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Thursday, May 31, 2007

A comparison of craving and emotional states between pathological gamblers and alcoholics

Addictive Behaviors
Volume 32, Issue 8, August 2007, Pages 1555-1564


Fifty pathological gamblers and 42 alcohol dependent subjects were compared regarding craving, emotional states and social functioning.

Regression models showed that craving for gambling and alcohol have a significant correlation with emotional states. Craving for gambling was inversely correlated with positive affect and craving for alcohol was directly correlated with negative affect. Gambling craving was more dependent upon external factors and related to an unpleasant dearousing state, while alcohol craving was associated with an unpleasant arousing state.

These findings point to the key role of emotional deregulation on gambling and alcohol cravings following early abstinence.

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