Formation | 1957 |
---|---|
Founder | Jim W. |
Founded at | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Legal status | Fellowship |
Purpose | Healthcare, community |
Website | Official website |
Gamblers Anonymous (GA) is an international fellowship of people who have a compulsive gambling problem. They meet regularly to share their "experiences, strength and hope", [1] [2] so they can help each other solve the problems compulsive gambling has created in their lives, and to help others recover from the addiction of compulsive gambling. [3] [4] [5] [ self-published source? ] The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop gambling, as stated in the GA Combo book page 2. [6] [5]
Gamblers Anonymous uses the term "Compulsive Gambling" instead of "pathological gambling" or "problem gambling" or a "gambling disorder", terms preferred by clinicians and the American Psychiatric Association (APA). [7]
Gamblers Anonymous was founded in 1957 by Jim W. He was an alcoholic who used his experience in Alcoholics Anonymous as the foundation in forming Gamblers Anonymous into a 12 step program. [2] [8] [9]
Due to favorable publicity by the newspaper columnist and TV commentator Paul Coates, [8] of the Los Angeles Mirror , Gamblers Anonymous held its First Group Meeting, on September 13, 1957 in Los Angeles, California. 13 people attended the First Gamblers Anonymous meeting. [8] The UPI article also states that 13 people attended the first GA meeting in LA.[ citation needed ]
The organization began in Los Angeles on September 13, 1957. By 2005 there were over 1000 GA groups in the United States, and groups had been established in:
Due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, most GA meetings moved to online platforms such as Zoom, GoToMeetings, telephone conference calls, or a combination of these medium. In person gatherings at physical locations were temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 Task Force Guidelines, and other regulatory guidelines in other countries throughout the globe. [30] [ citation needed ]
Gamblers Anonymous members use the 20 Questions [31] [32] [ self-published source? ] as a guide to determine whether they are compulsive gamblers. This is not a definitive evaluation, and only the individual with the aid of their doctor can make the determination as to whether they have a compulsive gambling problem.[ citation needed ]
The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnosis Criteria of a Gambling Disorder lists the need of a compulsive gambler to increase the amount of money bet, borrowing money to cover loses, lying to conceal the extent of one's gambling, "loss of relationships and jobs", and "frequent thoughts of gambling". [33] [34]
The National Center for Responsible Gaming (NCRG) uses the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 to describe the symptoms of a gambling disorder, aka compulsive gambling, to be "chasing" loses, inability to stop, cut back or control their gambling. [35] A Gambling disorder is the only non-substance use addiction identified in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5. [36]
The Mayo Clinic offers a list of symptoms for compulsive gambling, which include "preoccupation with gambling", "trying to control, cut back or stop", and lying. A compulsive gambler may sell personal property, or engage in illegal activity to finance the gambling addiction. [37] [38]
NOAA lists "Indicators of Compulsive Gambling:", borrowing money, and spending exceedingly long hours gambling. [39] NOAA also lists some of the "Behaviors Observable in the Workplace" of a compulsive gambler. [39]
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) suggests counseling can help the compulsive gambler. The APA also offers ""Dos" and "Don'ts" for Partners or Family Members", which include seeking support from GAM-ANON, along with money management strategies. [40]
Gamblers Anonymous offers members a number of suggestions for abstaining from gambling, these include not going near or into a gambling establishment. [41]
GA meetings are the core of the fellowship, [2] [17] "Meetings Make It". Participating in GA meetings along with individual psychotherapy, is the preferred form of treatment according to the UCLA gambling studies program. [7] There are a few different meeting formats offered by Gamblers Anonymous:
"Modified closed meetings" are held when a group votes to include health professionals or persons from other 12 step fellowships or guest attending with a newcomer to Gamblers Anonymous. [44] [ self-published source? ]
Gam-Anon is the sister 12 step program [48] of Gamblers Anonymous, modeled after Al-Anon/Alateen for spouses, partners, family and friends of a compulsive gambler, who are suffering from the stresses and problems caused by the compulsive gambler's gambling and behaviors. [17] [49] [50] [51] [52] Gam-Anon worldwide was started in NYC by Ruth Sachar, and her husband Irving Sachar started the NYC chapter of Gambler's Anonymous.[ citation needed ]
Problem gambling is estimated to occur in 1.6% of the adult population in the United States. [53] GA has a list of twenty questions that can be used to self-diagnose compulsive gambling. The results from their instrument have correlated strongly with other tests that screen for compulsive gambling (e.g. the Total Sensation Seeking Scale, Boredom Susceptibility, Experience Seeking, South Oaks Gambling Screen, and Disinhibition subscales). [54] [55]
Gamblers Anonymous has been compared with other strategies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy as efficacy methods of psychotherapies for pathological gambling. [56] Compared to problem gamblers who do not attend GA, GA members tend to have more severe gambling problems, are older, have higher incomes, are less likely to be single, have more years of gambling problems, have larger debts, have more serious family conflicts, and less serious substance use disorders. [53] GA may not be as effective for those who have not had significant gambling problems. GA is effective to prevent "relapses" (inability to remain abstinent from gambling), but not as effective when helping members deal with the consequences of their relapse. [57]
GA spends much of its time and energy counseling members on how to deal with financial and legal problems. GA supports "pressure relief groups" where members take each other to task and encourage them to "get honest" with people in their lives and get their affairs in order. Gamblers who are able to moderate their activity are not likely to continue attending GA meetings. GA members who stopped attending meetings were more likely to consider the sharing at the meetings "meaningless" and were more critical of GA literature. Those who felt particularly elated at their first GA meetings were less likely to continue than those who had a more balanced first impression. GA, therefore, may be most suitable for severe problem gamblers who do not have compounding issues. [58]
Less than 8% of those who initially attend GA remain in the program and abstain from gambling for over a year. [59] Program participation and abstinence increase if members are involved in additional therapy, or if one or more of their family members are involved in Gam-Anon or Gam-A-Teen. [60] [61] [62]
Although the likelihood of attending GA is the same for males and females, [63] GA has been characterized as a predominately male fellowship. The number of female members, however, is increasing and there is an increasing sensitivity within GA to women's attitudes. [58] GA's lack of appeal towards females has been attributed to GA's lack of focus on the principles of spirituality in other twelve-step programs, like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). A causal link, however, has not been shown. GA is often described as more secularized than AA. [64]
Among problem gamblers, it has been found that women are more focused on interpersonal issues, and that social issues were more likely to cause them to "relapse". Males more frequently discuss "external concerns" such as jobs and legal problems, and are more likely to relapse because of a substance use disorder. Therefore, it does seem plausible that GA's downplaying of spiritual, interpersonal, and psychoemotional issues, inhibits its effectiveness for women. [58] [65]
Jim Willis, founder of Gamblers Anonymous (GA), was first a member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). GA is modeled after AA’s 12-step program. The first 7 pages of GA’s 17-page Yellow Book borrow almost exclusively from AA’s Big Book. The last page of the yellow book "Gamblers Anonymous" states: “...steps are the basis for the entire GA Program.”
The format of GA's Blue Book (AA's Big Book is also blue) "GA Sharing Recovery Through Gamblers Anonymous" and Red Book "GA a New Beginning" also borrow from AA. GA's Blue Book starts out with a 4-paragraph foreword from a physician. AA's Big Book has a full chapter "The Doctor’s Opinion" that sets the stage of the problem of addiction and the medical field’s failed attempts at fixing it. The concept of a disease beyond the capability of the medical community – and humans in general – is borne out of AA's professional opinions and sets the stage for the dependence upon the spiritual solution of the 12 Steps.
One of the most important parts of the steps is that they provide a framework for the continuity of the program itself. If for no other reason that this, it's important that the spiritual foundation of and the reason and actions associated with the 12 steps be emphasized for continuing the program is a spiritual act – the act of carrying the message is payback by those who have been freely given the gifts of the program.
They must rely on a power greater than themselves.
The AA Big Book and 12 & 12 are widely used as-is by many non-AA 12-step programs.
Gamblers Anonymous has several approved books used as standard literature in the group. These are some of the most popular examples:
Some states have worked with casinos, and other gambling establishments to institute a "self-exclusion" mechanism, [66] where gambling institutions would be prohibited from issuing credit, cashing a check or marketing to those who have self-excluded themselves from those establishments. [67] [68] [69] [70]
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a global peer-led mutual aid fellowship begun in the United States dedicated to abstinence-based recovery from alcoholism through its spiritually inclined twelve-step program. Besides stressing anonymity, AA's twelve traditions establish it as free to all, non-professional, unaffiliated and non-denominational, as well as apolitical with a public relations policy of attraction rather than promotion. In 2020 AA estimated a worldwide membership of over two million, with 75% of those in the US and Canada.
Twelve-step programs are international mutual aid programs supporting recovery from substance addictions, behavioral addictions and compulsions. Developed in the 1930s, the first twelve-step program, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded by Bill Wilson and Bob Smith, aided its membership to overcome alcoholism. Since that time dozens of other organizations have been derived from AA's approach to address problems as varied as drug addiction, compulsive gambling, sex, and overeating. All twelve-step programs utilize a version of AA's suggested twelve steps first published in the 1939 book Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism.
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Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is a twelve-step program founded by Rozanne S. Its first meeting was held in Hollywood, California, USA on January 19, 1960, after Rozanne attended a Gamblers Anonymous meeting and realized that the Twelve Steps could potentially help her with her own addictive behaviors relating to food. OA has since grown, with groups in over 75 countries meeting in person, over the phone, and through the internet. OA is for people with problems related to food including, but not limited to, compulsive overeaters, those with binge eating disorder, bulimics and anorexics. Anyone with a problematic relationship with food is welcomed; OA's Third Tradition states that the only requirement for memberships is a desire to stop eating compulsively.
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Debtors Anonymous (DA) is a twelve-step program for people who want to stop incurring unsecured debt. Collectively they attend more than 500 weekly meetings in fifteen countries, according to data released in 2011. Those who compulsively incur unsecured debt are said to be engaged in compulsive borrowing and are known as compulsive debtors.
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Nancy M. Petry was a psychologist known for her research on behavioral treatments for addictive disorders, behavioral pharmacology, impulsivity and compulsive gambling. She was Professor of Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center. Petry served as a member of the American Psychiatric Association Workgroup on Substance Use Disorders for the DSM-5 and chaired the Subcommittee on Non-Substance Behavioral Addictions. The latter category includes Internet addiction disorder and problem gambling. She also served as a member of the Board of Advisors of Children and Screens: Institute of Digital Media and Child Development.