Gambling Essay
What’s Worse?
Many people face various addictions in the world today such as, drug, alcohol, sex, eating, or gambling addictions. One might ask the question, is one addiction more serious than another or are all addictions equally destructive? In particular, is an addiction such as gambling as serious as an addiction to drugs or alcohol? Research suggests a gambling addiction is less severe than a drug or alcohol addiction because drug or alcohol addictions are psychological and physical, can cause other addictions, can result directly in deaths, and can require medical intervention. “Pathological gambling is an impulse-control disorder that results in disruptions of personal, family, and vocational activities” (Ledgerwood). Gambling is a “prevalent recreational behavior”(Potenza). This means gambling is an activity many people partake in around the world. “Eighty percent of Americans participate in some form of gambling”(Chadwick), but only “5% of adults have been estimated to experience problems with gambling”(Potenza). The most severe form of gambling is called pathological gambling, and it is recognized as a mental health condition. Pathological gambling is characterized by a “persistent maladaptive pattern of gambling behavior”(Grant). Core components of addictions have been proposed to include “continued engagement in a behavior despite adverse consequences, diminished self-control over engagement in the behavior, and an appetitive urge or craving state prior to the engagement in the behavior”(Potenza). An addiction to gambling can cause one to have financial and psychological issues, but one would not have any physical issues. The differences between the two problems are largely the fact that long-term illicit drug use can cause serious chronic health problems and problem gambling leaves long-term financial issues, but it does not leave any health issues for the pathological gambler. A heroin addict can have major withdrawals from just one
Many people face various addictions in the world today such as, drug, alcohol, sex, eating, or gambling addictions. One might ask the question, is one addiction more serious than another or are all addictions equally destructive? In particular, is an addiction such as gambling as serious as an addiction to drugs or alcohol? Research suggests a gambling addiction is less severe than a drug or alcohol addiction because drug or alcohol addictions are psychological and physical, can cause other addictions, can result directly in deaths, and can require medical intervention. “Pathological gambling is an impulse-control disorder that results in disruptions of personal, family, and vocational activities” (Ledgerwood). Gambling is a “prevalent recreational behavior”(Potenza). This means gambling is an activity many people partake in around the world. “Eighty percent of Americans participate in some form of gambling”(Chadwick), but only “5% of adults have been estimated to experience problems with gambling”(Potenza). The most severe form of gambling is called pathological gambling, and it is recognized as a mental health condition. Pathological gambling is characterized by a “persistent maladaptive pattern of gambling behavior”(Grant). Core components of addictions have been proposed to include “continued engagement in a behavior despite adverse consequences, diminished self-control over engagement in the behavior, and an appetitive urge or craving state prior to the engagement in the behavior”(Potenza). An addiction to gambling can cause one to have financial and psychological issues, but one would not have any physical issues. The differences between the two problems are largely the fact that long-term illicit drug use can cause serious chronic health problems and problem gambling leaves long-term financial issues, but it does not leave any health issues for the pathological gambler. A heroin addict can have major withdrawals from just one
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