Compulsive gambling is an illness, progressive in its nature, which can never be cured, but can be arrested.

Only you can make that decision. Most people look for help when they become willing to admit that gambling has them licked. Many recovering gamblers went through terrifying experiences before they were ready to accept help. Others were faced with a slow, subtle deterioration, which finally brought them to the point of admitting defeat.

We believe that most people, if they are honest, will recognize their lack of power to solve certain problems. When it comes to gambling, we have known many problem gamblers who could abstain for long stretches, but caught off guard and under the right set of circumstances; they started gambling without thought of the consequences.

Yes. Compulsive gamblers who have sought help tell us that, though their gambling binges were periodic, the intervals between were not periods of constructive thinking. Symptomatic of these periods were nervousness, irritability, frustration, indecision and a continued breakdown in personal relationships.

We think not. Most of the world's work of any consequence is done without the benefit of monetary wagering. Many of our leaders in business, industry and professional life have attained great success without knowing one card from another or which way the horses run around the track. In the area of social relationships, the newcomer will soon find a keen appreciation of the many pleasant and stimulating activities available - far removed from anything that is remotely associated from gambling.

One does this through bringing about a progressive character change within oneself. There are no short cuts in achieving this objective. To recover from this baffling, insidious, compulsive addiction will require DILIGENT EFFORT, HONESTY, OPENMINDEDNESS, AND WILLINGNESS.

Sometimes -- but not usually. Our program and others like it work best for the individual when it is recognized and accepted as a program involving other people. Working with other compulsive gamblers in a recovery group offers an individual the necessary understanding and support to navigate the rough road ahead.

1.      INABILITY AND UNWILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT REALITY. Hence the escape into the dream world of gambling.

2.      EMOTIONAL INSECURITY. A compulsive gambler finds he or she is emotionally comfortable only when "in action". It is not uncommon to hear a recovering/rehabilitated gambler say: "The only place I really felt like I belonged was sitting at the poker table. There I felt secure and comfortable. No great demands were made upon me. I knew I was destroying myself, yet at the same time, I had a certain sense of security."

3.      IMMATURITY. A desire to have all the good things in life without any great effort on their part seems to be the common character pattern of problem gamblers. Many compulsive gamblers accept the fact that they were unwilling to grow up. Subconsciously they felt they could avoid mature responsibility by wagering on the spin of a wheel or the turn of a card, and so the struggle to escape responsibility finally became a subconscious obsession.

Also, a compulsive gambler seems to have a strong inner urge to be a 'big shot' and needs to have a feeling of being all powerful. The compulsive gambler is willing to do anything (often of an antisocial nature) to maintain the image he or she wants others to see.

Then too, there is a theory that compulsive gamblers subconsciously want to lose to punish themselves. There is much evidence to support this theory.

No, compulsive gambling is an emotional problem. A person in the grip of this illness creates mountains of apparently insurmountable problems. Of course, financial problems are created, but they also find themselves facing marital, employment, or legal problems. Compulsive gamblers find friends have been lost and relatives have rejected them. Of the many serious difficulties created, the financial problems seem the easiest to solve. When a compulsive gambler quits gambling, income is usually increased and there is no longer the financial drain that was caused by gambling, and very shortly, the financial pressures begin to be relieved. Recovering gamblers have found that the best road to financial recovery is through hard work and repayment of our debts. Borrowing and/or lending of money (bail outs) is detrimental to the recovery process and, whenever possible, should not take place.

Alcoholism, which is also known as "alcohol dependence syndrome," is a disease that is characterized by the following elements:

·         Craving: A strong need, or compulsion, to drink.

·         Loss of control: The frequent inability to stop drinking once a person has begun.

·         Physical dependence: The occurrence of withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety, when alcohol use is stopped after a period of heavy drinking. These symptoms are usually relieved by drinking alcohol or by taking another sedative drug.

·         Tolerance: The need for increasing amounts of alcohol in order to get "high."

This description of alcoholism helps us understand why most alcoholics can't just "use a little willpower" to stop drinking. He or she is frequently in the grip of a powerful craving for alcohol, a need that can feel as strong as the need for food or water.

Not yet. Alcoholism is a treatable disease, and medication has also become available to help prevent relapse, but a cure has not yet been found. This means that even if an alcoholic has been sober for a long time and has regained health, he or she may relapse and must continue to avoid all alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol abuse differs from alcoholism in that it does not include an extremely strong craving for alcohol, loss of control, or physical dependence. In addition, alcohol abuse is less likely than alcoholism to include tolerance (the need for increasing amounts of alcohol to get "high").
Alcohol abuse is defined as a pattern of drinking that is accompanied by one or more of the following situations within a 12-month period:

·         Failure to fulfill major work, school, or home responsibilities;

·         Drinking in situations that are physically dangerous, such as while driving a car or operating machinery;

·         Recurring alcohol-related legal problems, such as being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or for physically hurting someone while drunk;

·         Continued drinking despite having ongoing relationship problems that are caused or worsened by the effects of alcohol.

While alcohol abuse is basically different from alcoholism, it is important to note that many effects of alcohol abuse are also experienced by alcoholics.

Research has demonstrated that for many people, a vulnerability to alcoholism is inherited.
Yet it is important to recognize that aspects of a person's environment, such as peer influences and the availability of alcohol, also are significant influences. Both inherited and environmental influences are called "risk factors."
But risk is not destiny. Just because alcoholism tends to run in families doesn't mean that a child of an alcoholic parent will automatically develop alcoholism.

Answering the following four questions can help you find out. (To help remember these questions, note that the first letter of a key word in each of the four questions spells "CAGE.")

·         Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking?

·         Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?

·         Have you ever-felt bad or Guilty about your drinking?

·         Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover (Eye opener)?

One "yes" response suggests a possible alcohol problem. If you responded "yes" to more than one question, it is highly likely that a problem exists.
Even if you answered "no" to all of the above questions, if you are encountering drinking-related problems with your job, relationships, health, or with the law, you should still seek professional help.

Alcoholism treatment is effective in many cases.

Treatment outcomes for alcoholism compare favorably with outcomes for many other chronic medical conditions. The longer one abstains from alcohol, the more likely one is to remain sober.

It is important to remember that many people relapse once or several times before achieving long-term sobriety. Relapses are common and do not mean that a person has failed or cannot eventually recover from alcoholism. If a relapse occurs, it is important to try to stop drinking again and to get whatever help is needed to abstain from alcohol.

Ongoing support from family members and others can be important in recovery.

Yes. Nearly 14 million people in the United States -- 1 in every 13 adults -- abuse alcohol or are alcoholic. However, more men than women are alcohol dependent or experience alcohol-related problems. In addition, rates of alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29 and lowest among adults 65 years and older.

Yes. As a person ages, certain mental and physical functions tend to decline, including vision, hearing, and reaction time. Moreover, other physical changes associated with aging can make older people feel "high" after drinking fairly small amounts of alcohol. These combined factors make older people more likely to have alcohol-related falls, automobile crashes, and other kinds of accidents.

In addition, older people tend to take more medicines than younger persons, and mixing alcohol with many over-the-counter and prescription drugs can be dangerous, even fatal.
Further, many medical conditions common to older people, including high blood pressure and ulcers, can be worsened by drinking.

Yes. Women become more intoxicated than men after drinking the same amount of alcohol, even when differences in body weight are taken into account. This is because women's bodies have proportionately less water than men's bodies.
Because alcohol mixes with body water, a given amount of alcohol becomes more highly concentrated in a woman's body than in a man's.

In addition, chronic alcohol abuse takes a heavier physical toll on women than on men. Alcohol dependence and related medical problems, such as brain and liver damage, progress more rapidly in women than in men.

That depends. If you are diagnosed as an alcoholic, the answer is "no." Studies show that nearly all alcoholics who try to merely cut down on drinking are unable to do so indefinitely. Instead, cutting out alcohol (that is, abstaining) is nearly always necessary for successful recovery.
However, if you are not alcoholic but have had alcohol-related problems, you may be able to limit the amount you drink. If you cannot always stay within your limit, you will need to stop drinking altogether.

Most adults can drink moderate amounts of alcohol -- up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women and older people -- and avoid alcohol-related problems. (One drink equals one 12-ounce bottle of beer or wine cooler, one 5-ounce glass of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.)

However, certain people should not drink at all. They include women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant; people who plan to drive or engage in other activities requiring alertness and skill; people taking certain medications, including certain over-the-counter medicines; people with medical conditions that can be worsened by drinking; recovering alcoholics; and people under the age of 21.

No. Drinking during pregnancy can have a number of harmful effects on the newborn, ranging from mental retardation, organ abnormalities, and hyperactivity to learning and behavioral problems. Moreover, many of these disorders last into adulthood.
While we don't yet know exactly how much alcohol is required to cause these problems, we do know that they are 100-percent preventable if a woman does not drink at all during pregnancy.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, a disorder characterized by growth retardation, facial abnormities, and central nervous system dysfunction (CNS), is caused by a woman's use of alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is potentially 100% preventable.

There is no safe amount of alcohol that woman can drink while pregnant. Any time a pregnant woman engages in regular drinking, she increases her chance of having a spontaneous abortion and puts her unborn child at risk for growth deficiencies, learning disabilities, and behavioral problems.

The pattern and timing of prenatal alcohol use can greatly influence the impact of adverse effects on the fetus. Chronic drinking and binge drinking are recognized as the most dangerous patterns of drinking. The pattern of drinking will partly determine the effects of alcohol on a fetus during the first weeks of pregnancy.

Many body parts and organs are developing in the embryonic stage which is weeks 3 to 8. It is known that during the first 4 weeks of pregnancy, when most women are not aware that they are pregnant, the heart, central nervous system, eyes, arms, and legs of the fetus are developing. Also, different developing organ systems may be more vulnerable to damage at different stages of development.

The U.S. Surgeon General issued an Advisory on Alcohol and Pregnancy that advises against drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy or when planning a pregnancy.

Several studies have reported that moderate drinkers -- those who have one or two drinks per day -- are less likely to develop heart disease than people who do not drink any alcohol or who drink larger amounts. Small amounts of alcohol may help protect against coronary heart disease by raising levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and by reducing the risk of blood clots in the coronary arteries.

If you are a nondrinker, you should not start drinking only to benefit your heart. Protection against coronary heart disease may be obtained through regular physical activity and a low-fat diet.

Even for those who can drink safely and choose to do so, moderation is the key.

Heavy drinking can actually increase the risk of heart failure, stroke, and high blood pressure, as well as cause many other medical problems, such as liver cirrhosis.

Probably not -- more than 100 medications interact with alcohol, leading to increased risk of illness, injury and, in some cases, death. The effects of alcohol are increased by medicines that slow down the central nervous system, such as sleeping pills, antihistamines, antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and some painkillers.
In addition, medicines for certain disorders, including diabetes and heart disease, can be dangerous if used with alcohol. If you are taking any over-the-counter or prescription medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist whether you can safely drink alcohol.

It is estimated that in 2002 illegal drug use cost America close to $181 billion:

·         $129 billion in lost productivity

·         $16 billion in healthcare costs

·         $36 billion in other costs, such as efforts to stem the flow of drugs.

Beyond the raw numbers are other costs to society:

·         spread of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C either through sharing of drug paraphernalia or unprotected sex

·         deaths due to overdose or other complications from drug use

·         effects on unborn children of pregnant drug users

·         other effects such as crime and homelessness.

Hallucinogens, or psychedelics, are any mind-altering substance that distorts the user's sensations, thinking, self-awareness, emotions and perceptions of reality. Hallucinogens include such drugs as LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), PCP (phencyclidine), mescaline, psilocybin, and DMT (N,N,dimethyltryptamine).

The effects of psychedelics are unpredictable. They depend on the amount taken, the user's personality, mood, expectations and the surroundings in which the drug is used. Usually, the user feels the first effects of the drug 30 to 90 minutes after taking it. The physical effects include dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, tremors.

This term is perceived and/or intended to cover a broad range of illicit substances, including cocaine, marijuana, etc. The lay definition (Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary), reads: “Any drug that induces profound sleep, lethargy and relief of pain; it is usually an opiate.

An opioid is any agent that binds to opioid receptors, found principally in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. There are four broad classes of opioids: endogenous opioid peptides, produced in the body; opium alkaloids, such as morphine (the prototypical opioid) and codeine; semi-synthetic opioids such as heroin and oxycodone; and fully synthetic opioids such as pethidine and methadone that have structures unrelated to the opium alkaloids.

Although the term opiate is often used as a synonym for opioid, it is more properly limited to the natural opium alkaloids and the semi-synthetics derived from them.