| Gambling
recovery is a winning option. Take the first step.
THERE
IS HELP FOR PROBLEM GAMBLING!
Do you, or
someone you know, have a gambling problem? We are here to help
you determine if a gambling problem may be present, and if so,
we are ready to assist you, or someone you care about, onto a
road of recovery.
Problem
gambling goes beyond the gamblers themselves. Problem gambling
affects family
members, close friends, colleagues, and employers. The family
is seriously affected as gamblers spend more and more time and
money gambling. Children often feel abandoned, relationships
with spouses deteriorate, and financial problems often result
including repossession of homes, lack of money for necessities
and harassment from creditors. The distrust, fear, and
hopelessness that result can destroy families and
relationships.
WHAT IS PROBLEM
GAMBLING AND HOW DO I KNOW IF A GAMBLING PROBLEM IS PRESENT?
Problem gambling
is a progressive behavior disorder, which causes an
uncontrollable preoccupation and urge to gamble. Compulsive
gambling may be referred to as the "purest addiction".
The fact that nothing enters the body makes the addiction very
difficult for some people to understand and makes the gamblers
ability to stop gambling almost impossible without help.
Signs of a
gambling problem may include:
- Loss of control
- Increased
frequency of gambling
- Financial
problems/borrowing money
- Guilt/shame
about gambling
- Lying about wins
or losses
- Chasing wins or
losses
- Experiencing
gambling binges
- Depression
- Lonely, yet do
not want to interact with family or friends
- Thoughts of
suicide
- Use of
drugs/alcohol abuse
WORDS OF THOSE
AFFECTED:
The words
of those affected describing their pain are moving. Some of
their losses are felt here:
"We can’t
help the kids with their school expenses."
"I could not
buy groceries or pay the mortgage. We had to ask family and friends for
help."
"My children
hardly ever see me because I’m working so many hours to pay bills."
"I realized
that I was not alone – many other people live with gamblers and
suffer the effects
of gambling."
"I learned
that by denying my husband’s addiction, I was encouraging it.
I got the courage
to tell him to get some help or leave."
"I got hope.
Compulsive gambling can be arrested, with help from the SHARE program"
 WHAT CAN I DO TO
HELP THE PROBLEM GAMBLER?
It is important
to understand that lying, stealing and manipulation are classic
symptoms of the addiction and an indication of the progression
of the disorder. Just as one would not give money to a drug
addict or someone with an alcohol problem, giving money to a
problem gambler can be very risky. Helping a gambler with money
is called a "bailout" and frequently escalates the
gambling and often increases the consequences for an addiction
spiraling out of control. Problem gamblers who seek professional
counseling and enlist the help of support groups are most
successful in their attempt at recovery.
SHARE CAN HELP!
Education and
treatment for problem gambling is available. Our SHARE facility
offers individualized treatment for the compulsive gambler to
meet their specific needs. Clients may attend two or three
nights per week depending on assessed needs and their
involvement in outside support programs. Financial, physical,
medical, psychological and spiritual needs are addressed in the
assessment process and explored in depth during the seven-week
course of treatment. Family involvement is encouraged.
The SHARE program
has a Gamblers Anonymous meeting on site. SHARE encourages
intensive involvement in the recovery community while in
treatment. This allows for a smooth transition into a new
lifestyle upon completion of the treatment program.
Our staff can
also provide intervention services when additional support is
needed in the treatment decision-making process.
Sometimes the
gambler also has a drug and alcohol problem. SHARE provides
priority access to gambling treatment services for those with a
priority substance abuse disorder who are currently being
served at our facility.
Problem gamblers
who seek professional counseling and enlist the help of support
groups are most successful in their attempt at recovery.
While in
treatment for problem gambling, key areas clients will address
are:
- Pathological
Gambling & Other Mental Disorders
- Ideas,
Attitudes, Values & Priorities
- Spirituality
and Mindfulness
- Impulse
Control
- Financial
Planning, Restitution & Making Amends
- Personal
Growth & Development
- Relationships
& Gambling
It is important
to deal with this challenging problem. Treatment in our SHARE
Gambling Program is affordable through discounted fee schedules
and flexible payment plans. The Illinois Department of Human
Services and the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
provide funding in whole or part. No one will be denied service
due to an inability to pay.
SELF-EXCLUSION IS
ALSO AVAILABLE AT SHARE.
Problem gamblers
can choose to be placed on a self-exclusion list. The program
allows individuals who acknowledge that they have a gambling
problem to decide to self-identify and self-exclude from
Illinois riverboat gaming operations. This procedure requires
self-excluded persons to pledge to not enter the gaming area or
engage in gaming in Illinois riverboat gaming operations and
agree to be removed voluntarily from all mailing, marketing and
promotional lists and databases. Once problem gamblers take
this step of being placed on the self-exclusion list, they often
say they feel a huge weight lifted from their shoulders.
Call for help
today. Contact
SHARE at 847.882.4181.
"Now that we’re
free from our compulsion to gamble, and living life one day at a
time, we can begin to stop making unreasonable demands upon
those we love. We can show kindness where we have shown none; we
can take the time and the initiative to be thoughtful,
considerate, and compassionate. Even with people we
dislike, we can at least try to be courteous, at times
literally going out of our way to understand and help
them." (G.A. "One Day at a Time")
SHARE
Program in the News Daily
Herald, November 14, 2000
Click here
to learn more about our SHARE facility.
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