<span style=”color: #000000;”>The pathological gambling addict has another problem to face. Found in a new study, the problem gambler population is also up to 20% substance abusers.</span>

<span style=”color: #000000;”>The study from Dr. Flora Matheson at the St. Michael’s Hospital Centre confirmed a high likelihood for gambling addiction to be connected to drug addiction.</span>

<span style=”color: #000000;”>There are a few signs posts outside gambling and drug use for this group with a dual addiction:</span>

<span style=”color: #000000;”>- Social problems often beginning in teen/early adult years</span>
<span style=”color: #000000;”>- Showed higher rates of sexual abuse, depression, and deliquency</span>
<span style=”color: #000000;”>- Attempted suicide</span>
<span style=”color: #000000;”>- Sexual promiscuity</span>

<span style=”color: #000000;”>The duality of gambling and drug addiction tends to be used in combination rather than one day gambling to excess and one day drugs. The drugs provide a reliable high whereas gambling is win or lose and accordingly the emotions felt with either outcome is high or low. The drugs will make the gambling win even higher and conversely the loss is not felt as hard as the drugs provide a baseline high. Generally the gambling wins are used for continuing the drug addiction which makes this dual addiction so dangerous.</span>

<span style=”color: #000000;”>It is important to unpack a person’s history with substance abuse problems and find out if there is a gambling addiction lurking behind the scenes of the destructive, more outward facing, drug addiction.  During treatment, detox, or twelve steps program, when a person addicted to drugs gets clean there is a possibility for their gambling addiction to become the substitute for drug abuse.  It is important to realise the high rates of this combination and treat them both accordingly.  </span>

<span style=”color: #000000;”>If you are looking for help to stop drug addiction and gambling out of control, please contact me right now for a free assessment. I have been there, lost everything and addicted to it all, but am now 17 years clean. I provide specialist gambling addiction counselling along with as a counsellor for all types of addictions. I can help you change like I have done myself and provided many others with solutions to their addictions.</span>