Argumentative Essay: Is Gambling A Disease?

Is gambling a disease? Gambling can be an innocent past time but for some gambling becomes so severe that they can lose everything, their house, their car their savings and their relationships. Ironically after all that is lost the problem gambler will have a difficult time stopping this cycle.

When we talk about disease the things that come to mind are cancer, diabetes, heart disease and so on. In contrast, we don't think about depression, anxiety, bi-polar and so on, these are classified as a mental illness. However, technically mental illness is a disease of the mind. Scientists began looking into the minds of mentally ill patients to try and understand what was going on and to find ways to help those afflicted. These discoveries

One is serotonin, which inhibits impulsive actions and regulates anxiety and mood. Too little of it opens the door to obsessive and compulsive behavior. The other chemical is norephinephrine, a cousin of adrenaline that controls general arousal. "When we stimulate serotonin receptors in the brain we can actually provoke a sense of high, a rush or euphoria that is very similar to the rush that gamblers get when they start to gamble and win," (Ferrell Dec

It could be argued that alcoholism and problem gambling are only metaphorically diseases. But as Lakoff and Johnson (1980) have argued persuasively, all abstractions, including those that refer to physical diseases and mental disorders (e.g., depression), are founded on metaphors. No matter how we categorize problem gambling (disease, disorder, public health problem, etc.); the reality is that people who suffer from the disorder do indeed suffer, and that helping professionals can often alleviate their distress. (Turner, 2012)

When discussing a diagnose of GD (Gambling Disorder) it is interesting to note how many are inflicted with at least one other psychiatric disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and Drug Use Disorder (DUD)

Comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders, including other addictions, is common in both AUD/DUD and GD. As many as 96% of individuals with lifetime GD also meet criteria for at least one other lifetime psychiatric disorder. Lifetime rates of many psychiatric disorders are elevated among those with GD, with mood (49%–56%) and anxiety (41%–60%) disorders and AUD (73%) and DUD (38%) being particularly prevalent. Personality disorders are also more common among those with GD and the prevalence of multiple comorbid disorders is increased as well. (Weinstock, Patten 18, September