Addiction: When Gambling Becomes a Problem

While most people enjoy casino gambling, sports betting, lottery and bingo playing for the fun and excitement it provides, others may experience gambling as an addictive and distractive habit. Statistics show that while 85 percent of the adult population in the US enjoys some type of gambling every year, between 2 and 3 percent of will develop a gambling problem and 1 percent of them are diagnosed as pathological gamblers.

Where can you draw the line between harmless gambling to problem gambling? How can you tell if you or your friend are compulsive gamblers? Here you can find answers to these questions and other questions regarding problem gambling and gambling addiction.

What is the Meaning of Problem Gambling?

Problem gambling or compulsive gambling is defined as an uncontrollable urge to gamble despite the destructive effect of gambling on the gamblers life and despite feelings of guilt and remorse. Problem gambling tends to have a negative effect on the gamblers financial state, relationships and daily life. Severe cases of problem gambling can be defined as pathological gambling.

Am I a Compulsive Gambler?

1) Do you gamble until your last penny runs out?

2) Do you gamble to win back your former losses or debts?

3) Did you ever had to borrow money to continue gamble?

4) Did your gambling habit ever made you lie to your friends or family?

5) Did you ever skip work or other obligation to gamble?

6) Do you tend to gamble to forget about your personal problems or to celebrate happy occasions?

7) Does gambling have a negative affect on your daily life or relationships?

If you have answered yes on at least one of the questions listed above, then you have a problem.

Can Anyone Become a Compulsive Gambler?

Theoretically, yes. Any gambler can develop gambling problem regardless to the type of gambling he is occupied with, the amount of money and time he is spending on gambling. Researches show that slot machines that can be found in bars and convenient stores are the most addictive type of gambling activity, while lottery draws and bingo games are located on the other end of the scale. Gambling addiction is an emotional problem; its symptoms, causes and treatments are similar to any other form of addiction.

How Can I treat Gambling Addiction?

1) Group Therapy:

Gamblers Anonymous offers a 12 step self help program similar to the one offered to alcohol addicts in Alcoholics Anonymous. Group therapy also offers gambling addicts advice and support from professional counselors and other gambling addicts in different phases of their recovery process. Gambler Anonymous centers are available in more than 1,200 locations statewide.

2) Individual Therapy:

Cognitive or behavior therapy can help gambling addicts to identify their unaware thinking and acting patterns, which led them to gamble compulsively, and to replace them with controllable and healthier ways of thinking.

3) Psychiatric Medication:

It has recently been proven that antidepressant medications from the family of SSRIs, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors can be affective in treatment of gambling addicts.

A problem called ‘Credit Card Debt ‘

When Lying isn't a Problem: Theory of Mind Difficulties

There are many symptoms that an individual with autism may experience; however, one of the most frustrating and hard to understand is what has recently been named Theory of Mind. Within the last few decades, this problem has been more thoroughly discussed and studied, but it is still largely a mystery. Because of Theory of Mind problems, social interactions are even more strenuous for autistic individuals.

Theory of Mind causes these social behavior difficulties in almost every aspect, from playgroups as children to the social world as adults. The concept behind Theory of Mind is that autistic people fail to recognize that other people in the world have different ways of looking at things. Although an autistic person may not be egocentric, he or she probably inherently assumes that everyone thinks, feels, and knows the same things he or she thinks, feels, and knows. Most autistic people have an inability to lie, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but is clearly unnatural. They don't even consider lying an option because they assume everyone knows the truth as they know it.

Because autistic individuals have an inability to lie, they also do not realize that other people do so. In fact, it is a rude awakening for autistic people to find out that others lie or are bad in general. This is especially unnerving when first experienced in the business world, and many autistic individuals do not know how to cope with this. Because they believe that everyone sees the world as they do, it is difficult for them to put themselves in others' shoes. Of course, this can be taught, but it is unfortunately a hard process that those with autism have to constantly remember to do.

Even children have trouble with Theory of Mind-they find it difficult to play games with other children that require keeping a secret. They also often must be reminded of sharing and releasing aggression in ways that are not harmful. Some of an autistic person's frustration may stem from this inability to understand why another is not reacting in a situation in the "correct" way. Autistic children also have a hard time understanding why people don't know certain facts-if they know it, so should everyone else.

Theory of Mind still needs to be studied in order to be able to better understand and treat this symptom of autism. Currently, the best teaching method is continuous social interaction, along with role-playing and other games that require autistic children to see things from many angles. Until modern medicine finds a better answer to Theory of Mind problems, the best thing to do is be patient with autistic individuals and be willing to explain your thought process to them.

Old Sexual Health Problem Making A Forceful Comeback

Summary:

Syphilis, which had long been thought nearly wiped out because of penicillin,is now starting to make a comeback in a number of European and American cities. The problem, some experts believe, is somewhat connected to people's attitudes about the treatment of HIV, which was the primary sexual health concern of the previous decades. The focus on HIV, combined with the eroding awareness of syphilis, could possibly be the root cause of this resurgence.

Keywords:

sexual health

Article Body:

For many years, most people have considered syphilis to be a rare, limited problem. First coming into notice during the heyday of the bohemians of the 19th century, it was known to manifest only in the rarest of circumstances. In fact, to the average person, syphilis was hardly enough of a concern to be considered a major sexual health problem. Even the disease's most famous victim, Al Capone, was better known for his criminal empire than for having the disease. Artists from the heyday of the bohemian movement, like Charles Baudelaire and Paul Gauguin, were suspected of having died from the illness, but there was never any confirmation of such. However, if reports from Europe are any sort of indication, then this might not be the case for very long.

The latest sexual health statistics show that the number of cases of people having syphilis are on the rise across Europe. What was once among the rarest diseases, sexually-transmitted or otherwise, may become a more common public health concern, according to some members of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control. In yet another break from the traditionally-held tendencies of syphilis cases, the disease is starting to appear in more women and heterosexual men, as opposed to previous instances where the cases were largely confined to homosexual men, with only the occasional straight man found in the mix. The disease, with was once seen as the sexual health equivalent of the Black Plague, was largely removed from the public eye by the widespread use of penicillin.

There has been an unexpected return of cases of the illness in Europe, however, and not in the cities that one would expect. British cities seemed to experience a resurgence of the problem, with an almost tenfold increase in cases for both men and women in London alone. Other cities, such as Amsterdam, Berlin, and Paris also experienced similar events, though most had them on a smaller scale. There are also some experts that believe the trend is starting to make an appearance in the US, with the Center for Disease Control effectively scrapping the plan to eliminate the disease entirely due to the 9,800 reported cases in 2006 alone. European doctors were even reported to have been so off-guard about the problem that most didn't even realize they were looking at cases of syphilis.

Some believe that HIV and AIDS, as well as the treatments for the above, are partially to blame. The introduction of effective treatments that delay the inevitable effects of HIV may have resulted in the public becoming more lenient with regards to protection from sexually transmitted disease. For the time being, most of the cases seem concentrated on gay men who sought other gay men, with statistics showing that most of them were HIV positive. Whether or not this was related to the emergence of websites where HIV-positive men could seek other HIV-positive men for sex is still uncertain, though preliminary analysis of the pertinent data seems to suggest just that.

Side Effects of Medications: A Sexual Health Problem

Summary:

This article discusses the relevance of our sexual health in taking medications with certain side effects at hand. Such side effects may interfere with one'sexual health, and can cause certain difficulties when taking medications. Knowledge is key when dealing with such side effects, and communication with a doctor is certainly a must.

Keywords:

sexual health problems

Article Body:

Almost all prescription medications available in the market also include one or several side effects that may lead to sexual health problems. Today, research on the side effects of prescription and over the counter medications on sexual health is the subject of in-depth study. It has been found that some medications can have side effects that can change the way a body functions sexually, the way it feels, as well as how one thinks about sex and their mood towards it. Sexual health problems may occur when a person is using medications for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, or ED. Erectile Dysfunction medications impact the process of getting an erection in several ways. Some erections may not be as firm as they should be, while others have the inability to get an erection at all, or erections that would not go away. On the other hand, changes in lubrication can also happen as a result of both physiological and psychological responses. Lubrication is tied to hormones and desire, and medications can impact lubrication in two ways. First, certain medications decrease vaginal lubrication. This can make penetration painful, and can also increase the risk of bacterial infections. Second, conversely, certain medications increase the amount of vaginal lubrication. This can present no problem, but the change can be stressful if it is not understood to be a safe side effect in medications.

Another sexual health problem concerning the side effects of medications are the changes in the experience of an orgasm. Many people do not experience orgasms whenever they have sex. For those who either regularly or infrequently experience orgasms, medications may change this experience. Taking longer to reach an orgasm, a different feeling of orgasm (whether shorter or less intense), and the inability to reach an orgasm can occur.

The physical appearance of a person is intimately tied to the sexual experience. When a medication impacts the body or the perception of it, this is a potential sexual health problem that leads to social isolation from current sexual partners. Several medications have a variety of physical impact or effect including weight change (be it loss or gain), changes in one's skin (acne, splotchy skin), and changes in odor or natural body odors.

Sexual touch is an integral part of the experience. Some medications can change the physical and sensory experience of touch, that can also result in a sexual health problem. Decreased sensitivity to touch that requires more physical stimulation, an increase in sensitivity to touch that makes certain kinds of sexual touch unpleasant or even painful, and a change to the sensitivity to scent can all decrease the pleasures of sexual stimulation.

These are just some of the possible changes in sexual experiences when under certain medications. Such sexual health problems like these needs to be addressed accordingly, so as not to make any misleading conclusions about one's own sexual health.

The Sexual Problem That Is Paraphilia

Summary:

This article is about the sexual health problems. The article briefly discusses the contributing factors that may cause a person to develop sexual health problems. The article chooses to talk about paraphilias and lists the most common forms of paraphilia.

Keywords:

sexual health problems

Article Body:

Sexual health problems, dysfunction, or disorder is a condition wherein a person experiences difficulty during any stage of the sexual act that prevents a him from enjoying sexual activity. The sexual act includes desire, arousal, orgasm, and resolution.

There are a lot of different emotional and physical causes which may contribute to a person developing a sexual problem or disorder. The emotional factors may be: interpersonal problems such as relationship issues, or a lack of trust and communication between sexual partners; and/or psychological problems like depression, sexual fears or guilt, and previous sexual trauma. Physical causes may include: the use of controlled substances such as narcotics and alcohol; injuries to the back, enlarged prostate glands, blood supply problems, and/or nerve damage; diseases and organ disorders.

One of these sexual disorders is paraphilia. It describes a family of persistent, intense fantasies, abnormal urges, or behaviors involving sexual arousal to anything out of the ordinary. Here are some of the most common paraphilias experienced by common people:

l Fetishism. It is the sexual attraction to material and terrestrial objects even if in reality, the essence of the object is inanimate and sexless.

 Transvestic fetishism. It is a form of sexual fetish that involves wearing clothes of the opposite gender.

 Partialism. A person with this form of paraphilia gets sexually excited from non-sexual parts of the body.

l Pedophilia. This is the sexual attraction to children sixteen years old and below.

l Exhibitionism. This is the recurrent urge or behavior to expose one's genitals to or performing sexual acts in view of an unsuspecting person or in a public place. It is also called flashing, and the Lady Godiva syndrome.

l Sexual masochism. A masochist obtains sexual excitement from being humiliated, beaten, bound, or otherwise made to suffer.

l Sexual sadism. A sadist finds it sexually arousing to be involved in acts of inflicting pain or humiliation onto another person.

l Frotteurism. A person with this condition gains sexual gratification by touching or rubbing against a non-consenting person. It usually involves the hands and the genitals

l Voyeurism. It is a practice wherein a person derives sexual pleasure from observing other people. The people being observed may be engaged in sexual acts, or be nude or in their underwear, whichever way the voyeur or the watcher finds appealing.

l Scatologia. This is the act of getting sexual arousal by making obscene phone calls to random people.

l Necrophilia. Also called thanatophilia and necrolagnia, is defined by a sexual attraction to corpses.

l Zoophilia. It is decribed as an affinity or sexual attraction of a human being to an animal. This condition is also known as bestiality and zoosexuality.

l Coprophilia. More commonly known as scat, this paraphilia is defined by obtaining sexual gratification from feces.

l Klismaphilia. It is a paraphilia of deriving sexual pleasure from having enemas. It is sometimes regarded as a form of anal masturbation, and is often connected to a fetish for spanking, anal play, and diapers.

l Urolagnia. Also called urophilia or undinism, it is a sexual fetish wherein participants get their sexual pleasure from urine and the act of urinating. People with urolagnia often like to urinate in public, urinate on, or be urinated on by other people.

l Emetophilia. It is a sexual fetish wherein the individual is aroused and stimulated by vomiting or watching other people vomit.

Depending on the extent of a person's sexual preference, it is often difficult for people surrounding a paraphiliac to understand how the person behaves. They are often bombarded with feelings of contempt and anger, depending on the number of times the paraphiliac has gotten into confrontations with other. However we must always keep in mind that these people are mentally challenged and may still be salvaged. With proper psychological help and adequate support, they might get over this hurdle and lead normal lives.