Gambling Addiction & Recovery Support Group
Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. A preferred term among many professionals is problem gambling, as few people described by the term experience true compulsions in the clinical sense of the word. Problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others rather...
Believe it or not, I was diagnosed recently with hyperplasia of my pituitary gland, which is caused by chronically low dopamine. I'm on horrible drugs now and this is quite the ordeal.
Chronic gambling causes the brain to release too little dopamine.
Quote:
http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/04/02/low-dopamine-levels-symptoms-adverse-reactions/
People that are addicts to certain behaviors or stimuli (e.g. drugs) find that they get a temporary boost in dopamine when engaging in the activity. Unfortunately this temporary boost cannot be sustained for a long-term. Sustained engagement in certain addictions may actually lower the endogenous supply of dopamine in the brain.
Those suffering from a theoretical condition known as reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) are thought to have insufficient dopamine production in certain parts of the brain. The low dopamine leads people with RDS to seek out addictive behaviors as an attempt to increase their lower-than-average baseline dopamine, which makes the person feel more alive rather than blunted. Unfortunately many of these behaviors (e.g. addictive drugs) provide a temporary increase in dopamine, but deplete levels over the long-term; which exacerbates the condition.
Chronic gambling causes the brain to release too little dopamine.
Quote:
http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2015/04/02/low-dopamine-levels-symptoms-adverse-reactions/
People that are addicts to certain behaviors or stimuli (e.g. drugs) find that they get a temporary boost in dopamine when engaging in the activity. Unfortunately this temporary boost cannot be sustained for a long-term. Sustained engagement in certain addictions may actually lower the endogenous supply of dopamine in the brain.
Those suffering from a theoretical condition known as reward deficiency syndrome (RDS) are thought to have insufficient dopamine production in certain parts of the brain. The low dopamine leads people with RDS to seek out addictive behaviors as an attempt to increase their lower-than-average baseline dopamine, which makes the person feel more alive rather than blunted. Unfortunately many of these behaviors (e.g. addictive drugs) provide a temporary increase in dopamine, but deplete levels over the long-term; which exacerbates the condition.
Exercise helps me tremendously but remains difficult for me to get motivated.(And is a common cross-addiction for recovered gamblers because of the dopamine it can generate.)
I have PAWS. (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) Which sometimes gives me not thoughts or urges to gamble but flashbacks of gambling. I understand it will lessen in intensity and frequency over time and dopamine levels will even out eventually. No matter what my dopamine levels are now, my life is much better after not gambling for nearly 14 months than it ever was before.