Gambling Disorder
Gambling disorder is a mental condition characterized by the inability to resist the impulse to gamble. The urges persist even when mental, social, and financial consequences arise as a result of the impulsive gambling. Many people with gambling disorder feel as though they have no control over their habits, and will put themselves and their loved ones at risk to satiate their addiction. The condition disproportionately affects young males over any other demographic, but anyone can be susceptible to developing it.
Gambling is defined as any activity in which a risk is taken to achieve a potentially greater reward. Because of this, gambling disorder doesn’t just manifest in casinos. Technological advancements and recent legislation have made it easier for people to access gambling institutions portably through their phones. The culmination of these factors is online gambling websites. These websites use real money, avoid the regional gambling laws which previously held casinos in check, and can be accessed on the go during any moment of boredom. This can cause a dangerous feedback loop that has the capacity to spiral into a full-blown addiction.
Gamma-Hydroxybutyric (GHB)
GHB, or Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate is an odorless and colorless central nervous system depressant. It is commonly known as the “date rape drug” due to its ability to sedate, increase euphoria, and cause amnesia in those who take it. Given that it has no odor or color, it could be covertly inserted into alcoholic beverages during parties to facilitate sexual assault. GHB abuse is a major issue in college party and nightclub culture, and while legistlation has restricted the methods by which the drug can be obtained, it’s still wise to proceed with caution when drinking with others.
GHB is normally prescribed to treat narcolepsy, a sleep-related illness. It can also be abused intentionally for its supposed muscle gain and fat loss effects, but this is not an officially prescribed use and can lead to overdose. Side effects of GHB overuse include nausea, vomiting, headaches, confusion, and even amnesia. GHB can also become addictive after bouts of repeated use.
Gaslighting
Gaslighting is the process of emotionally manipulating someone into questioning their sanity, perception, or reality. This manipulation can cause victims to feel confused or disoriented as they begin to lose their sense of reality. The term originated in the 1938 play “Gas Light”, which follows a husband who gradually manipulates his wife into doubting her perception of reality. While the word “gaslighting” was never used in the play itself, it has since been adopted as the term for the phenomenon.
Perpetrators of gaslighting will often attempt to isolate their victims from their support systems in order to prevent them from receiving an untainted perspective. The gaslighting party will often use those feelings of isolation to make their victims dependent on them. This dependency makes it difficult for victims of gaslighting to escape its self-perpetuating cycle of abuse.
Gay
Gay is a word with multiple meanings. Traditionally, it has been used as a synonym for homosexual; someone who is attracted to people of the same gender. More recently, it has been used by people in queer communities as an umbrella term for anyone who identifies as LGBTQIA+. This means that the meaning of the word “gay” changes depending on context, and someone who describes themselves as such. It also used to mean “happy” or “energetic” but this meaning is antiquated.
Up until 1987, homosexuality was classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders as a mental disorder, carrying a heavy stigma that persists even today. However, psychologists and social rights activists alike fought to remove homosexuality from the DSM and destigmatize it, leading to the legalization of gay marriage and other social advancements for LGBTQIA+ people all over the U.S.