Gamblers Anonymous Review
We all know that gambling, in any form, can be real fun, time-filling and even a profitable activity. But underneath the adrenaline and entertainment, lies a hidden dangerous risk. Addiction. Many people have trouble with their responsible gambling and turn this enjoyable activity into a serious problem that can lead to awful consequences, such as bankruptcy, debt or depression, for example. Gambling addiction is one of the most common behaviour addictions, affecting 3% to 5% of the population. Studies show that more than 2 million players are problem gamblers and suffer from gambling addiction (or are at risk of gambling addiction) just in the United Kingdom.
Most of the best online casino sites are committed to responsible gambling and provide plenty of options to help their customers. They also work closely with sites and organisations that help people to stop gambling and restore their normal way of life. There are numerous responsible gambling associations, and in the following article, we will review one of the most famous and helpful organisations – Gamblers Anonymous.
What is Gamblers Anonymous?
Gamblers Anonymous is an international fellowship of people who have a compulsive gambling problem. It is an organisation that tries to help the players to solve the problems compulsive gambling has created in their lives. There aren’t any fees or special conditions to join. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop gambling. Through regular Gamblers Anonymous meetings, where participants share their experiences and hopes, the Gamblers Anonymous association helps people to quit this habit and realize the advantages of life without obsession. The twelve-step program, which is basically the essence of the Gamblers Anonymous stop gambling project, can be combined with other therapeutic approaches and methods for more significant and faster results.
The Gamblers Anonymous program if focused on patience and acceptance of financial realities. And like in most such organisations, the ability of accepting you have a gambling problem is the first step and plays an important role in the recovery. Studies show that most of the people with gambling addictions are men, therefore GA has been categorized as a predominately male fellowship. In the last decade, however, the number of female members has drastically increased. The benefits of Gamblers Anonymous and the progress participants make is undeniable, but the program requires a strong will and commitment.
Gamblers Anonymous supports ‘pressure relief groups’ where members take each other to task and encourage them to get honest with the people in their lives and get their affairs in order. The program may not be as effective for people who have not had significant gambling problems. GA members usually are older, are less likely to be single, have more years of gambling problems, have larger debts and have more serious family issues.
History and Locations
Gamblers Anonymous was founded in 1957 by Jim Willis. He was an alcoholic and attended Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings to try to stop his drinking addiction. That’s where he got the idea from, forming GA into a twelve-step program. The first Gamblers Anonymous meeting was held on 13 September 1957 in Los Angeles. The visible results helped the organization to expand, and by 2005, there were over 1000 GA groups across the United States. Today the program is used by problem gamblers all over the world. Here are some of the countries where Gambling Anonymous meeting are held:
- United States – All 50 States
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- Japan
- Ireland
- Canada
- Scotland
- Mexico
- Brazil
- Israel
- South Africa
- Korea
- Uganda
- Kenya
Does the Gamblers Anonymous Program Help?
Studies show that people who attended GA meetings gambled less often and showed increased motivation for change and enhanced coping skills. And if the GA program is combined with other effective approaches and practices, such as stress management intervention or cognitive behaviour therapy, for example, the results can be far better. Gamblers who are able to moderate their activity are not likely to continue attending GA meetings. Stress coping methods, better education on healthy eating and diets, relaxation breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation are more easy methods and practices that can be combined with the GA program. They will help you enhance your ‘rehabilitation’ and cope with the new way of life (without gambling and without the need to gamble). Here’s how Dr. Flora Matterson, lead scientist of the study of the efficiency of the Gamblers Anonymous program and a medical sociologist described the program:
The Twelve Steps Program
The twelve-step program is essentially based on ancient spiritual principles and rooted in sound medical therapy. Most of the people willing to make an effort to stop gambling and follow the program, are recommending the twelve-step program and say that ‘it works’. The Gamblers Anonymous program is an alternative to the destruction of compulsive gambling. Here are the twelve stages that every participant of the program must go through.
- The first step is admitting that you have a gambling problem.
- Believe that a Power greater than ourselves could help you and restore you to a normal way of thinking and living.
- Make a decision to turn your will and your life over to the care of this higher Power.
- Make a searching and fearless moral and financial inventory of yourself.
- Admit to yourself and others the exact nature of your wrongs.
- Prepare yourself to have these defects of character removed.
- Humbly ask God (or the higher Power you believe in) to remove your weakness.
- Make a list of all the people you have harmed due to your flaw and become willing to make amends to them all.
- Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when doing so will harm them or others.
- Continue to take personal inventory and when you are wrong, admit it right away.
- Sought through prayer and meditation to improve your conscious contact with God.
- Having made an effort to practice these principles in all your affairs, try to carry this message to other compulsive gamblers
The results from successfully finishing the twelve-step program can be life-changing. Greater reduction of anxiety, stress and depression, increased life satisfaction, and longer sleep duration are just some of the consequences if a problem gambler effectively follows the steps and devotes himself to the cause.
Meetings
Gamblers Anonymous meetings are the core of the fellowship. Participating in GA meetings along with individual psychotherapy is the preferred form of treatment according to the UCLA gambling studies program. There are a few different possible formats for GA meeting, as some of them are concentrated on new participants, while in others, the attention is on the affected people around the one with the gambling problem. In the table below, you can learn more about each type of Gamblers Anonymous meetings.
| Type of GA meeting | Definition |
|---|---|
| Closed | Aka ‘Main’ meetings, these are strictly for people who have or think they have a gambling problem. |
| Beginners | Specifically for people new to the program, or have been in the program for less than 1 year. |
| GAM-ANON | Meetings for the spouses, partners, family and friends of a compulsive gambler, who are suffering from the problems and stress caused by the addiction. The so-called GAM-ANON program is the twelve-step sister program of Gamblers Anonymous. People cannot be members of both GA and GAM-ANON. |
| Mixed | Gatherings of both GA members and GAM-ANON members, where both fellowships share their experiences and hopes. |
| Open | Meetings open for all whose lives have been affected by gambling, the spouses, family and friends of a compulsive gambler. |
| Step | Gatherings, where GA members work specifically on the twelve steps of recovery. |
| Women’s | Meetings that are predominantly attended by women. |
| Modified Closed Meeting | Meetings where the group has voted to include health professionals or members of other twelve-step fellowships. |
20 Questions
Unfortunately, most people who have a gambling addiction do not see it as a problem.Understanding gambling addiction facts can help reduce stigma and misunderstandings related to this disorder and make it easier to find access to professional treatment. The sooner you realise your gambling is getting out of control and this starts to affect your lifestyle and loved ones, the better. This is why Gamblers Anonymous has created a simple test with 20 questions, that can help you determine if you are a compulsive gambler. Most players with gambling problems would answer ‘Yes’ to at least 7 of these questions.
- Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling?
- Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
- Did gambling affect your reputation?
- Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
- Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
- Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
- After losing, did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
- After a win, did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
- Did you often gamble until all your money was gone?
- Did you ever borrow money to finance your gambling?
- Have you ever sold anything to finance your gambling?
- Were you reluctant to use gambling money for normal expenditures?
- Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself and your family?
- Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
- Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom, loneliness, grief or loss?
- Have you ever committed, or consider committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
- Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
- Do arguments, disappointments or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
- Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
- Have you ever considered self-destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?
Gamblers Anonymous Hotline
If you feel you have a gambling problem, you should not hesitate to contact the Gamblers Anonymous hotline at any time. Besides the Gamblers Anonymous phone numbers, you can contact the association through email as well. And if you wish to visit a GA meeting, you can learn when and where a meeting will be held at the official site of the fellowship. Go to the Gamblers Anonymous online meeting section and just click on ‘find a meeting’. Enter the meeting type and the location, or use the ‘gamblers anonymous near me’ button to see where the closest available destination is.
Why Choose Gamblers Anonymous?
The Gamblers Anonymous fellowship is different in many ways. The association offers a support system that allows gamblers to remain anonymous and share their gambling-related problems in a safe environment, without the risk of feeling judged. The platform provides support to those in need both online and at live meetings. The twelve-step program has been proved to be effective, as long as participants are committed and have a desire to stop gambling. The Gamblers Anonymous phone numbers can offer additional support and guidance. Many of the online gambling sites, including the top roulette sites, work closely with Gamblers Anonymous UK, in order to help their players avoid or stop gambling addiction.
[geoloc_banner]
FAQ
As we do in most of our articles, now it is time to address some of the most popular and frequently asked questions about the topic in mind. We hope our article has been informative and helpful and has provided you with a clearer view on what the Gamblers Anonymous organisation is all about.
Similar Articles
