Hear, hear!

Spam,

To add to those who have already answered your post I had no interest in gambling whosoever. The fist I knew of online poker(my poison of choice) was on a visit to my PD nurse who informed me that some people with Parkinson's seemed to be addicted to these online sites. I remember thinking at the time, "Thats a damn fine idea". Before that it was fishing (another brand new hobby) and punding (endlessly rebuilding a PC), I didn't have that problem either, I was ripping my marriage apart, the most precious aspect of my life.

I wasted thousands in an attempt to prove casino sites were rigged. That they didn't conform to laws of chance and probability. You were doomed to lose.

When you used their "FREE" money you would win more often than not, when it was down to real cash you could lose 50 hands on the trot.

I still don't think I was gambling.
It was punding online.

Hi Spam,

I'm not sure there's a certain type of person who's more likely to suffer then others, I wasn't a gambler before I started to take DA's and I haven't been a gambler since coming off them, apart from the odd lottery ticket and a day at the races once a year.

The addiction creeps up on you, you think your in control, you don't admit to yourself you have a problem and you don't tell anyone and you lose all logical thinking, you become very good at hiding what your doing even when you realize your getting deeper and deeper in debt you still hide it, you just need the buzz and it's only when things go too far that you have to tell someone because there's no other way out.

Gambling,hypersexuality,compulsive shopping,etc etc, are merely the behaviour symptoms and not the cause.

The cause is a need to seek out extremes and take risks in order to satisfy the overload of dopamine in your brain. This means your in a continual state of thrill seeking and want constant stimulation in order to fulfill your cravings. To begin with this could be focused on just one behaviour ie gambling, then switch to another such as hypersex or addictive shopping. Its not that unusual for someone affected to end up with 2 or 3 problems all at the same time, as the need to seek pleasure and to take risks grows and grows.

Personality trait, lifestyle, age, type of job you have, can all be factors in adding to the risk when taking DA's particularly at max daily dosage levels. It is far to simple just to say someone who previously spent 20 quid every week at the bookies, is going to automatically become a pathological gambler if they start taking DA,s.

Thanks Blueeyes,
But how does all this fit in with the proposed new regime of offering counselling "from the start of OCDs appearing"?
Every poster so far says it's impossible to detect the start of OCDs for carers and perpetrators will not volunteer the information whilst gaining such pleasure.
Also how does the greatest risk at max dosage tie in with legal advice that for a consultant to prescribe 36 mg a day of Requip XL for 3 years for my husband and deny the drug contributed in any way to his appalling behaviour (50% more than the licensed maximum) is not an offence?
It's great to hear that steps are underway to address the problem but the counselling sounds unworkable and there is no penalty for health professionals and drug companies who ignore the warnings.
But more power to your elbow anyway!
GG

The way i try to look at it is,

Seeking thrills or taking risk should equal some desire for a tangible and meaningful reward. However if your REWARD is just about taking RISK, then you have crossed the line. Whether your then able to stop yourself is a whole different ball game......

Well said GG.

If you paid me to service your car, and I forgot to reconnect the brakes, I'd be guilty of manslaughter if this subsequently caused your death.

If a new supplier of brake fluid told me his product was better than the rest, and I put it in your car without adequate trials, I'd be liable for any subsequent resultant brake failure.

This is normal legal liability, why are consultants any different?

hi GG

Counselling can only fully start once you have a willing party. Someone on the edge of Impulsive and Compulsive Behaviours would certainly benefit from this early counselling intervention.

However somebody who has already disappeared way past the line and who's life is in ruins, is going to need a lot more support than just counselling. This is something the campaign team are working on as part of the awareness campaign. We are developing key partnerships with a number of external agencies such as GamCare, CAB, Legal services commission and other agencies, who will not only be fully aware of this problem but will be on hand to provide help ans give support.

With regard to your husbands neurologist, from what you have told me previously, in my opinion their appears to be a strong smell of what i would describe as clinical negligence or at best incompetence on his part.

best wishes
bluey

You are doing a great job, Blueeyes.
Leigh Day spent a long time looking at our case but the outcome was that no legal action was possible as it is not an offence to prescribe huge overdoses "off-license" as long as appropriate warnings are given.
They weren't but the consultant's computerised notes include " appropriate behavioural warnings given" after each appt.
They would, wouldn't they?
Our word against his and no evidence so no possible action.

hi GG

I have a large box in the cubboard full of my case file documents which LeighDay&Co sent me way back in 2007. I spent a year pulling together every bank statement going back 6 years prior to starting on cabergoline in 2002. It showed NO evidence whatsoever of me gambling or leading a compulsive crazy lifestyle. In fect quite the opposite, it showed i was a saver, planner and a finalicaly prudent person.

In contrast my bank staements between 2002/04 when i was taking cabergoline, showed online gambling transactions ammounting to over £1,000,000. Furthermore i gave them bank statements from 2005/07 (post cabergoline), and guess what No gambling.

I also supplied them my medical files going back to 1988 which showed i had NEVER suffered from any form of mental health or behaviour problems. Yet despite this they refused to take on my case any further? They gave 3 main reasons,

1] During the 2 years in which i took cabergoline i had missed a couple of neuro appointments late 2003. Therefore creating a gap of around 6 months in my treatment. The reason for missing those appointmnt was due to financial and logisstical issues, i was homeleess, penniless and living on the streets of london, andmy neuro was in Oxford.

2] a one of