Inside the Mind of a Problem Gambler & the Science of Addiction

When I was young, my father used to tell me and my brother that a gambling addiction is one of the worst. I am not sure if my father was right, but we listened to him. Millions of African Americans find themselves financially ruined by the gambling that takes place on casino boats, which are heavily marketed to inner-city communities.

A new study in the Journal of Neuroscience analyzes the minds of problem gamblers. Researchers Henry Chase and Luke Clark analyzed 20 people who enjoy gambling, some of whom were recreational gamblers and others who were "pathological gamblers," meaning that gambling affected their everyday lives.

Researches scanned the brains of both groups while they gambled on a simple slot machine. The study found that one of the trappings of gambling addiction is the "near miss," where you almost win, but not quite. The researchers concluded that the presence of a near miss has an impact on the brain's reward system, namely two areas called the ventral striatum and anterior insula.

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=882061&pid=882060&uts=1274120883

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

Celebrity Comebacks

Bouncing Back
Say what you want. The key to survival in any business is resilience. While talent, opportunity and nepotism may take some far, being able to pick yourself up after taking a fall is a true testament to dexterity. Ask celebrity notables like controversial radio shock jock Don Imus, Academy Award-winning powerhouse Jennifer Hudson, former Miss America Vanessa L. Williams and even celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton, who have endured adversity and rose to greater fame and fortune. There are plenty more who have been given the pink slip, shown to the door and even thrown in jail. Take a look...

Getty Images

BlackVoices.com

Celebrity Comebacks

Vanessa L. Williams
Her television character Wilhelmina Slater on 'Ugly Betty' doesn't give up easily, and that's definitely a personality trait embodied by this 'Save the Best for Last' singer. In 1983, after being crowned the first black Miss America, nude photos of Vanessa Williams taken one year before were published in Penthouse magazine. Though the scandal took place 10 months into her reign, she was forced to relinquish her title. Not only has this 45-year-old mother of four appeared on Broadway and released platinum-plus albums, she's now back on prime-time TV and serves as a spokeswoman for ProActive Solution. BUY IT, TRY IT: Vanessa Williams' Greatest Hits

Celebrity Comebacks

Clive Davis
After graduating from Harvard Law, this Brooklyn-born lawyer served as president of Columbia Records. Clive Davis got the ax from Columbia over allegations that he mismanaged company funds. But to say he had a career comeback would be an understatement. Not only did the 72-year-old found Arista Records and J Records, but he also discovered two of today's biggest female singers: Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys. BUY IT, TRY IT: Whitney Houston's 'Greatest Hits'

Celebrity Comebacks

Martha Stewart
What can't this Suzy Homemaker type do? A former stockbroker, Martha Stewart built a multimedia empire, including a television series, 'The Martha Stewart Show,' several magazines and a K-Mart brand of merchandise that has amassed millions. But all that success didn't keep her from trying not to lose money. In 2004, she was convicted of lying to investigators about a stock sale and served five months in prison. Stewart, 67, bounced back in 2006, expanding her K-Mart brand and even starting a Sirius Satellite Radio channel. Her net worth is an estimated $600 million. BUY IT, TRY IT: Martha Stewart's 'Wisdom'

Celebrity Comebacks

Howard Stern
"King of All Media," Howard Stern has been fired from quite a few radio jobs for his sexual and racial humor. The last time the shock jock got the boot was in 1985 from WNBC radio, but Stern hasn't looked back since. In 2004, the Boston University grad decided he was tired of all of the censorship on his show and made a big move to Sirius Satellite Radio. It's rumored he pulled in nearly $200 million from the deal.
BUY IT, TRY IT: Howard Stern's 'Private Parts'

Celebrity Comebacks

Jimi Hendrix
Staying out of trouble is tough for rockers. The late rock guitarist is no exception. Even after contract disputes and the breakup of his Jimi Hendrix Experience band, he reinvented himself with a new group, Band of Gypsies, and released several critically acclaimed albums. BUY IT, TRY IT: Jimi Hendrix Goodies

Celebrity Comebacks

William Shatner
Times were really hard for actor William Shatner after his Captain Kirk days on 'Star Trek' ended. With no steady work, he lived with his dog in a pickup truck in the early '70s. But, in 2004, he was back in the spotlight portraying Denny Crane on 'The Practice' and later on its spin-off 'Boston Legal.' At 77, the Hollywood Walk of Famer is one of the few actors to win two Emmys for portraying the same character on two series. BUY IT, TRY IT: William Shatner Stuff

Celebrity Comebacks

Naturi Naughton
She got it goin' on....what, what? This former 3LW singer was nixed from the teen pop trio after a heated argument that resulted in group member Kiely Williams throwing a hot plate full of Kentucky Fried Chicken in her face. Instead of joining another R&B troop, Naturi Naughton took a stab at acting -- starring on Broadway in 'Hairspray' and, in 2009, portraying rap star Lil' Kim in the Notorious B.I.G. biopic 'Notorious.' BUY IT, TRY IT: 'Notorious' On DVD

Celebrity Comebacks

LeToya Luckett
No doubt about it, she could sing the 'Survivor' anthem, too. This founding member of Destiny's Child found out she'd been replaced when she tuned into a video for the group's 'Say My Name' song and a new group member was singing her part. LeToya Luckett moved back to her hometown of Houston and opened her own clothing store. But country living wasn't enough for the 26-year-old and she returned to the limelight with her platinum self-titled debut and a number-one hit 'Torn.' BUY IT, TRY IT: LeToya Luckett's Solo Effort

Celebrity Comebacks

Bobby Brown
It's always been Bobby Brown's prerogative to do what he wanna do. Forming the group New Edition as a teen living in the projects in a tough Roxbury neighborhood proved the best thing for him. He became one of the most popular R&B male singers of the '90s. And, though the 40-year-old's taken a lot of the blame for his ex-wife Whitney Houston's drug addiction, they are now divorced and Bobby looks to have cleaned up his life. He's dropped a book, 'Bobby Brown, The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But,' appeared on two CMT reality television shows and is expecting his fifth child. BUY IT, TRY IT: 'The Truth' from Bobby Brown

Celebrity Comebacks

Scientists have long known that a brain chemical called dopamine has a huge impact on how gambling affects us. Dopamine is associated with other forms of addiction, but its affect are not totally understood.

"This study provides an important advance in our understanding of how the brain's reward circuits underlie one form of addictive behavior, pathological gambling," said Steven Quartz, director of the California Institute of Technology's Brain, Mind, and Society Ph.D. program. "Many modern games of chance, especially slot machines, compel some people to play repeatedly even when they are not winning."

The conclusion of the scientists is that near misses are tempting for the problem gambler, because it tricks the brain into thinking that it is actually learning something about the gambling environment. The gambler thinks, "I almost won, and now I've got it figured out." The reality is that the same probabilities always apply and you are no less or more lucky than you were before.

Be careful when gambling, as it can significantly affect your life. If you find that you have a gambling problem, make sure you get help. Please call the National Council on Problem Gambling at 800-522-4700 if you think you or a loved one may need help. This is an issue in the black community that is rarely addressed, even though gambling is often promoted to us. A gambling addiction is one of the easiest ways to destroy your financial security, as well as your professional and personal lives.

Lawrence Watkins is the CEO of the Great Black Speakers Bureau. For more information, please visit LawrenceWatkins.com.