But most women who are problem gamblers never gambled in their youth. Although in 1980 the American Psychiatric Association defined compulsive gambling as an addiction problem comparable to alcohol and drug abuse, pathological gambling has received relatively little attention. Only 150 gambling counselors are certified nationwide, compared with hundreds of thousands of drug and alcohol abuse counselors, Dr. Petry said. The National Gambling Impact Study Commission is expected to recommend that states contribute some of their lottery revenue to treatment programs for problem gamblers. As with other addictions, compulsive gamblers develop tolerance and withdrawal symptoms.
Many compulsive gamblers have other addictions as well.
About half who enter treatment programs have histories of substance abuse. Dr. Blume estimates that there are about 40 treatment programs for gamblers in about two dozen states based on approaches used for other addictive disorders. But she and Dr. Petry said that few professionals looked for gambling problems in their clients and few programs were prepared to treat them. A New Approach Gamblers Anonymous, patterned on the 12 steps and group support of Alcoholics Anonymous, is the most established program with documented effectiveness. Dr. Petry has begun a study of a different approaches that has shown early encouraging results and will soon receive the first grant ever awarded by the National Institute of Mental Health for the gambling addiction treatment.