Hamilton, NJ -- (SBWire) -- 10/13/2017 --The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) thanks all participants for helping to make their 35th Annual Statewide Conference such a memorable and educational experience. On September 15th, professionals from a wide range of fields relating to gambling gathered at the East Windsor Holiday Inn to attend illuminating presentations and share their experiences.

The theme of the conference, "The New Frontier in Gambling Treatment," epitomized the mission of the CCGNJ. They strive to spread awareness of disordered gambling and offer gambling problem help, incorporating the latest strides in research and treatment.

To start off the conference, Marc N. Potenza, MD, Ph.D., gave the keynote presentation, entitled "Similarities and Differences in the Neurobiologies of Gambling and Substance-Use Disorders." Dr. Potenza serves as the director of a number of research centers that study impulsivity and addiction and teaches psychiatry at Yale University. In his presentation, he compared and contrasted the changes in brain activity that occur due to both kinds of addiction.

The American Psychological Association first recognized gambling addiction as a psychiatric illness in 1980. It was not until the publication of the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) that it was classified under the section for addictive and substance-related disorders. Increasingly, the medical field realizes that disordered gambling affects brain chemistry in much the same way that problematic substance use does. As a result, more effective treatments for problem or disordered gambling can be created.

The CCGNJ offers support for those struggling with disordered casino gambling in Atlantic City and anywhere else in the state. To learn more about the CCGNJ or to reach out for help with gambling addiction, call them at their confidential, 24/7 hotline at 1-800-GAMBLER. Alternatively, visit them at their website, https://800gambler.org/.

About The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey
The Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey is a non-profit, private organization dedicated to helping individuals seek help for their disordered gambling problem, and for concerned friends and loved ones to confidentially express their concerns about someone close to them. Their 24/7 hotline is 800-GAMBLER. The Council also works to train professionals in the fields of gambling addiction and recovery.

For more information, please visit http://www.800gambler.org.