Gambling addicts face depression, alcoholism
About 40 percent of gambling addicts regularly consume alcohol and another 20 percent have chronic thoughts about suicide, according to data released yesterday by the Center of Intercultural Psychiatric Care. The center, a non-governmental organization, said that long-term gamblers suffer from headaches, chest pains, heart and stomach problems and severe bouts of depression. Gambling also disrupts people’s sex lives, the data revealed. For instance, those who regularly win at games of chance are often too excited about their victories to get intimate. And those who lose are too depressed to have sex. The center also said that last year it received 123 calls for help on its phone line. Of those calls, 75 people set up an appointment with a counselor to help them with their gambling addiction.
