Many people believe it has nothing to do with addiction. Studies show that in the case of gambling, neurological composition actually can cause an addiction. The brain produces a chemical called norepinephrine that is secreted when humans experience high stress or excitement. People who are born with low levels of norepinephrine in the brain are more likely to have an addiction to gambling. This is because of the persons need to overcompensate for the chemical imbalance. The act of gambling releases this chemical in their brain and they get a rush of excitement. People then repeat this to continue feeling the excitement and it leads to an addiction over time (Horridge). Gambling addiction shares similarities with other addictions such as drug or alcohol addiction. One similarity is that people use gambling to cope with stress. The act of gambling relieves someone of the stress in their daily lives. The problem is the stress relief is temporary and people’s problems come back once they stop gambling. This is what causes people to continue gambling repeatedly and eventually develop an addiction
Many people believe it has nothing to do with addiction. Studies show that in the case of gambling, neurological composition actually can cause an addiction. The brain produces a chemical called norepinephrine that is secreted when humans experience high stress or excitement. People who are born with low levels of norepinephrine in the brain are more likely to have an addiction to gambling. This is because of the persons need to overcompensate for the chemical imbalance. The act of gambling releases this chemical in their brain and they get a rush of excitement. People then repeat this to continue feeling the excitement and it leads to an addiction over time (Horridge). Gambling addiction shares similarities with other addictions such as drug or alcohol addiction. One similarity is that people use gambling to cope with stress. The act of gambling relieves someone of the stress in their daily lives. The problem is the stress relief is temporary and people’s problems come back once they stop gambling. This is what causes people to continue gambling repeatedly and eventually develop an addiction