Cause And Effect Of Gambling Essay

Gambling, a really common activity nowadays. It is also very popular in Hong Kong, Mark-Six, football betting, horserace betting are the most popular gambling activities in Hong Kong. But the question is why people love gambling? According to a report on the Study of Hong Kong People’s Participation in Gambling Activities in 2016 prepared by Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, there were 61. 5% of Hong Kong people have participate in gambling. The most popular reason is money. As a traditional view, people gamble is because of money drive. There is an opportunity for them to win money. Of course, a big win is rare, but people believe that the chance of winning a lot is not impossible. In this traditional view, money is a gambler’s primary motivation, and randomness in games allows the gambler to hope that the gains will overcome the losses. However, this motivation is too strong and too big that let people cannot control their behavior at gambling, then gambling disorder exists. According to American Psychiatric Association, Gambling disorder involves repeating problematic gambling behavior that causes significant problems or distress. It is also called gambling addiction or compulsive gambling. But first gambling disorder is defined as a mental disorder, an impulse control disorder.

Every cause has its consequence or results even if we don’t see it at a first glance. This is the premise behind cause and effect essays. A common assignment in high school and college, a cause and effect essay urges a writer to elaborate the root of an idea or problem and its larger impact. The purpose of the cause-and-effect essay is to determine how various phenomena are related. The thesis states what the writer sees as the main cause, main effect, or various causes and effects of a condition or event. The cause-and-effect essay can be organized in one of these two primary ways: Start with the cause and then talk about the effect. Cause and Effect Essay Examples. Cause and effect essays are not really hard to write if you know the drill. Just stay focused on your essay and try to influence your audience through your information, facts, and shreds of evidence. You can also read some cause and effect essay examples before you start working on your essay. Writing an effective cause and effect essay isn’t that different from the facts of this scenario. You’ll outline the causes, the effects, or both the causes and effects of a specific problem or issue. To better illustrate this, let’s take a look at the basics of this essay type before we dive into two cause and effect essay examples. Causes, Effects, And Treatment Of Gambling Addiction Gambling, a really common activity nowadays. It is also very popular in Hong Kong, Mark-Six, football betting, horserace betting are the most popular gambling activities in Hong Kong.

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Impulse control disorder has a few features: Repetitive engagement in a behavior despite negative consequences; Inability to fully control the problematic behavior; Experiencing strong urges or cravings to engage in the problematic behavior and Performing problematic behavior to release pressure or feel pleasure. People who have impulse control disorder don’t feel in control of what would be considered normal behavior if done to a lesser degree or done infrequently. For example, hair pulling disorder and Pyromania is also an example impulse control disorder. Gambling disorder (in that time the name is pathological gambling) is also in the same category with these disorder in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition. But in DSM-V, gambling disorder is only an addiction disorder, the main changes are it eliminate the criterion for labelling problems. But gambling disorder will lead to many impacts towards to the sufferer and people surrounding him like his family, friends because of different reasons like financial problems. People with gambling disorder often hide their behavior. They may lie to family members and others to cover up their behavior and may turn to others for help with financial problems. Some gamblers are seeking excitement or action in gambling, others are looking more for escape or numbing. There are different reasons why people go to gambling, maybe because of pressure, someone think that in daily life they have many things need to concern, need to process. But gambling is an activity that can let them focus on one thing, also enjoy in the excitement, let them have a time to forget things they need to concern. There are more different reasons. But these are some indirect reasons. In the past research we found that there were three chemicals that Dopamine, Serotonin and Norepinephrine is also having a role in gambling disorder. So later I will talk about these three of chemicals and I will also talk about the treatment of gambling disorder.

First, I will talk about Dopamine first. Dopamine is the dominant power driver and the chief neurotransmitter in the reward system. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter. Released by neurons, neurotransmitters control myriad body functions and transmit signals from the brain to the body by passing across synapses between each neuron. Dopamine is involved in many functions in the brain, playing an important role in a range of body systems as well as functions, including movement, sleep, learning, mood, memory, and attention. In the past research we can see that gambling will increase dopamine secretion. The rewards from gambling, money enhance mesolimbic dopamine levels in the human striatum during gambling episodes, when dopamine level increases, brain system will receive positive signals and it will affect serotonin levels. Gambling will trigger the reward system of our brain, our brain will think a lot of different experience of rewarding, the motivation to gamble maybe somewhat determined by this inability to predict reward occurrence. And slowly when people continue to gamble, gambling tolerance can be developed. And those rewarding experience, stimulation from the environment and the enjoying effects will reflect to the amygdala which will weaken our own control at our behavior. These effects, as a happy and enjoyable feelings will cause us keep pursuing these feelings, which will let us lose the control and the ability from getting out from gambling. People who have lack of control of their own self will be easier to have addiction in gambling disorder. So, in overall, dopamine giving us a little wave of satisfaction and encouraging us to make a habit of enjoying hearty meals and romps in the sack. Just like addiction in drug, people addicted in drugs because they want to have the happy feeling they experience before, so they will keep pursuing themselves to find the feelings one more time, in that time their control behavior have weaken and slowly become addiction. And dopamine is the main role of this whole process.

Second, I will talk about Serotonin. Serotonin is a chemical that has a wide variety of functions in the human body. It is sometimes called the happy chemical, because it contributes to wellbeing and happiness. As I said before, dopamine will affect the level of serotonin. When the level of serotonin has been interfered, it will generate a repeat of wants of gambling. And this process will generate more dopamine. Serotonin is controlling impulse behavior. Low serotonergic (5-HT) activity correlates with increased impulsive-aggressive behavior.

Third, I will talk about Norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is a chemical released from the sympathetic nervous system in response to stress. It is classified as a neurotransmitter, a chemical that is released from neurons. Because the release of norepinephrine affects other organs of the body, it is also referred to as a stress hormone. When Norepinephrine is interfered, client cannot receive any positive feedback, the function of dopamine will be weakening and some negative feelings and emotions can be occur.

Forth, in the past research, someone think that gambling disorder can be Genetic base on a theory of personality model. In this model, there is a personality call addictive personality. In the theory it talks about that an addictive behavior mode can be based on genetic, physiological condition, structure of the brain and the serotonin disorder. For example, if your father has a disorder in serotonin, makes him have suffered in gambling disorder. Because you have lived with him and this environment will also affect you having a disorder in serotonin and easier to have a gambling disorder. Some psychologist disagrees to this statement, they think that everyone can have gambling disorder. It will not be decided by the behavior mode of a person.

Now I will talk about the treatment of gambling disorder. First there is some medication. Medications that have been found to be helpful in decreasing the want to gamble or the thrill involved in gambling include antiseizure medications like carbamazepine (Tegretol) and topiramate (Topamax), mood stabilizers like lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid), medications used to address addictions like naltrexone (ReVia), and antidepressants like clomipramine (Anafranil) and fluvoxamine. These medicines are used to stabilize the dopamine and serotonin level as I have mention about the issue will occur when the dopamine and serotonin level is decreasing or increasing. However, medication is not too effective for helping gambling disorder because medication can only help to lower the wants of gambling. But it cannot help to solve the root of this disorder. Financial counseling and self-help interventions also are some important aspects of the care provided to individuals with gambling addiction. So, therapy is needed for patient who are suffering gambling disorder. So, therapist usually will use Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). This is a talking therapy that can help patients manage their own problems by changing the way they think and behave. It is a psychodynamic therapy. CBT is based on the concept of client’s thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap client in a negative loop. So people may have different reasons to lead them gambling, maybe these reasons are unconscious, they may not know why they will choose to gamble, so therapy will help them to find out the reason out, turn the reasons from unconscious to conscious. And this can change the way they think, before they may think gambling is the only way for them, in therapy they can realize that there are different ways to solve their problem other than gambling. In the past research, CBT is the only therapy that show efficacy in the treatment of pathological gambling.

To concluded, gambling is a really common in the society. Gambling is like a normal activity for people to consume time. The society also makes gambling as a simple thing and have an easy way to win money. But is this true? Is this the facts of gambling? Gambling disorder, just only a few chemicals in our brain have some problem and that made a huge impact to clients. Not only to the client but also to their family, friends, people who have relationship with them. Horizontally affected. In this review paper, we have talk about what is the problem while gambling, different chemicals interfered and that leads patients have different feelings that affects their behavior. So, after all people discover that gambling disorder is more and more common and serious in the past years. There is some treatment for gambling disorder. Medication is one of the treatments, but it is not effective. The most effective way is using therapy, CBT is the most effective one to change their behavior and believes. But there are more and more people still suffer in gambling problem and financial problem. So, hope one day the world realize the problem and make the policy out to make people far away from this evil thing. Money is not the only thing in the world. Gambling is also not the only way to make money. There are many solutions in the world, just see are you finding them out.

10 December 2020

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  • Length: 6 pages
  • Sources: 6
  • Subject: Family and Marriage
  • Type: Essay
  • Paper: #84178636
  • Related Topics: Effects Of Divorce, Borderline Personality Disorder, Effects Of Divorce On Children, Family And Medical Leave Act

Excerpt from Essay :

Gambling
The negative effects of gambling have been researched, touted, published and spewed forth from the mouths of researchers and do-gooders for decades, yet there has been an astonishing lack of research accomplished on the positive aspects of gambling influences on modern society (or even past societies for that matter). The reason behind such paucity might be that there are no positive aspects to gambling and that it leads to a plethora of problems that have negative connotations written all over them. On the other hand, it could also be that researchers have just not taken the time or made the effort to determine the positive aspects primarily because it is so easy to see the negative over the positive. This lack of effort on the researcher's part could also be that they do not wish to be seen personally commending an act that so many others find reprehensible.
Yet, gambling (or as some call it 'gaming') continues to grow and thrive in America today. A recent report determined that there are over 53 million American gamblers, that is defined by the industry as 'folks who have gone gambling more than five times in a given year' (Nealon 465). Based on the current population of the United States, 53 million is over 26% of the adult population. Great Britain has an even higher incidence of gambling with some reports stating the 71% of Britain's adult males and 67% of Britain's adult females gamble at least one time per month. What is really troublesome about these figures is highlighted by another recent study that determined that 'for every individual with a gambling problem it is estimated that somewhere between five and seventeen other individuals are adversely affected by it' (Valentine, Hughes 275).
What the study did not find was whether those same individuals who are adversely affected by the problem gambler are also positively affected when the gambler wins (assuming that he or she wins at least once in a while).
A 2006 review of gambling found that the most common problems reported by a gambler's family include the fact that he or she loses household and personal funds, gambling initiates arguments, causes anger and violence, is at the root of lies, deception and neglect of family members, negatively affects the gambler's personal relationships, leads to poor communication and a confusion of family roles and responsibilities and can lead to other destructive behaviors and addictions (Kalischuk, Nowatzki, Cardwell, Klein, and Solowoniuk 2006) while another survey found that amongst problem gamblers 'divorce and separation are common' (Orford, Wardle, Griffiths, Sproston, Erens 259).

Cause And Effect Of Gambling Essay Example

All of the above mentioned problems are very negative when taken out of context. When one looks at them as integral parts of society, a different picture can emerge. First of all, gambling creates jobs. This is true in that the gambling industry in America now legally employees hundreds of thousands of individuals. Each of these employees pays taxes, hence revenue to the government (local, state and federal) are enhanced by income from productive employees. The economies of many local communities thrive on the taxes generated through nearby casinos and gambling institutions; without the gambling halls, places such as Mesquite, Nevada would not be the thriving communities that they are. It is not just the casinos and gambling halls that provide jobs, however. Based upon the 'destructive behaviors and addictions' found by Kalischuk et al., one could see a vibrant community of doctors, therapists, specialists, psychologists and psychiatrists whose main source of income is derived through the active treatment of those individuals with gambling problems.Cause And Effect Of Gambling Essay
It has been found that 'somewhere between five and seventeen other individuals are adversely affected' by family members who gamble, but what about the people who are helping these gamblers; aren't they positively affected by gamblers? Although a research of literature could not uncover any figures that would support the thesis, it would be interesting to determine exactly how many positively affected individuals there are as compared to negatively affected individuals.
Another source of contention would be two studies conducted by Lorenz and Yaffee. These two researchers found that '86% of spouses contemplated leaving the gambling spouse and 29% did separate from the problem gambler' (Lorenz % Yaffee 1988) and that '59% of problem gamblers considered separating from their partners and this did occur in a third' (Lorenz & Yaffee 1986). If one were to look at the Lorena and Yaffee findings in a negative manner, one would lament the fact that
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so many problem gamblers consider, and leave, their spouse. Looked at in a positive manner, however, one could say that there are many divorce attorneys living in communities adjacent to cities such as Las Vegas, and that many of these attorneys make a very good living off the misfortunes of those who concentrate more on their gambling habits than on taking care of their families. One could also say that an individual who acted in such a manner, did not really deserve to be a father, mother or family member in the first place. Hence, let them gamble. If they wish to ruin their own lives, and the lives of their loved ones, that is their choice, and there will always be some other individuals that will benefit from such choices.
One could even take a hard core attitude towards the family members who are adversely affected by the gambler's actions by correctly discerning that there are no such things as adverse effects. Spouses and children who go hungry, or are without clothes or shelter due to the wasteful and destructive nature of the gambler become stronger individuals through having to live through such adversities. If they do not become stronger, then they too can become problems to society and therefore will also be a negative influence on their families and loved ones as well. This is not a negative aspect to gambling; remember there are other (more intelligent) individuals who benefit from the actions of the (not so intelligent) individuals who continue to throw their money away on games of chance.
The recent British Gambling Prevalence Survey (BGPS) revealed 'that there are a number of socio-demographic factors statistically associated with problem gambling; these include; being male, having a parent who was or is a problem gambler, being single, and having a low income (Griffiths, Wardle, Orford, Sproston, Erens 209). If this is true (at least in Great Britain) then it is further evidence that the curse of gambling addiction runs within families anyhow, so attempting to cure these individuals that are afflicted with gambling problems is a long and arduous procedure. Just because it is difficult to do, does not mean that there should be no one that takes the time and effort to do so. After all, there are livings to be made, and incomes to enhance through the travails of others. Helping problem gamblers to overcome their addictions is not a laughing matter. With nearly 26% of the adult population of the United States known to be gamblers, and the current rate of approximately 1% of these to be addicted to gambling, the figures show that even concentrating on helping that one percent means that there are over a half a million individuals who need counseling and treatment. This is a good number; it is a number that allows for a lot of professionals to make a lot of money.
Other negative aspects that have been connected to gambling include smoking, drinking and poor health. The Griffiths et al. study determined that:
(i) cigarette smokers were significantly more likely to gamble in the past year compared to non-smokers,
(ii) cigarette smokers were over three times more likely than non-smokers to be a problem gambler,
(iii) alcohol consumption as measured by the number of units drunk on the person's heaviest drinking day was not significantly associated with having gambled in the past year,
(iv) alcohol consumption as measured by the number of units drank on the person's heaviest drinking day in the past year was significantly associated with problem gambling,
(v) health status was not significantly associated with past year gambling

Cause And Effect Of Gambling Essays

(vi) the prevalence rate of problem gambling among those with poor health were over three times as likely to be a problem gambler compared to those with good health (208).
This information opens a brand new ball game. Now even more professionals can be induced to assist in caring for, and treating these gamblers.
Specialists who help those with drinking and smoking problems, and of course doctors, hospitals and clinics will all benefit financially from proffering assistance to those gamblers who fall into one of the five above categories. Suddenly the positive influence displayed by those who suffer from gambling addictions is becoming much clearer. The five to seventeen people who are adversely affected by the gambler's actions may be equaled to the number of people who are positively affected by those same gambler's actions. Additionally, a recent study determined that 'problem gamblers also have increased rates of attention deficit…

Cause And Effect Of Gambling Essay Examples

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