Why we keep coming back...

Less than 8% of those who initially attend GA, remain in the program and abstinent from gambling for over a year.

KEEP COMING BACK!

20% of recovered alcoholic develop gambling addiction

Gambling and alcohol addiction treatment should be treated together as a dual disorder. A major study was done in 2002 (and published in Alcohol Research and Health) that proved that problematic gambling was more common in people with alcohol abuse or dependence issues.  The study suggested that people who were not addicted to alcohol were less likely to become addicted to gambling and investigated the idea that there was no broadly accepted explanation for the concurrence of these two problems in one person.

Common factors that lead to alcohol addiction treatment seem to be present in a gambling disorder. For instance decreased function in the brain may be responsible for both conditions. Brain imaging has shown that both disorders seem to appear in people with similar brain sizes.  There may also be a genetic linkage that would encourage the disorders to coexist together.

This study also showed that gamblers were 3.8 times more likely to drink than non-gamblers.  The risk for drinkers to gamble was four times higher than those who were not drinkers. Out of 100 patients studied with alcohol dependency fourteen percent also suffered from a gambling problem.  A similar large study in Australia found that 48 percent of alcoholics also seemed to have a gambling problem at one point in their life.

Yet another disturbing finding of this study was that 20% of recovered alcoholics tended to develop a gambling habit after being released from alcoholic addiction treatment. The implication of this is that one habit (gambling) might be substituting for the other (drinking) once the person has unit.

From: http://www.abttc.net/gambling-and-alcohol-addiction-treatment/

Suicide and compulsive gambling

Studies suggest as many as 1 in 5 pathological gamblers attempt suicide, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. If you or someone you know has thought or talked about suicide, get immediate help:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• Spotting the Signs and Helping a Suicidal Person

Gamblers Suffering

Research finds that 2%-3% of the US population will have a gambling problem in any given year. That’s 6 million to 9 million Americans yet only a small fraction seek out services, such as treatment and self-help recovery programs.

Embezzlement and Gambling

Interesting article on how women whom embezzle likely have a gambling addiction.

Click here to read article

Why?  One psychologist states that: 

Unlike other female criminal defendants, almost none of these women had previous criminal charges, drug/alcohol problems or major mental illness other than depression, anxiety and PTSD. A significant number were motivated by “higher loyalties,” primarily related to meeting a variety of needs of their families (e.g., shelter, medical care) or responding to direct requests or indirect pressure from a male partner, spouse or boyfriend (none of whom were indicted) in order to preserve that relationship. Two other relevant motivational factors have emerged in this group of women charged with embezzlement: their involvement in problem gambling and the behavior of compulsive spending, often to purchase items and pleasurable activities (e.g., vacations) for themselves and their families to distract themselves from psychological problems and distress. Even though relationship problems were not as predominant in these women, they were often in the background. In all of the cases of women charged with embezzlement, results of the forensic psychological evaluation were used either for plea negotiations, sentencing or both.

These are our mothers, sisters, aunts, friends...the givers of life.  This disease breaks so many.  We can pray they find us.

New Michigan casinos face uphill battle

BIG BUSINESS: Michigan has 25 casinos, including 22 owned by Native American tribes. They form a nearly $3 billion industry in the state.

VOTER VOICE: In 2004, Michigan voters approved a measure that requires most types of gambling expansion to be approved by statewide and local votes. The measure was supported by casino owners and tribes that already owned gambling ventures in the state, making it difficult for their competition to set up shop.

COMPETITION: Two separate campaigns want voters to authorize new casinos this November. They would have to collect nearly 323,000 signatures to make the ballot.

Read link below for recent article on how a proposed 15 new casinos could end up in Michigan...
http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2012/04/michigan_casino_campaigns_face.html

Michigan Statistics

The 2010 annual report on problem gambling in Michigan revealed 971 of our brothers and sisters were referred to Gamblers Anonymous.  This is why we have a moment of silence for those who still suffer, because we know GA of Michigan hasn't grown that much.  What can we do to help them? 

Check out the Annual Report:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Prbl_Gmbl_Rprt_fy10_354980_7.pdf

Astounding number of addicts

6 million adults and 500,000 teens meet criteria for gambling addiction!