I recently saw an interesting post showing how they activate the same underlying emotions.
It is something many of us understood some time ago. Now there is evidence proving it.
How alcohol and other susbtances can make a mind get quiet and loosen up our decisions. How we can get stimulated and gamble longer than we intended to.
For me, no matter which one I started-alchol, other substances, or gambling-all three would happen one after another and I would spiral down to a lower rock bottom.
Gamblers Anonymous has a 12 step program similar to AA and NA. I have seen many find there way to meetings who have been substance free for a long time. They initially do not understand how they slipped into problem gambling.
If you attend a meeting or are connected to others working a program. I ask that you consider bringing up this topic. To help others understand there is help available. To share that there are predators out there encouraging risky behavior via gambling.
Here is the link to the original article. Dr Michael Zhang, has many more peices of work that simply make sense!