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I am familiar with the studies being done. I developed a gambling problem in 1992 when I was taking care of my infirm father. He needed round the clock care including feeding, changing, and yes...changing depends. While I didn't resent caring for him, being a caretaker for a severely disabled person is DRAINING and I would go gamble to get away from everyone and everything. Then it just got out of hand. I am almost all dug out of the financial mess now but it's been hard.
If one has a drinking problem, drug problem, eating problem or any other compulsion, there seems to be some understanding, compassion and sympathy for it. People treat problem gamblers like they are just stupid which is not at all the case...most of the people in my GA group are successful business people who earn well as I do.
The area of the brain where all compulsivity resides is the cingulate and this new drug is supposed to affect that by interrupting the pleasure the gambler gets from gambling. The problem, as with all drugs is that the side effect is that it also interrupts the pleasure one experiences from normally pleasurable things, so it will need to be closely monitored.
There are actually brain exercises one can do for all compulsive behaviors...so I am going that route and participating in GA. So far it is working.
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