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GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS

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GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY TO ACCEPT
THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE,
COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN,
AND THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Gamblers Anonymous..............

The Recovery Program ............

she Unity Program .. 0.64 «dale 2 wall

Compulsive Gambling and Gamblers
Anonymous....... “fe a i llags wie ae alk

Twenty Questions ............

New Members...................

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APPROVED

P.O. Box 17173
Los Angeles, CA. 90017

I sought my soul,
But could not see.

I sought my God,
But He eluded me.

I sought my brother
and found all three.

OVID LP WLP OLD»

Printed 4-22-75

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HISTORY

The fellowship of Gamblers Anonymous is
the outgrowth of a chance meeting between two
men during the month of January in1957. These
men had a truly baffling history of trouble and
misery due to an obsession to gamble. They be-
gan to meet regularly and as the months passed
neither had returned to gambling.

They concluded from their discussions that
in order to prevent a relapse it was necessary
to bring about certain personality changes within
themselves. In order to accomplish this they
used for a guide certain spiritual principles
which had been utilized by thousands of people
who had recovered from other compulsive ad-
dictions. Also, in order to maintain their own
abstinence they felt that it was vitally important
that they carry the message of hope to other
compulsive gamblers.

As a result of favorable publicity by a
prominent newspaper columnist and TV com-
mentator, the first group meeting of Gamblers
Anonymous was held on Friday, September 13,
1957, in Los Angeles, California. Since that
time, the movement has grown steadily and

groups are flourishing through out the world.

OVLIVLIV IK
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS

GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS is a fellowship
of men and women who share their experience,
strength and hope with each other that they may
solve their common problem and help others to
recover frorn a gambling problem.

The only requirement for membership is |

a desire to stop gambling. There are no dues
or fees for GA membership; we are self-sup-
porting through our own contributions. GA is
not allied with any sect, denomination, politics,
organization or institution; does not wish to en-
gage in any controversy; neither endorses nor
cppeses any causes. Our primary purpose is
to stop gambling and to help other compulsive
gamblers do the same.

Most of us have been unwilling to admit we
were real problem gamblers. No person likes
to think he is different from his fellows. There-
fore, it is not surprising that our gambling ca-
reers have been characterized by countless vain
attempts to prove we could gamble like other
people. The idea that somehow, some day, he
will control his gambling is the great obsession
of every compulsive gambler. The persistence
of this illusion is astonishing. Many pursue it
into the gates of insanity or death.

We learned we had to concede fully to our
innermost selves that we are compulsive gam-
blers. This is the first step in our recovery. With

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reference to gambling, the delusion that we are
like other people, or presently may be, has to be
smashed.

We have lost the ability to control our gam-
bling. We know that no real compulsive gambler
ever regains control. All of us felt at times we
were regaining control, but such intervals --
usually brief -- were inevitably followed by still
less control, which led in time to pitiful and in-
comprehensible demoralization. We are con-
vinced to a man that gamblers of our type are
in the grip of a progressive illness. Over any
considerable period of time we get worse, never
better.

Therefore, in order to lead normal happy
lives we try to practice to the best of our ability
certain principles in our daily affairs.

The word spiritual can be said to describe
those characteristics of the human mind that rep-
resent the highest and finest qualities such as
kindness, generosity, honesty and humility.
THE RECOVERY PROGRAM

Here are the steps which are suggested
as a program of recovery.

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We admitted we were powerless
over gambling—that our lives
had become unmanageable.

Came to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves could restore
us to a normal way of thinking
and living.

Made a decision to turn our will
and our lives over to the care of
this Power of our own under-
standing.

Made a searching and _ fearless
moral and financial inventory of
ourselves,

Admitted to ourselves and to
another human being the exact
nature of our wrongs.

Were entirely ready to have these
defects of character removed.

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Humbly asked God (of our un-
derstanding) to remove our
shortcomings.

Made a list of all persons we had
harmed and became willing to
make amends to them all.

Made direct amends to such people
wherever possible, except when to
do so would injure them or
others,

Continued to take personal in-
ventory and when we were
wrong, promptly admitted it.

Sought through prayer and medi-
tation to improve our conscious
contact with God as we under-
stood Him, praying only for
knowledge of His will for us and
the power to carry that out.

Having made an effort to practice
these principles in all our affairs,

we tried to carry this message to
other compulsive gamblers.
THE UNITY PROGRAM

In order to maintain unity our exper-
tence has shown that:

]

na - WH N

Our common welfare should come
first; personal recovery depends
upon group unity.

Our leaders are but trusted ser-
vants; they do not govern.

The only requirement for GA
membership is a desire to stop
gambling.

Each group should be self-govern-
ing except in matters affecting
other groups or GA as a whole.

GA has but one primary pur-
pose—to carry its message to the
compulsive gambler who still
suffers.

GA ought never endorse, finance
or lend the GA name to any
related facility or outside enter-
prise, lest problems of money,
property and prestige divert us
from our primary purpose.

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Every GA group ought to be
fully self-supporting, declining
outside contributions.

Gamblers Anonymous should re-
main forever non-professional,
but our service centers may em-
ploy special workers.

GA, as such, ought never be
organized; but we may create
service boards or committees
directly responsible to those they
serve. |

GA has no opinion on outside
issues; hence the GA name ought
never be drawn into public con-
troversy.

Our public relations policy is
based on attraction rather than
promotion; we need always main-
tain personal anonymity at the
level of press, radio, films and
television.

Anonymity is the spiritual foun-
dation of the GA program, ever
reminding us to place principles
before personalities.

OVID ODI OP

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COMPULSIVE GAMBLING AND
GAMBLERS ANONYMOUS

What is compulsive gambling?

There are many and varying interpretations
of compulsive gambling. The explanation that
seems most acceptable to GA members is that
compulsive gambling is an illness, progressive
in its nature, which can never be cured, but can
be arrested.

Before coming to GA many compulsive gam-
blers thought of themselves as morally weak -
or at times - just plain “no good”. The GA con-
cept is that the compulsive gambler is really a
very sick person who can recover if he will fol-
low to the best of his ability a simple program
that has proved successful for thousands of other
men and women with a similar problem.

What is the first thing a compulsive gambler
ought to do in order to stop gambling?

He needs to be willing to accept the fact that
he is in the grip of a progressive illness and
have a desire to get well. Our experience has
shown that the GA program will always work for
any person who has a desire to stop gambling.
However, it will seldom work for the man or
woman who cannot, or will not, face squarely
the facts about this illness.

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How can you tellifyou are acompulsive gambler?

Only you can make that decision. Most people
turn to GA when they become willing to admit
that gambling has them licked. Also, in GAa
compulsive gambler is described as a person
whose gambling has caused growing and con-
tinuing problems in any department of his life.

Many GA members 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.

How does a person stop gambling through the
GA program?

He does this through bringing about a pro-
gressive personality change within himself. This
can be accomplished by having faith in - and
trying to understand - the basic concepts of the
GA Recovery Program.

There are no short cuts in gaining this faith
and understanding. To recover from one of the
most baffling, insidious, compulsive addictions
will require diligent effort. Honesty and willing-
ness are the key words in our recovery.

“Is knowing why we gambled important?”

Insofar as stopping gambling perhaps, how-
ever, many Gamblers Anonymous members have
abstained from gambling without the benefit of
the knowledge of why they gambled.

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What are some of the factors that might cause a
person to become a compulsive gambler?

GA members, in considering this perplexing
question, feel these are some of the possible
reasons:

1. INABILITY AND UNWILLINGNESS TO AC-
CEPT REALITY. Hence, the escape into the
dream world of gambling.

2. EMOTIONAL INSECURITY. Here, a com-
pulsive gambler finds he is emotionally com-
fortable only when “in action.” It is not un-
common to hear a GA member 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 his
part seems the common character pattern of
the problem gambler. Many GA members
accept the fact that they were unwilling to
grow up. Subsconsciously they felt they could
avoid mature responsibility through 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. He is

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willing to do anvthing (often of an anti-social
nature) to maintain the image of himself he wants
others to see.”

Then too, there is a theory that the com-
pulsive gambler subconsciously wants to lose to
punish himself. There is much evidence among
GA members to support this theory.

What is. the dream world of the compulsive
gambler?

This is a rather common characteristic of
the compulsive gambler. He spends a lot of time
creating images ofthe great and wonderful things
he is going to do just as soon as he makes the
big score. He often sees himself as quite a phi-
lanthropic and charming fellow. He may dream
of providing his family and friends with new cars,
mink coats and other luxuries. He pictures him-
self leading a pleasant gracious life made pos-
sible by the huge sums of money he will accrue
from his “system”. Servants, penthouses, nice
clothes, charming friends, yachts and world
tours are a few of the wonderful things that are
just around the corner when he finally makes
the big killing.

Pathetically, however, there never seems to
be a big enough winning to make eventhe smallest
dream come true. When he succeeds, he gambles
to dream still greater dreams. When he fails,
he gambles in reckless desperation and the depths
of his misery are fathomless as his dream world

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comes crashing down. Sadly, he will struggle
back, dream more dreams and of course suffer
more misery. No one can convince him that his
great schemes will not someday come true. He
believes they will, for without this dream world,
life for him would not be tolerable.

Isn’t compulsive gambling basically a financial
problem?

No, compulsive gambling seems to be an
emotional problem. A person in the grip of this
illness creates mountains of apparently insolv-
akle problems. Of course he does create -finan-
cial problems, but he also finds himself facing
marital problems, employment problems, or
problems involving himself with the law, The
compulsive gambler finds friends have been lost.
and relatives have rejected him. Of the many
serious difficulties he creater for himself, the
financial problems seem the easicst to solve.
When he enters GA and quits gambling. his in-
come is usually increased and there is no longer
the financial drain caused by his gambling, and
he very shortly begins to relieve the financial
pressures.

The most difficult and time consuming prob-
lem with which he will be facedis that of bringing
about a personality change within himself. Most
GA members look upon this as their greatest
challenge and believe this to be a life-time job.

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Why can’t a compulsive gambler simply use his
will power to-stop gambling?

We believe that most men, ifthey are honest.
will recognize their lack of power to solve cer-
tain 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 conse-
quences: The defenses they relied upon through
will power alone gave way before some trivial
reason for placing a bet. We have found that will
power and self-knowledge will not help in those
mental blank spots, but adherences to spiritual
principles seem to solve our problems. Most of
us feel that a beliefina Power greater than our-
selves is necessary in order for us to sustain a
desire to refrain from gambling.

Can a compulsive gambler ever gamble nor-
mally again?

The first small bet to a problem gambler is
like the first small drink to analcoholic. Sooner
or later he falls back into the same old destruc-
tive pattern.

Once a person has crossed the invisible line
into irresponsible uncontrolled gambling he
never seems to regain control. After abstaining
a few months some of our members have tried
some small bet experimentation, always with
disastrous results. The old obsession inevitably
returned.

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Our GA experience seems to point to these
alternatives: To- gamble, risking progressive
deterioration, or not to gamble, and develop a
better way of life.

Does this mean I can’t even participate ina little
penny ante game or a world series pool?

It means exactly that. A stand has to be made
somewhere, and GA members have found the
first bet is the one to avoid even though it may
be as little as matching for a cup of coffee.

I only go on gambling binges periodically. Do
I need GA?

Yes, Compulsive Gamblers who have joined
GA 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. These same people have
often found tthe GA program the answer to the
elimination of character defects and a guide to
moral progress in their lives.

Gambling, for the compulsive gambler is de-
fined as follows: Any betting or wagering, whether
for money or not no matter how slight or insigni-
ficant (where the outcome is uncertain or depends
upon chance or “skill,” constitutes gambling.)

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TWENTY QUESTIONS

Most compulsive gamblers will answer yes
to at least seven of these questions.

1 Do you lose time from work due to gambling?
2 Is gambling making your home life unhappy?
3% gambling affecting your reputation?

4 Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?

5 Do you ever gamble to get money with which
to pay debts or to otherwise solve financial
difficulties?

Qos gambling cause a decrease in your
ambition or efficiency?

[After losing do you feel you must return as
soon as possible and win back your losses?

8 After & win do you have a strong urge to
return and win more?

Q Do you often gamble until your last dollar
is gone?

1 0 Do you ever borrow to finance your gambling?

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11 Have you ever sold any real or personal
property to finance gambling?

{ ? Are you reluctant to use “gambling money”
for normal expenditures?

| bs eae gambling make you careless of the
welfare of your family?

| 4 Do you ever gamble longer than you had
planned?

1 — you ever gamble to escape worry or
trouble?

1 Have you ever committed, or considered com-
mitting, an illegal act to finance gambling?

17 Does gambling cause you to have difficulty
in sleeping?

18 Do arguments, disappointments or frustra-
tions create within you an urge to gamble?

19 Do you have an urge to celebrate any good
fortune by a few hours of gambling?

20 Have you ever considered self destruction
as results of your gambling?

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TO ALL G.A. MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY
THE NEW G.A. MEMBERS, HERE ARE SOME
ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS.

Attend at least one meeting per week and as
many other meetings as possible.

Telephone others members as often as possible
between meetings. Use the Telephone List!

Don’t tempt or test vourelf. Don’t associate

3 with acquaintances who gamble. Don’t go in or
near gambling establirhments. Don’t gamble
for anything, this includes buying lottery
tickets, raffle tickets, flipping a coin, or
entering the office sports pool.

Live the Gamblers Anonymous Program, one
4 day at a time, Don’t try to tackle your whole
life’s problem at once.

Read the recovery and unity steps often and

5 continuously review the Twenty Questions.
Follow the steps in your daily affairs. If you
have any questions, ask them of your Trusted
Servants and Sponsors. These steps are the
basis for the entire Gamblers Anonymous
Program and practicing them is the key to
your growth.

When you are ready, ask the Trusted Servants
for a Pressure Group meeting, for you and
your spouse if married.

Be patient! The days and weeks will pass

i] soon enough and as you continue to attend
meetings and abstain from gambling, your
recovery wil! really accelerate.
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