History of Addictive Gambling: Gambling addiction was not recognized as a pathological disorder until about 1980. Mainly because there were no substances being taken into the body like alcohol or drugs, hence the symptoms were hidden but progressive.

In 1994, standards for diagnosing pathological gambling were updated and a fascinating pattern surfaced. It was found that addictive gamblers experience the two most common characteristics of a physical addiction; tolerance and withdrawal. Tolerance in this case means that an addict feels the need to have more and more of the addictive substances to reach the same "high". Using a technique referred to as "chasing", the gambler is inclined to repeatedly increase the amount of their bets over time as an attempt to win back all the money lost. Withdrawal is the reaction that transpires when the addict is refused their "fix". Symptoms of withdrawal include restlessness, anxiety and irritability. This is known to occur for as long as five to seven days.

Definition of Addictive GamblerThe problem gambler appears to be no different from the average citizen. They are usually from a good home and a stable family, often hold a steady job, is likely to be clean, well dressed and is probably at minimum a high school graduate. The average problem gambler is then well camouflaged. Unlike the alcoholic or junkie, they do not reveal their signs of addiction on their breath or by tracks on their body.

But the problem gambler does suffer from a serious illness and, because of the nature of the problem, it is likely that the illness will not be discovered until it is in it's advanced stages.

The Costs of Addictive Gambling are .......

Family disruption, neglect or abused children, divorce, impoverishment and/or mental breakdown.

Billions of dollars worth of productivity lost by business and industry thru poor work performance, absenteeism, wasted time dreaming about gambling, theft of materials and accidents.

Criminal acts committed to raise money in order to continue gambling after heavy losses and mounting debts. The longer the gambling problem continues untreated, the greater the probability of arrest and imprisonment.

The unabated misery of being in the grips of an uncontrollable illness, without even knowing it, thus permitting the illness to wreck family, career and even life which, in most cases, ends in suicide.

Phases of Addictive Gambling are:

The Winning Phase: In the beginning, the problem gambler usually experiences a "big win" which results in more frequent gambling and increased amounts of money being bet. This tends to enhance the self-image, and the gambler begins to fantasize about winning. Unreasonable optimism develops.

The Losing Phase: During this period the problem gambler thinks only about gambling. Personality changes begin to develop. Lies, money borrowing, and cover-ups are common. The gambler can no longer control the gambling, and relationships with family, friends, and employers deteriorate.

The Desperation Phase: The gambler can no longer pay debts and looks for bailouts both legal and illegal. Time spent gambling is increased as the gambler becomes obsessed with getting even. As the "chase" continues, the gambler panics at the prospect that the "action" will stop. There are often feelings of remorse and hopelessness. Loss of reputation or business due to the gambling may be accompanied by thoughts of suicide.

FAQ: What is Adddictive Gambling? Addictive gambling is an illness, progressive in it's nature, which can never be cured, but can be arrested.

What is the first step needed to stop gambling? The addictive gambler needs to be willing to accept the fact that they are in the grip of a progressive illness, and they have a desire to get well.

How can you tell if you are an addictive gambler? An addicted gambler is a person whose gambling has caused growing and continuing problems in any department of their life. IF GAMBLING CAUSES A PROBLEM - THEN GAMBLING IS A PROBLEM!

NEWS: Gambling fever has engulfed the nation and penetrated every age group from the very young to the very old. It now threatens the work ethic and the very foundation of the family. Gambling has become so widespread that the numbers of people becoming addicted is far surpassing the numbers of counselors certified SPECIFICALLY for the treatment of gambling addiction. Available help is very limited in the big cities and non-existent in almost all small towns.

Update #1: Fast becoming one of the leading victims of gambling addiction are EMPLOYERS! Your trusted bookkeeper may have changed since gambling came to town. Embezzelment and theft by valued, trusted employees has increased dramatically in states that legalized gambling.

Update #2: Eight years ago the Arizona Chapter of Gamblers Anonymous had no women members. Now women account for 40 percent of the membership. This is just one of many earth shattering statistics regarding the drastic increase of addicted women gamblers! In a survey of 300 calls to counselor hot lines, over half were from women with gambling problems.

Women represent the majority of slot machine players. Most of the women are stay-at-home ladies who used to have hobbies, did charity work, prided themself on keeping a neat clean house, good food and baked goods on hand, visited neighbors and friends often, and cared for yards, gardens and other outside prides. Then the casino's, with their bright lights and friendly personnel, came to town!

Especially vulnerable and subsequently addicted are the ladies whose husbands/companions are gone a lot because of long work hours or because they are out of town. They get lonely! The lonely phase holds true for Senior Citizens. They have time on their hands and are easily drawn to the friendliness, bright lights and companionship of the casinos. At first they go because they have the money and cherish the idea of having a reason to get out of the house each day. Unfortunately, for many, that soon turns bad.

Update #3: Gambling Teens are fast becoming the newest and most addicted. Again, a recent survey of 1000 teens questioned:

• 4 percent gamble every day.
• 11 percent are already addicted to gambling.
• Boys were twice as likely to gamble as girls.
• Teens whose parents gambled were more likely to gamble too, and at an earlier age.
• Kids who began gambling in grade school were significantly more likely to end up addictive gamblers.

SOLUTION: Thelma Video offers you information that can help you:

• Desire to STOP gambling.
• Develop skills to "stay stopped".
• Understand that gambling is not a "moral weakness", but a treatable disorder.
• Deal with the financial pressures that usually accompany addiction to gambling.
• Get started, with the family, on the road to recovery and positive living.

The origin and purpose of THELMA VIDEO is to provide you with a source of help that is professional, convenient, affordable, informative and "user-friendly", on a three part VHS Video series.

Visit Thelma Video's web site at www.thelmavideo.com and, like a baby, your first steps will be a delight to you and those around you.

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