In the UK this week it has emerged that a compulsive gambler has had radical brain surgery to cure his "addiction". Raymond Mandale admitted that he "begged, borrowed, stole and lied" as he spent a year visiting the local bingo hall, playing the fruit machines, and spending between £7,000 and £10,000 of his and his wife's life savings.

In order to "cure" Mr Mandale, the NHS agreed to fund a £30,000 operation involving fitting a neuro stimulator to Mr Mandale's chest and fitting probes deep in his brain. The operation took six hours.

Mr Mandale claims it was the side effect of drugs he was taking to treat Parkinson's Disease that caused him to develop his gambling habit. He now allegedly plans to consider suing the American manufacturers because he feels that the side effect warnings were inadequate.

Wow, deep breath time!

I find it incredible that the NHS could resort to this sort of extreme and expensive treatment, if it can be called treatment, rather than using non-invasive talk therapies under the supervision of a psychiatrist, or even subjecting Mr Mandale to 30 sessions of their favourite CBT. Heaven forbid, they could have considered hypnotherapy!

Whilst the side effects of some drugs can be extremely dangerous, there is the world of difference between experiencing physical side effects such as sores, Diarrhea etc. and emotional side effects like insomnia. I don't quite know where spending your wife's money down the bingo hall fits in.

I certainly don't believe that everyone with every ailment can be helped by talking therapies, such as hypnotherapy, because some people quite clearly should be taking medication and under the care of a responsible psychiatrist. Some people should of course be institutionalised, but did no-one sit down with Mr Mandale, consider changing his medication, and just explain that ultimately he was responsible for spending the money in the gaming machines? Did no-one actually point out to him that he could also choose not to spend money on the fruities?

I believe that if Mr Mandale or anyone, when it is safe and responsible to do so, should be made aware of the responsibility they have to themselves, that ultimately it is only when we become responsible for our own thoughts, actions and feelings that we can seek help on how to get that control back. Most people know what they should be doing, sometimes they need a bit of help with how to do it.

What next? £30,000 deep brain surgery for people who drink too much tea, who eat too many sweets, who watch too much TV?

Whilst a gambling habit can be destructive to the irrational gambler and their loved ones, I am sure that there are many ex-gamblers who are shaking their heads in disbelief at the lack of responsibility shown by many in the above case.

I have always said, and will always say, that it is only when we take responsibility for ourselves that we can make wonderful, beneficial changes to our lives.

Without knowing the full details of the case, it just appears to me that Mr Mandale and others were a bit too keen to pass the buck.

Be happy,

Dave Sabat.