INFORMATION about the 16-Step Exploration is below the resource list.
RESOURCES:
People with a gambling disorder have a high rate of suicidal attempts, completions, and ideations.
US Suicide Hotline 988, or 911 in your local area, or the emergency room
A Wikipedia list of worldwide suicide hotlines: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_suicide_crisis_lines
Mutual Aid Groups and Listings: gamblersinrecovery.com, gamblersanonymous.org, recoveryroadonline.com, gam-anon.org (for family and friends) are all gambling specific.
There are recovery groups that are not gambling specific such as: Smart Recovery (facilitated and psychologically based), Dharma Recovery (Buddhist based) Celebrate Recovery (Scripture Based)
I was recently introduced to three websites that are recovery based: one is a site for women, thebrokegirlsociety.com another is vgpr.net Voices of Problem Gambling Recovery that I think are worth a look. I recently was interviewed on a podcast by Brian Hatch. He has many podcasts that seem like good learning opportunities. His website is, Endgamblingharm.com
While I am not a fan of The National Council on Problem Gambling because of their relationship with the gambling industry they have resources that might be helpful in finding local councils and clinicians. ncpgambling.org
Charlotte Kasl’s 16-Step Model of Empowerment and Discovery: A three week exploration of its use for those negatively affected by their own gambling or the gambling of others. We will meet on the following Sundays: December 4, 11, and 18 at 7pm Central Time (Chicago). The Zoom ID is 814 6753 6185. The Zoom Password is 436751.
The link above is an interview William White did with Kasl. If you can read it before you join us including the steps themselves. If the link does not work google Charlotte Kasl and William White. He was at Chestnut Health at the time.
Email wsoxgambling@yahoo.com with any questions.
The Circles have concluded (Those were different than the 16 Steps). Read below for information about Systemic Recovery. If you have interest in a new circle or want to chat about the concept reach out through the contact email below.
Circle Schedule: All times Central Time
Contact: wsoxgambling@yahoo.com
10am Tuesday September 13,20, 27, October 4 Zoom ID: 890 6737 9300 pass 533478
7pm Tuesday September 13,20,27, October 4 Zoom ID: 819 7796 9238 pass 917699
GAMBLING RECOVERY FROM A SYSTEMIC PERSPECTIVE
In A Non-12 Step-Non-GA Deep Listening Circle: In the Circle we will share our thoughts on questions and statements in Zoom adapted circle format. Everyone in the Circle will get an opportunity to answer each question/statement(q/s) in an environment of deep listening. The q/s will be prepared for the first session. The q/s after the first session will be a shared process. After the final answer is given to the final q/s there will be an opportunity to process. The process opportunity is a personal exploration of how we individually were affected by the Circle.
The Circle will meet on Tuesday September 13,20,27 October 4. The Circle will meet twice on those days, 10am and 7pm Central Time. I scheduled two times a day to cover multiple time zones.
We gamblers are sometimes described as the Identified Patient (IP). We will explore how the other “patients” in the system of harm caused by gambling affects us and our loved ones. We will explore how we can use an understanding of the system to enhance our lives, our loved ones lives, in a journey towards sanity, peace, love, and healthy relationships.
“We gamblers”: I am Brian Meister, 70 years old. I started gambling at 13, and met criteria by most standards by age 15. I have used different forms of recovery through the years. One piece missing in most recovery processes, in most therapies, in my opinion is looking at the systems around the Identified Patient. Charlotte Kasl’s 16 Steps does some systemic work.
This article explains and validates my belief. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/06/psychologist-devastating-lies-mental-health-problems-politics
This website will attempt to look at the problems caused by gambling, legal and illegal, with a systemic lens. The conventional “wisdom” is that those problems can be addressed best by focusing on the gambler as the Identified Patient (IP). Some in the treatment world, the recovery world, and the gambling industry act as if gamblers are out there in a vacuum making up ways to hurt themselves and others: DSM diagnosis, “clean up your own side of the street”, my favorite-“responsible gambling”.
We will have further discussions of the different types of gambling and gamblers, and the foundational basis that leads some to gamble to the point of harming themselves and others. The foundational basis is as varied as there are gamblers. As we explore the systems in place I will not suggest that the gambler is not part of the system. In my own gambling I made choices that harmed myself and others. I never run from that fact.
Where I differ from many is that I believe we need to look at the whole which the gambler is a small part of except for the fact the whole system is based on their losses. From a purely gambling perspective there are: the governmental bodies selling gambling as a revenue stream that is in reality a bloody stream of losses from their own constituents, the lobbyists that buy access to governmental employees (elected and not elected), the corporations big and small that hire those lobbyists who then offer gambling to the governmental constituents, the media who make money advertising for those companies, the sports teams who get in bed with the gambling companies to the detriment of their constituents known as fans. I once tried to rent a billboard that read, Casinos are Not Your Friend. I will not leave you in suspense, I could not find a billboard company that would show my idea.
- This website is a work in progress. I will be adding content slowly. I will focus on the following areas:
- Resources for the human suffering from gambling
- Stories from people affected from their gambling and the gambling of others
- Duty of Care (DoC): An exploration of the DoC responsibilities I feel the government and the gambling industry has shirked for too long
- Research published from a systemic perspective of gambling. Once again I will not leave you in suspense, there is not much at this time
- Casinos are Not Your Friend: Blog pieces from past writings of mine
- Gambling Survey from The State of Illinois printed earlier in 2022. I admire the work done. The problem is that the survey should have been done before the State expanded gambling including legalizing sports gambling
Gambling Recovery Identified Patient 