Our Purpose

PURPOSE:

We are here to assist you in resolving the problems you are facing in your life due to the gambling problem.

INFORMATION:

We have various sources of literature available to you which can be helpful in your quest for information about the compulsive gambling illness and how to cope with the various crises that come up due to the gambling syndrome.

INTENTION:

Gam-Anon is dedicated to the creation and preservation of serenity in our lives.

What this means to you is that the Gam-Anon meeting is designed to be a safe place to bring your current situation. You can put it on the table, look at it, cry about it, laugh about it, be angry at it, or whatever you are wanting to do with it.

Hopefully, by the end of the meeting you have been able to unburden yourself of the problem for a short while and be able to go home and face your situation with a new perspective.

None of our members are here to give you specific advice which you should take as gospel. And we cannot dilute our principles to a point where we perform as marriage counselors, psychologists, members of the clergy, vocational guidance specialists or as a representative of the legal profession. We are here as we have a common denominator in our lives: we are in relationships with compulsive gamblers.

Because of this common denominator, we are more readily able to understand your problems than your family, friends, counselor, or advisor. We can listen to your problems with an empathetic, not a sympathetic or critical ear. You can rest assured that no one in our meeting will tell you that what you are doing is bad. We will only offer our experience in similar matters, giving you a new approach to consider in your situation.

Our goal in the Gam-Anon meeting is to provide new insight into what can be a devastating problem in many people's lives. With the guidelines of the Gam-Anon program we can provide a wealth of information about practical safeguards you can choose to take when first coming into the program.

Above all, remember that all people change. The problems that you are facing today will be different tomorrow, next month, next year. Try to put matters in perspective for today, Don't feel compelled to make decisions that are forever; rather, make choices for today. Choices are always open for review and change.

In all things, remember that Gam-Anon is your support system. No one can make it work for you but you. We can only be there to support you when you reach out for us.