Ear acupressure and talk therapy show promise for gambling addiction

This study tested whether ear acupressure (using small pellets on the ear) combined with group counseling focused on positive psychology could reduce gambling addiction severity and withdrawal symptoms. Researchers in South Korea enrolled 198 adults, including gamblers and non-gamblers. Gamblers were randomly assigned to receive acupressure, acupressure plus counseling, or just educational materials. The goal was to see if these approaches could lower gambling severity, ease withdrawal, and change brain chemicals like dopamine.