In order to be diagnosed, an individual must have at least four of the following symptoms in a 12-month period:
Needs to gamble with increasing amounts of money in order to achieve the desired excitement
Is restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop gambling
Has made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop gambling
Is often preoccupied with gambling (e.g., having persistent thoughts of reliving past gambling experiences, handicapping or planning the next venture, thinking of ways to get money with which to gamble)
Often gambles when feeling distressed (e.g., helpless, guilty, anxious, depressed)
After losing money gambling, often returns another day to get even ("chasing" ones losses)
Lies to conceal the extent of involvement with gambling
Has jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, job, education, or career opportunity because of gambling
Relies on others to provide money to relieve desperate financial situations caused by gambling

Factors that lead to gambling addiction
Mayo Clinic specialists state that compulsive gambling may be result from biological, genetic, and environmental factors, such as:
mental health disorders (the presence of substance use disorders, personality disorders, emotional states)
age and sex (usually found in youth or middle-aged people, and more common to men than women)
impact on family or friends
personality traits
drugs with rare side-effects (for example, antipsychotic medications or dopamine agonists).Other studies add the following triggers to the mentioned above:
traumatic conditions
job-related stress
solitude
other addictionsIf not treated, problem gambling may cause very serious and lasting effects on an individuals life:
relationship related issues
problems with money, bankruptcy
legal problems, imprisonment
health problems
suicide, including suicidal thoughts and attempts

Suicide rates
A gambler who does not receive treatment for pathological gambling when in a desperation phase may contemplate suicide.
Acatalasia  is an autosomal recessive peroxisomal disorder caused by absent or very low levels of the enzyme catalase. Catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide in cells into water and oxygen. Low levels of catalase can cause hydrogen peroxide to build up, causing damage to cells. Presentation
The disorder is relatively benign, although it causes an increased incidence of oral ulcers, and can under rare circumstances lead to gangrene. Symptoms primarily affect children. Genetic
Acatalasia is often the result of mutations in both copies of the CAT gene which codes for the enzyme catalase. There are multiple types of mutation that can cause this condition. Inheriting a single CAT mutation results in hypocatalasia, in which catalase levels are reduced, but still at functional levels. Diagnosis
This disorder is commonly diagnosed pouring hydrogen peroxide on the patients blood sample. Instead of a very bubbling reaction, blood turns brown-colored, which means the patient suffers from acatalasia. Management
Epidemiology
In parts of Japan, this condition has been found in approximately 1.4% of people. Researchers estimate that the condition occurs in 1 in 20,000 people in Hungary and Switzerland. History
In 1948, Dr. Shigeo Takahara (1908–1994), a Japanese otolaryngologist first reported this new disease. He had examined a patient with an oral ulcer. He had spread hydrogen peroxide on the diseased part, but oxygen was not generated due to the lack of catalase. See also
List of cutaneous conditions

References


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