IS A GAMBLING PROBLEM AFFECTING YOUR LIFE?

ABOUT GAM-ANON ABOUT PROBLEM GAMBLING QUESTIONS, ANSWERS AND SUGGESTIONS DID YOU GROW UP WITH A PROBLEM GAMBLER? ARE YOU LIVING WITH A PROBLEM GAMBLER?

PERSONAL EXPERIENCES      MEETING SCHEDULE      LITERATURE SUMMARY      FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS / PSA      FOR THE MEDIA / PSA

INFORMATION FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL

     While Gam-Anon has no affiliation with any professional group and does not endorse any professional group, we do welcome the professional community to inquire about the Gam-Anon program.  Our literature shares much of our experience and we especially recommend the following:

          Games Compulsive Gamblers and We Play

          The Gam-Anon Way of Life

          Information for the Newcomer

          Demonstration Meeting with questions and answers ( audio CD )

          Is There a Gambling Problem in Your Family? is free and can be duplicated for distribution in your office and for professional group meetings.

     Gam-Anon meetings are led by our members.  We don't employ professional counselors.  We recognize that for many members, personal emotional growth and repair of relationships require more than the peer group support and experience offered in our meetings and literature. Professional treatment is a welcomed resource for these members.

     To purchase literature, receive our free pamphlet, or ask questions about Gam-Anon, please contact the International Service Office at gamanonoffice@gam-anon.org or 718-352-1671.

      To request a speaker for a professional group, please see information for the Media on this site.

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCMENT:

GAM-ANON®INTERNATIONAL SERVICE OFFICE, INC.

P.O. BOX  157

WHITESTONE, NEW YORK  11357-0157

718-352-1671   718-746-2571  (fax)

www.gam-anon.org      gamanonoffice@gam-anon.org

Gam-Anon Offers Hope and Help When a Loved One Has a Gambling Problem

Living with the effects of someone else’s gambling problem is too devastating for most people to bear without help.  Financial problems are common, and loved ones often feel alone, frightened, desperate and ashamed about the problem in their family. Gam-Anon is an anonymous fellowship that offers self-help recovery for anyone whose life has been affected by someone with a gambling problem. 

In Gam-Anon, family and friends learn effective ways of coping whether or not the gambler seeks help or even recognizes the existence of a gambling problem. There are no dues or fees. Information about where to find help, including a national meeting list, can be found at www.gam-anon.org . 

Gam-Anon supports family members and friends in finding answers to such questions as:

• Am I living with a compulsive gambler? Visit www.gam-anon.org/living.htm for a list of 20 questions that address this question.
• What is my role as the spouse, parent, or loved one of a compulsive gambler?
• How can I be of the greatest help to the person who joins Gamblers Anonymous?  Or, if my gambler continues to gamble, how can I live with this problem?
• How can I deal with my anger, fear and resentment?
• Will I ever be able to trust the gambler again?

In Gam-Anon the member will experience relief from anxiety by accepting the fact of powerlessness over the problem in the family. The heavy load of responsibility for the gambling problem is lifted and the guilt in regard to failures is gradually alleviated. The energy wasted in attempts to stop loved ones from gambling can be channeled into more useful methods of problem solving.

Local hotline phone numbers and meeting lists are available at www.gam-anon.org .Those seeking more information can also contact the Gam-Anon International Service Office at (718) 352-1671.