With World Cup mania about to kick off and send us all into a full month of sleepless nights, please be sure to check whether you are at risk of becoming obsessed with gambling, a state known as "pathological gambling".

Symptoms include thinking about nothing but gambling, feeling stressed to the point of taking medication and, in the worst cases, harming oneself.

Even though Thais gamble year-round, both legally and illegally, betting on World Cup matches definitely affords an extra-special sense of excitement.

There are no official statistics on Thais who suffer from an addiction to gambling, but the results of studies conducted abroad would indicate that at least 1.8 million probably experience some form of this malaise. And the Mental Health Department warns that this type of obsession can hurt relationships and lead to quarrels.

A recent Abac poll found that an alarming 800,000 residents planned to gamble more than Bt2 billion on the World Cup. The gamblers surveyed actually seemed to believe they could make the right bet, since it involved something they follow closely. Ah, the illusions of gambling.

Another condition is termed "media addiction". The Culture Ministry has cited reports from psychologists that Thais tend to glue themselves to their television sets, radios and other media as a way of escaping from their hectic daily lifestyles. As such, these media have become increasingly influential in terms of altering points of view and behaviour.

Some worry that audiences may be consuming mostly entertainment programming and gaining nothing from it but laughter, but that's really only a matter of choosing programmes.

What is more worrying is that social interaction may decrease, eventually resulting in other, more serious problems like depression or suicide. This is especially true for young children and teenagers, who become addicted to not only television, but also computers and video games.

The last condition, and it's a pressing one, is politically related. We must all beware of "political-stress syndrome". During what was thought to be the height of the political clashes in February and March, the Mental Health Department even warned the public about it.

While political temperatures may have cooled down considerably, especially since His Majesty the King's valuable advice to us, they seem set to boil once again.

If you suffer insomnia or headaches, feel bored, are easily annoyed, become more aggressive, cannot concentrate or think only about winning at the expense of all others, then please try to get your minds off politics! More serious symptoms include not being able to prevent yourself from arguing with others. Or worse, resorting to violence as an argument. If such symptoms occur for more than one week, it would be best to consult a psychiatrist.

Actually, there are two new additions to be made. One is termed "power-addict syndrome". There is nothing novel about this one; we witness it over and over in Thai politics. The difference lies in the level of addiction and hence the level of selfishness displayed. In severe cases, the patient cannot distinguish between personal and national interest, between right and wrong and even worse, cannot remember his promises.

In the worst case detected thus far, the patient seemed to believe that promises were made to be broken and rules made to be bent.

And a final addition is quite new and yet very serious, a condition that has caused an uproar in the medical community. Symptoms include a thickening of the skin, a refusal to understand what's being said and not being brave enough to do the right thing.

This so-called "thick-skin syndrome" affects the sufferer in weird ways, such as talking tough one day and being red-eyed and on the verge of crying the next. At times, the person becomes hyper-diligent but focused only on very specific tasks, while shelving others.

All of the psychiatrists we consulted agree that both power-addict and thick-faced syndromes are incurable. Neither medication nor therapy can do any good.

So if you think you detect signs of these syndromes, don't bother rushing to the doctor. They say it all depends on the patient's own conscience.

Veenarat Laohapakakul