As the aging population continues to increase in number, there has been a marked increase in the number of adults living with Parkinson’s disease and the secondary lifestyle risks that may be associated with it. If you (or a loved one) have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, it is important to become familiar with the potential lifestyle risks that may arise and how best to manage those risks before they become detrimental. Because dopamine becomes imbalanced in the presence of Parkinson’s disease, there are many abnormal behaviors that arise before and during treatment or management of the disease.
Gambling is a lifestyle risk that has continued to rise in and among the aging population. When examined closely, it has been found that many adults living with Parkinson’s disease are experiencing complications in making the right lifestyle choices and often fall prey to the ease with which gambling may occur, whether it be at a local casino or through an online gambling forum.
If you find that your loved one, after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, seems to be experiencing a complication with pathological gambling – that is, a gambling behavior that is progressively worsening – it may be important to speak with a healthcare professional about the possibility Parkinson’s medication may play. Oftentimes, an elderly adult will develop an abnormal pattern of behavior in response to the dopamine medications and this, ultimately, may lead to the development of gambling addiction or other pathological gambling complication.
When examined by a mental health professional, the psychological test that will assist in diagnosing this abnormal behavior, in response to dopamine medications, will usually be the Beck Anxiety Inventory which will detect depression and anxiety. Based upon the findings of these results, the mental health professional may then need to consult with the physician who is managing the Parkinson’s disease. From this medical consultation, changes in the dopamine medications and plans for gambling addiction counseling can begin to be outlined.
When one is talking about gambling addiction, it does not involve smaller games like judi online but bigger ones at the casino like blackjack, Russian roulette, poker and so many others.
Parkinson’s disease leads to many additional health complications, often resulting in abnormal lifestyle habits. If you, or your loved one, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, be sure you are familiar with the potential lifestyle complications, especially that associated with gambling addiction. When any behavioral activity that involves casinos, betting, or gambling becomes a complication, seek mental health evaluation as soon as possible. In doing so, you can defer the potential lifestyle complications that are commonly associated with gambling and even work to reverse the mental health complications such as depression and anxiety.
