of compulsive or problem gambling. About 85% of people in the US gamble at some point (200 million+). Of those about 3-5% are estimated to have a problem ... and of that number only a small percentage ever even believe they have a problem... Also Darryl discusses his experiences creating culture-specific treatment in the 70s and 80s and its value. And what are the signs of addiction, and how do we know if we, or people we are close to, are afflicted? PODCAST

Gambling ... will have a category as a full-spectrum disorder in the new DSM-V. Though 80% of the US population engages in gambling, only about %2 have serious issues -- and while its not physically dangerous like many drugs (although there is increased suicide risk), it can still be profoundly troublesome to the people affected. The increase in internet gambling promises to exacerbate the issue. Naltrexone, which is being used successfully to treat opioid and alcohol addiction, is also being used, with reported successes in reducing the craving to gamble.

Oregon, Washington and Colorado have legalized and taxed marijuana on their ballot; other states are watching closely to see if this can be a viable revenue source... as well as reducing the costs of policing, prosecuting and incarcerating pot users ... The new DSM will list marijuana as a fully addictive substance, and a recent study shows that adolescents who start heavy use of pot before the age of 18 having significantly reduced IQs by the time they are in their 30s.

The Olympics ... ways athletes strive to enhance their performances ... by using drugs - as well as other techniques - like blood-doping ... also news about gambling -- it seems Facebook users are more inclined to gamble and make compulsive choices than "normies," and the related obsessions with FarmVille ...

The new DSM-5 could classify many more people as addicts ... among the questions and criticisms being being raised in articles and blogs, including a recently in the Sunday New York Times story. The 5th edition DSM ... adds addiction and related disorders as a new category, replacing substance abuse and dependence .... and behavioral addictions such as gambling.

Inspired by a recent Huffington Post article, we look at whether there is a trend to "medicalize normality out of existence" -- with the inclusion of behavioral addictions in the new psychiatry handbook (DSM-5.) Gambling is the first topic in our wide-ranging discussion of addiction.