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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you've made the choice to seek help for your gambling, you've taken an important first step. Start by talking to your primary care doctor. If it seems that you have a serious problem, you'll likely be referred to a mental health provider for further evaluation and treatment. These suggestions can help you get the most from your appointments:
- Write down all the feelings you're experiencing, even if they seem unrelated to your problem. Be sure to note what triggers your gambling, whether you've tried to resist the urge to gamble, and the effect that gambling has had on your life.
- Write down key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes.
- Make a list of all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that you're taking. Better yet, take the original bottles and a written list of the dosages and directions.
References
- Pathologic gambling. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Oct. 4, 2010.
- Granero R, et al. Sex differences among treatment-seeking adult pathologic gamblers. Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2009;50:173.
- Unwin BK, et al. Pathologic gambling. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 4, 2010.
- Holst RJ, et al. Brain imaging studies in pathological gambling. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2010;12:418.
- Tarsy D. Pharmacologic treatment of Parkinson disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 4, 2010.
- Goudriaan AE, et al. Pathological gambling: A comprehensive review of biobehavioral findings. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 2004;28:123.
- Leung KS, et al. Treatment of pathological gambling. Current Opinion in Psychiatry. 2008;22:69.
- Williams WA, et al. Pathological Gambling. In: Koob GF, et al. Encyclopedia of Behavioral Neuroscience. London, U.K.: Elsevier Academic Press; 2010:29.
- Questions and answers. Gamblers Anonymous. http://www.gamblersanonymous.org/qna.html. Accessed Oct. 4, 2010.
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