The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is a text created by the World Health Organization that summarizes all medical problems recognized by the organization.

When it comes to the latest version, ICD-11was created and added the category of addictive behaviors to the section on addictive disorders. It is now medically accepted that people can become addicted not only to substances but also to certain activities. The most important of these behaviors is gambling.

Gambling addiction is definitely real and a big problem. therefore, UK government introduces measures Hopefully, we can curb or at least reduce that harm.

But why do people become addicted to gambling? And why is it often so difficult to treat compared to more “typical” substance-based addictions?

The “method” is relatively simple. The main attraction of gambling is essentially the ability to win large amounts of money with little effort.

When making decisions, humans brain You are constantly weighing effort against potential reward. When something leans heavily toward the latter (for example, paying a small amount of money and receiving a large amount in return), we tend to really approve of it.

Up to 4 percent of people in the United States may have a gambling problem – Photo credit: Getty

There's also the fact that the human brain is complex enough to recognize money as important in a biological sense, even though it's a technically abstract concept. Our brains also prioritize novelty and unpredictability.

All of this together means that gambling can and does affect the brain's reward system in the same way as certain drugs and substances. Addiction develops and all the subsequent effects are felt on the individual.

Of course, this does not happen to everyone who gambles. There are many people who don't gamble at all. Many people instinctively dislike risk and loss, but these are unavoidable aspects of gambling. However, some people are not as sensitive and are more willing to accept gambling as a form of entertainment.

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But while the similarities in the brain's responses to gambling and drugs may explain why gambling is often addictive, it is the combination of both that can make gambling addiction particularly difficult to treat. That's the difference.

Gambling addiction lacks a biological substance, making it easier to overlook and hide. As a result, some evidence suggests that 90% of gambling problems go unreported and untreated.

Also, the absence of specific substances that support gambling addiction means that there is nothing to “take away”, so to speak. Even in cases of long-term chronic drug addiction, there is an option to remove the drug (going “cold turkey”) and allow people's brains and bodies to adapt to the absence of the drug. Indeed, this is often a very unpleasant and even dangerous option. But it's still an option.

This is not the case with gambling. It is an action, not a substance. As long as someone has money and autonomy, it is very difficult to deny them access to gambling. Even if you could, it still might not make any difference because of your gambling experience.

The nature of gambling means that it is not experienced as a direct “stimulus = reward'' process of the kind that applies to drug taking and that underlies the basic learning processes of classical conditioning (which is why addiction is established in the first place). key aspects of the system). .

Such a relatively simple process is also easy to unlearn. When a stimulus stops producing a reward, the association “dies” in the brain. When you do this to the source of your addiction, the addiction loses its power over you. The human brain is so complex that this will be quite difficult to achieve, but at least we can try.

According to the Journal of Gambling Studies, men are twice as likely to be frequent gamblers than women – Photo courtesy of Getty

However, think about this. If an alcoholic found out that only one random drink out of 20 had alcohol in it and the others made him feel nauseous, it would probably be much easier to kick the habit. Dew. But that doesn't work with gambling. Because that's how you experience gambling.

Gambling rewards occur through a variable schedule of reinforcement. You never know when you will win, and losing is inevitable. But as long as you win often enough, keep doing it. And then an addiction to that behavior develops.

Knowing the negative consequences of gambling is already part of the process. It's like trying to treat an alcoholic by making him pay for his own drinks. They always already are.

These are just some of the reasons why gambling addiction is a difficult problem to address medically. This means it is essential to work towards reducing exposure to gambling and the development of addiction in the first place. We have to even the odds somehow.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com