Problem Gambling Reconsidered
22nd February, 2008
Harvard Medical School has conducted a study on gambling addiction, which is now published and available in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. The result of the study revealed that a large number of addicted gamblers recovered from their condition with no treatment or external help, solely by their own efforts and commitment.
The study, called “Stability and Progression of Disordered Gambling: Lessons From Longitudinal Studies”, has discovered a few new facts about gambling addiction that modify our understanding of the issue, previously accepted as correct.
It was commissioned by Vienna-listed online gambling group Bwin. It demonstrated that gambling addiction is a much more dynamic concept, which opposes the views that were considered solid before this study.
It challenges the traditional understanding of problem gambling and how it should be treated and perceived by the gamblers themselves primarily and by others around. For a long time the condition was considered degenerative, i.e. deteriorating over time. This study confirmed the opposing view, demonstrating that problem gamblers do not necessarily become increasingly addicted to their “habit” and it can go the opposite way completely, with some gamblers getting rid of their addiction on their own by slowly becoming less attached to the concept.
Here is what the repost said: 'Although it might be tempting to assume that stability or progressive worsening characterizes disordered gambling, longitudinal study of classification patterns does not support this conclusion. These findings challenge many common beliefs about the course of gambling-related problems and disorders. Correcting such misconceptions is particularly important to youthful fields of inquiry such as the study of disordered gambling.'
