The Hidden Addiction of Gambling: My Prison Without Bars by Pete Rose

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Recommended: Gambling and its effects

“Unfortunately, gambling and winning don’t often go hand in hand.” Pete Rose – My prison without bars. Gambling should be a recreational past time, and to many people it is just that. To an estimated 2% - 3% of Americans it is a major problem in their lives. They are pathological gamblers; some studies indicate they spend around $5 billion dollars annually on gambling. When gambling becomes a problem it impacts that person’s social, emotional and financial life. Legalized gambling in America is creating a wide spread problem, pathological gamblers cannot resist the irresponsible urge to gamble, even though the impact could ruin their marriage, their job and financial security. The sad thing here is a person can very easily hide the fact they are losing control of themselves when it comes to gambling, at least for a while. When family or friends do finally realize what is going on. The gambler has a full blown addiction.
There are several causes of pathological gambling, a particular common cause among gambling addicts is depression. The gambler will use gambling as a way to cope or hide from their feelings or from their depression. While gambling they can get lost in the game and zone out. Gambling can fill a void in a person’s life such as loneliness, job loss or job dissatisfaction, a poor social life or an empty nest can all play a role in a gambling addiction. A lot of pathological gamblers have a distorted view of their financial situation. I interviewed a peer with a gambling problem recently, she said her finances were in shambles, she told me all she needed was one big win to get out of debt and be happy. It never occurred to her that gambling was the main reason her finances were messed up in the first place. She admitt...

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Grant, J.E., Brewer, J.A., & Potenza, M.N. (2006). The neurobiology of substance and behavioral addictions. CNS Spectrums, 11(12), 924-930. Web. 03 Apr.2014.
Blum, K., Cull, J.G., Braverman, E.R., & Comings, D.E. (1996). Reward deficiency syndrome. American Scientist, 84, 123-1 45. Web.03 Apr.2014.
Dackis, C. & O’Brien, C. (2005). Neurobiology of addiction: treatment and public policy ramifications. Nature Neuroscience, 8, 1431-1436. Web.03 Apr.2014.
The University of Granada, "Gambling Addicts Present Brain Function Abnormalities
That Affect Their Decision-making Capacity." Science Daily. Science Daily, 5 Nov. 2013. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.
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