Gambling & Mental Illness As addictions, in general, alter brain chemical functions in destructive ways, people struggling with gambling addiction have a higher likelihood of developing mental disorders. Gambling addiction statistics show a high incidence of certain types of mental illness, some of which include. Gambling addiction triggers the same brain areas as drug and alcohol cravings: Gambling addiction activates the same brain pathways as drug and alcohol cravings, suggests new research.

Gambling can be extremely exciting. Much of the excitement comes from putting your money on the line and having the chance to win big.

It also doesn’t hurt that the gaming world is filled with plenty of entertaining games. Slot machines, baccarat, blackjack, daily fantasy sports, poker, roulette, and sports betting are just some of the popular gambling activities.

But it’s important to realize that not all of the thrills come from huge wins and games alone. Instead, a brain chemical called dopamine produces much of this euphoria.

Home » News » Pathological Gambling Linked to Brain’s Altered Opioid System. With the neurotransmitter or a chemical, such as endogenous opioids called endorphins, acting like a key, the. The brain's system uses chemicals called neurotransmitters, especially dopamine, that help provide feelings of enjoyment and motivation. Brain scans of gambling addicts and cocaine addicts.

It is a popular myth that chemical imbalances in the brain are solely responsible for causing mental health conditions. Such as gambling or drinking excessive quantities of alcohol.

As you’ll find out here, dopamine can actually be a bad thing with regard to gambling. Therefore, you want to consider steps to lower this chemical if you have a problem. Keep reading as I discuss more on dopamine along with ways to decrease it.

What Is Dopamine?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that carries messages between brain cells. It plays a role in our motivation to do many things, from what we eat to our preferred forms of entertainment.

Like any neurotransmitter, dopamine shuttles messages across the brain. These messages bind to docking-station molecules called brain receptors. The receptors relay messages they receive from dopamine to neighboring receptors.

The two parts of the brain that create dopamine and other neurotransmitters are the “substantia nigra” and “ventral tegmental.” Both of these areas are smaller than a postage stamp, but they greatly influence our everyday actions.

Dopamine from the substantia nigra area controls our speech and movements. Dopamine from the ventral tegmental goes to the brain and serves as a reward for various actions.

If you eat a delicious piece of cake, the ventral tegmental’s dopamine convinces your brain that it’s worth having another slice.

This chemical can unfortunately reinforce undesirable practices. You know that cake isn’t good from a dieting perspective. However, the dopamine-induced reward can overpower your logic and cause you to eat more.

At this point, it seems like the neurotransmitter is largely bad. But dopamine also plays an important role in motivating you to accomplish goals too.

You may feel euphoric after finishing a difficult workout or coming up with a great dining plan. These two are examples of dopamine rewarding your brain for positive accomplishments.

It’s important to have a healthy level of this neurotransmitter so that you maintain the motivation to carry out daily tasks. Too much dopamine, though, can cause you to develop risk-taking behavior.

Possessing too little of this chemical leaves you lethargic and unmotivated to get off the couch. This is a joyless state called anhedonia that some would consider even worse than being a gambling addict.

How Does Dopamine Cause You to Gamble More?

Dopamine is essentially what reinforces you to carry out specific behaviors again and again. It prompts you to choose between a greasy hamburger and healthy salad.

You’re likely to do whatever your dopamine is pushing you towards. The same is true of gambling, which offers its own set of rewards.

The biggest gaming reward on the surface is that you can win money. Nothing is more exciting than going on a hot streak and raking in thousands of dollars in a single session.

Of course, you don’t have to get hot and win big just to experience the thrill of gaming. Winning a few rounds here there can also motivate you to keep playing.

It’s important to realize that these wins are reinforced by dopamine. This neurotransmitter begins transporting messages after every successful round.

Feeling good about winning wagers is perfectly normal. However, a key problem arises when these rewards keep coming during losing sessions.

Here’s an example:

• Bob is playing roulette and make even-money bets.
• He wins a $100 wager and feels good (bankroll at +$100).
• He loses three $100 consecutive bets and is sad (bankroll at -$200).
• His next wager wins, and he’s pumped up (bankroll at -$100).
• Bob’s following two $100 bets lose (bankroll at -$300).
• He wins the final $100 wager and leaves a happy person (bankroll at -$200).

Looking at this progression, Bob only won three bets and lost five. He quit his gambling session with a $200 loss.

Logic says that he should feel bad about the session. However, Bob doesn’t feel too down, because he won a few wagers and left after the final win.

Dopamine doesn’t use logic when it rewards our brain. It reinforces certain events, even when they’re not good in the long run.

What Are the Potential Dangers of Dopamine Triggered Gambling?

The bad thing about dopamine is that it can make you feel out of control when gambling. Again, it doesn’t account for logic when reinforcing behaviors.

This fact can lead to a number of gaming related problems. Here are the biggest potential pitfalls you need to watch out for.

Betting More Money Than You Should

The obvious downside to dopamine overload includes the temptation to bet more money. You likely have a strong idea on how much you can afford to lose in any session.

Of course, it’s hard to stick to a plan when you’re constantly receiving mental rewards for a win here or there. You may eventually think that it’s alright to keep trying for that next win, even when you’ve had a terrible session.

Many gambling addicts have feelings of guilt and think that they’re terrible people. However, there’s also a physical element at play here in the form of dopamine.

You don’t even have to be an addict in order to feel down about your gaming. Simply having one or two out-of-control sessions can leave you depressed for a while.

Playing Longer Than You Should

Losing money and gambling too long often go hand in hand. The casino holds an edge in almost every situation, which means you’ll probably lose more money by playing longer.

Of course, the sessions where you do win big profits are sweet. But you need luck on your side in order to beat the house advantage.

Gambling should always be looked at as a form of entertainment, rather than a way to make money. The only time you can consider gaming a job is when you’re an advantage gambler (e.g. card counter) or can beat a player-vs-player game (e.g. poker).

Other than these instances, though, you don’t want to spend hours in the casino. Unfortunately, dopamine can make you suspend time and continue making bets.

Seeking New Gambling Thrills

It’s always best to gamble within your means. For example, you don’t want to place $1,000 wagers when you’ve only brought $2,000 to the casino.

The problem with dopamine, though, is that it can lead to seeking risky behavior to experience new highs. Many drug users suffer from this scenario, as they abuse more and more substances to get a stronger high.

The good thing about gambling is that it doesn’t cause direct physical harm to you like cocaine or heroin. But it does leave open the possibility that you place larger wagers just to get new thrills.

Stealing Money to Fund a Gambling Habit

The worst thing a gambling addict can do is steal money to fund their habit. Luckily, the vast majority of people – no matter their penchant for gambling – never stoop to this level.

However, anybody who’s received a steady diet of gambling related dopamine won’t feel right if they’re tapped out. This lack of funds may cause them to acquire more money through any means necessary.

I recently watched a Dr. Phil episode, where a father-of-three stole thousands of dollars from his wife to fund a gambling habit. It was obvious that he needed the money so he could continue chasing another high.

Tips to Lower Your Dopamine?

Earlier I discussed how a healthy dopamine level is important. Having too little of this neurotransmitter will leave you feeling unproductive and even depressed.

But the reverse, where you have too much dopamine, isn’t good either. It’s especially harmful if you have trouble controlling your gaming.

I don’t recommend that you take drastic steps to lower your dopamine, especially from a long-term perspective. However, the following steps might be worth considering during a big casino trip.

Limit Caffeine Consumption

If you’re like me, you consider caffeine to be an essential part of any day. This drug keeps you alert/awake and more productive.

It’s important to realize, though, that caffeine also causes your dopamine to rise. If you already suffer from risky and impulsive behaviors, chugging coffee and soda won’t help.

In fact, coffee, soda, black tea, and energy drinks are all loaded with this stimulant. Therefore, you should avoid or at least minimize these drinks when gambling.

Try Special Herbs

The last thing you probably want to do is run out and buy a bunch of herbs. However, it’s worth noting that certain natural herbs can lower your dopamine level.

• Lemon essential oil is a pleasant way to decrease this neurotransmitter. It speeds up the turnover of dopamine in the hippocampus, thus reducing the duration of the effects. Inhaling this oil’s vapors will also help you stave off anxiety and depression.
• Magnolia bark is an herb that’s been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. It’s effective at treating asthma and digestive problems.
  This herb is classified as a nootropic, meaning it protects the brain from inflammation and oxidation. It’s also believed to be a dopamine inhibitor.
• Amino acids, like 5-HTP and tryptophan are effective at depleting dopamine too. Tryptophan, which is found in animals like turkey, is a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin. 5-HTP is commonly taken to reduce anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Both of these amino-acid supplements will help decrease dopamine. However, you may want to consider tryptophan first, because it has fewer side effects than 5-HTP and is the safer long-term option.

Eat a Balanced Diet

One of the easiest ways to take care of excess dopamine is to get your diet in order. Make sure you’re eating plenty of foods that are rich in carbohydrates and proteins.

Carbs can decrease dopamine levels and balance your state of mind. Meat will help regulate your brain’s production of neurotransmitters thanks to its many proteins.

You want to consume plenty of green vegetables just for the sake of your health. Supplements are also worth considering if you’re low on B-vitamin or essential minerals like iron and zinc.

Talk to a Doctor

You should consult a doctor if you think there’s a serious problem with your dopamine level. A qualified professional is preferable to trying to sort out the matter on your own with caffeine limits and supplements.

Of course, the majority of related problems revolve around having low dopamine. But it’s still possible to have too much of this brain chemical, leading to risky behavior.

A doctor can run tests for your neurotransmitters and figure out if there’s an imbalance. They may even prescribe you dopamine inhibitors if your level is too high.

Conclusion

Hopefully, you don’t have any problems with gambling and can enjoy yourself in a controlled manner. But if you do ever go too far in the casino, then you may want to consider if high dopamine is a problem.

Gambling Brain Chemicals Cause

Dopamine can make it difficult to maintain control. You may fully know that eating half a pie or gambling too much are bad decisions. But dopamine is sending reward signals to your brain and clouding your judgement.

Simply realizing that there’s a neurotransmitter at play can help curb your gaming urges. However, you may need to take more-concentrated steps to avoid dopamine fueled gambling binges.

Consuming less caffeine, taking supplements, and eating a well-balanced diet can all help. You should consider visiting a doctor if you’re highly prone to risky decisions at the casino or elsewhere. They can administer tests to see if you have a high dopamine level and need inhibitors.

Of course, nothing is more effective than exercising strong willpower. Being able to say no to another hour of gambling when it’s time to quit is key to bankroll management.

But not everybody has this ability to stop when they should. If you’re in this boat, then take steps to curb your dopamine so that you don’t feel rewarded when gambling too much.

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If you have ever suffered from an addiction before, such as a gambling addiction or a shopping addiction, or if you have ever had an attack of depression or suffered from a reduction in mental focus, it may have been because of a problem with one of your brain's neurotransmitters. There are two strong neurotransmitters in the brain that are often linked to some of these behaviors. They are known as serotonin and dopamine. You can have too much of these neurotransmitters or too little of them, causing some problems in your life.

Gambling Brain Chemicals Vs

What Are Serotonin and Dopamine?

The first thing you need to know about neurotransmitter is that there are two different types. These are inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters. Excitatory neurotransmitters are stimulatory to the brain's nerve fibers. Inhibitory neurotransmitters are calming brain chemicals. It is the inhibitory transmitters that help us balance our mood; they can be diminished in the face of too many excitatory brain chemicals. Serotonin and dopamine are opposites of one another when it comes to their effect on the brain.

Serotonin: Inhibitory Neurotransmitter

Serotonin falls under the classification as an inhibitory brain chemical. It doesn't stimulate the brain like dopamine can and will balance out the excitatory neurotransmitters in the brain. You need plenty of serotonin in your brain in order to be calm and have a stable mood. It is also important in the regulation of other brain processes, such as pain control, your sleep cycle, cravings for carbs, and adequate digestion of our food.

If you take in too many stimulants, such as ordinary caffeine, it can gradually deplete the amount of serotonin you have in your brain. When your serotonin level becomes too low, you will suffer from immunosuppression and will be prone to being sick from various pathogens.

Dopamine: Excitatory Neurotransmitter (Mainly)

Dopamine is the neurotransmitter that helps us focus. In this way, serotonin and dopamine are opposites of each other. If dopamine levels are too low or too high, we can have problems on focusing. We may forget where we placed our keys, we may forget a book passage we just read, or we may suffer form off-task behavior—daydreaming instead of remaining on task. Dopamine is important in helping us have mental drive or an impulse to get things accomplished. It affects our motivation. When we have enough dopamine, we act more towards our desires, needs, and goals and when we finally reach our goals, we will feel happy.

Drugs used as stimulants, such as those for ADHD and the chemical, caffeine, will increase dopamine in order to improve mental focus. If we stimulate this neurotransmitter too much, however, it can eventually cause it to decrease over time.

One special thing to mention, you should notice that dopamine is unique in that it can be inhibitory and it can be excitatory, whereas serotonin is just inhibitory.

The following video will help you understand serotonin, dopamine and our brain better.

Relationship Between Serotonin and Dopamine

Serotonin and dopamine can be thought of as being two different glasses of milk. Together they take up 100 units of fluid, each taking fifty percent of the total. In order to maintain having a hundred units at all times, you must borrow from one of the glasses to fill up the other.

If our life is to be completely balanced, there is about fifty units in the dopamine glass and fifty units in the dopamine class. If they, however, become out of balance, the more likely our lives become out of balance. What happens when there is an imbalance between serotonin and dopamine?

1. When Serotonin Levels Are Low

Without serotonin or with low serotonin, we suffer from depression and experience a loss of pleasure. This is the main problem with low serotonin.Other symptoms of low serotonin include the following:

• Having a significant sensitivity to pain
• Being angry all the time
• Having constipation
• Having carb cravings and problems with binge eating
• Feeling low mood from a lack of sunlight
• Having problems with digestion
• Feeling easily overwhelmed
• Feeling a dependency on other people
• Having an excess of vigilance
• Suffering from insomnia
• Having a lack of joy
• Having migraines
• Having a lower self-esteem
• Having ringing of the ears
• Having poor cognition

Gambling Brain Chemicals Help

What to do: When there is low serotonin and dopamine is high, you can increase your serotonin levels by exercising several days per week, by being exposed to sunlight, by relaxing as much as you can, by taking a hold of your stress levels, by getting enough sleep, and by making adequate changes to your diet. There are several foods that boost serotonin levels, such as salmon, chicken, avocados, walnuts, baked potatoes, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and lentils. You should eat these foods several times daily.

2. When Dopamine Level Are Low

Gambling Brain Chemicals List

With low dopamine syndromes, you have no motivation in life. You can feel hopelessness, apathy, and a lack of joy. You have a problem starting things and have problems completing them. Some other symptoms of low dopamine include the following:

• Feeling tired
• Having problems feeling pleasure
• Suffering from insomnia
• Having a hard time getting up in the morning
• Suffering from mood swings
• Forgetting things
• Having problems with concentration and focus
• Having loss of memory
• Having a low sex drive
• Having problems connecting to others
• Craving caffeine
• Craving carbs and sugar
• Having problems with weight loss
• Having problems dealing with stress

What to do: There are a lot of foods you can eat in order to increase dopamine levels. Foods containing serotonin and dopamine are different. Dopaminergic foods include bananas, almonds, beets, apples, coffee, chocolate, lima beans, leafy greens, oatmeal, watermelon, sea vegetables, animal products, and watermelon, among others. You can also exercise regularly to rise your dopamine levels. Listen to music, meditate, and engage in some hobbies that are very creative, such as house repair, photography, drawing, sewing and knitting. These things can help with the release of dopamine by helping you meditate.