Psychological treatments for Compulsive Gambling Disorder
... only thing that can set the free. This paradigm explaining the problem gamblers logic to “chasing” show the difficulty in treatment for this population. The American Psychiatric Association has defined a problem gambler as a “pathologic gambler”. This definition characterizes the “pathologic gambling disorder” as a progressive disorder, with signs of emotional dependence, loss of control, and accompanying negative consequences in the gamblers’ school, social, and vocational life. The American Psychiatric Association more specifically has created 10 characteristic which problem gamblers demonstrate: 1. Preoccupation with gambling. 2. Need to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve heightened arousal. 3. Repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling. 4. Restlessness or irritability when attempting to cut down or reduce gambling. 5. Gambling as a way of escaping from dysphoric methods. 6. Returning after a losing day, to “get even”. 7. Lying to family and others about extent of involvement with gambling. 8. Commission of illegal acts to finance gambling. 9. Reliance on others to provide money to help the financial status caused by gambling. 10. Jeopardization of a significant of a significant relationship or of an education or career opportunity from gambling. According to the American Psychiatric Association a patient is a “pathological gambler” if she or he demonstrates five of the ten signs. Gamblers Anonymous created in 1957 has modeled itself after Alcoholics Anonymous. Gamblers Anonymous held its first meeting in 1957 and to this day uses its original treatment method. Within the Gamblers Anonymous program a patient must want to stop his addiction. Gamblers Anonymous uses a “degradation” process. In this process the patient first must admitted that they have a problem. This occurs in two processes. The first requires the patient to fill out a questionnaire of twenty questions which pertain to how gambling has ruined their lives. The second step requires the patient to stand up at their first meeting and state that they are a “compulsive gambler”. This action allows the patient to come clean and not have to lie about their addiction. Then through a twelve step program the patient bonds with other patient creating a support structure to remain abstinent from their addiction. The twelve steps teach realization of the problem, planning and desire to change, and faith in themselves as well as their new support group to abstain from the gambling. Gamblers Anonymous provides anonymity to all its patients creating great difficulties in allowing case studies as well as longitudinal studies. There is also a sample bias in their treatment method due the fact that they only allow voluntary patients to seek treatment. Gamblers Anonymous allows its patient’s treatment and support for a very small fee which is voluntary. Gamblers Anonymous patient base seeks help for a disorder which is destroying their lives and need support. Gamblers Anonymous is one the fore front to support any gambler in any situation as long as the gambler seeks help. In contrast Satiation Therapy stresses the stereotype of “reverse psychology”. This extreme method encourages the compulsive gambler to focus only on gambling. The therapy bombards the patient with gambling information through a controlled in patient hospital. The gambler is so infused with gambling that the gambler is no longer a compulsive gambler. This therapy method is founded from classical psychology and has been used in experiments by two psychologist; Peek and Ashcroft. Their experiment was a suc...