Please join us on March 22, 6:00pm at the Swanson Library at 90th and Dodge Street for a free event that will help acknowledge March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month.
 
Speak with a counselor who specializes in treating those suffering with gambling problems and their family members.  Find the answer to your      questions.

· How to help someone you care about who has a problem.
· Youth Gambling: How to protect your children.
· Financial Problems: How to protect your money.
· Gambling in the workplace: How to protect your business.

Did you know that 4-6% of adolescents have experienced problem gambling? That is double the number of adults. Yikes!

Gambling has recently been pushed into the spotlight with Michael Jordan’s son tweeting about losing $35,000 in one night. With the stress of being an athlete he is already more likely than his peers to struggle with gambling addiction. Michael Jordan’s son (and you!) are part of a generation growing up in a world where gambling is socially acceptable. Gambling is so intertwined in pop culture, it even made an appearance in the hit movie Toy Story 3 and the short film preceding the blockbuster! Luckily there are shows like A&E’s Intervention and MTV’s True Life to depict the some of the awful realities of the compulsive gambler.  Hitting it big and living easy seems to be a widespread goal, but pursuing this fantasy is not worth the risk. Those addicted to gambling are up to 20x more likely to commit suicide so, especially as a teen, you’re betting on more than your money.

If you or someone you know has an addiction (don’t count anyone out- everyone is at risk!) he or she may lie to cover up how much money or time is spent gambling, miss important events to gamble, use gambling jargon frequently, try to win back money from previous losses or perhaps express a desire to quit or cut back on gambling.

With National Problem Gambling Awareness Week upon us, remember to play for fun, not for money. It’s just a game. Don’t let it become more.

For more information or confidential help call 1-800-522-4700.
Information shared by the National Council on Problem Gambling for Problem Gambling Awareness Week.

You would not open up your local newspaper and expect a price list of illegal drugs for sale. Yet you open up your paper to the sports pages, you see lines and point spreads on sporting events. The only legal place to place a bet in the US is Las Vegas. These same papers carry ads for 800 and 900 numbers that sell information to gamblers - “Get game of the month free”, “We pick 75% winners”.

Illegal sports betting is a huge industry in this country. CNBC estimates that 80-100 billion dollars is bet on NFL football, 6-10 billion dollars on the Super bowl, 60-70 billion on college football, 50 billion on college basketball and 6-12 billion on March Madness.

Sports betting is a big problem for compulsive gamblers. Compulsive gambling is deemed an impulse control disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. Something as simple as reading the lines can often trigger a gambling binge. Some recovering gamblers cannot even buy a newspaper because of the anxiety it causes. Recovery from a gambling problem entails not testing or tempting oneself, for many gamblers the published betting lines become such a temptation.

March 6-12, 2011 is National Problem Gambling Awareness week, a grassroots program designed to create public awareness about the dangers and ramifications of compulsive gambling. Our focus this year is on sports gambling. Wouldn’t it be appropriate for newspapers to do something to different during the week? Something that newspapers and other publications can do to help problem gamblers is share an important message alongside point spreads and other sports betting-related information: “Need help for a gambling problem? Call the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 800-522-4700”. The media, in some way, entices people to gamble, how about some responsible gambling messages from the media during awareness week?
Information provided by the National Council on Problem Gambling for Gambling Awareness week.

Valentine’s Day is a day filled with hype about love and chocolate. 

This day can make us feel thankful for those who care for us or it can remind us how alone we feel.

If you are in a relationship, this is a good day to celebrate your partner.  Let him or her know how much you appreciate the small things.  Let your partner know those special things that he or she does  that make you glad you are together.

If you are not currently in a relationship this is a good time to recognize how you are feeling.  If you are grieving over the loss of a previous relationship, this may be a good time to get some help to get you through this difficult time.

Maybe you are satisfied and happy to have your independence.  If this is true for you, consider yourself your own Valentine.  Do something special to take care of you today. 

Either way, this day can be a day of self reflection.  It is a good idea to check in with yourself from time to time to see if things are going the way you want them to or not.  If they are going the way you want them to, great!  If not, this may be a good time to work on making your life more of what you want it to be.

If your goal is to find a significant other ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do I like myself?  If the answer is yes, great!  If the answer is no, working to improve your self esteem is a great place to start. 

2. Do I do things that will help me meet someone?  If you tend to spend time alone at home and/or work, you are not likely to meet someone.  Get out and get involved.  There are a lot of classes and/or volunteer opportunities that will get you closer to meeting someone with similar interests.

If your loneliness has caused you to turn to gambling, spending or compulsive eating to make you feel better, we can help. If you are in a relationship that is struggling we can also help with that.