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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2000-01-12, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2000. HAS hires counsellor to help gamblers By David Emslie Clinton News-Record staff While many people enjoy some form of gambling for purely recre­ ational reasons, there are those for whom the games become an addic­ tion. The Ministry of Health is working to help those who have developed gambling problems, by giving fund­ ing to about 43 addiction services centres across the province. Huron Addiction Services, located at the Health and Library Complex just south of Clinton, has received some of that funding, and Gail Huber is now working full-time as an addic­ tions counsellor to assist area resi­ dents with their gambling problems. It has been estimated that 80-85 per cent of the population has gam­ bled, but Huber noted she would set this figure closer to 99 per cent, as gambling takes many forms. Among the forms of gambling, she listed casinos, gaming centres with slot machines, tear away (Nevada) tick­ ets, bingo, horse racing, sports bet­ ting and lotteries. The counsellor gave the definition of gambling as follows: “The risking of something of value when there are odds of winning and losing.” Starting to serve as a full-time gambling addiction counsellor in September of last year, Huber said the purpose of her job is to spread public awareness of gambling and the problems it can bring, as well as working as a counsellor for those who have developed problems. Noting that gambling has been going on in this country for many years, she said the arrival of casinos in Ontario, along with slot machines at the province’s racetracks, are expected to cause an increase in problem gamblers. “When it becomes a problem is when it starts to interfere with other areas of your life,” Huber stated. “It could be family, employment, legal, physical health, mental health, leisure time, financial. Financial dis­ tress is usually a biggy, that and fam­ ily” Since beginning her position last September, she has noticed an increasing client load. She stated that more people are beginning to visit gambling facilities like Ontario’s casinos, as well as playing the slots at raceways in Sarnia and London. Problems with gambling, she said, have been growing gradually. “It’s on the rise,” she said, adding that she expects to see more clients with gambling problems once slot machines arrive in Clinton. She said she has spoken with counsellors at other areas where slot machines have been made available to the public, and they have noticed an increase in clients within six to eight months. Huber related information from a study on problem gambling which showed that gamblers who develop problems go through three phases. The first phase is the winning stage. “At that stage, they are more or less starting gambling. They are excited by the arousal of winning,” she said. “There is a good feeling about it.” At this stage, as gamblers are getting some wins, they continue to go back and gamble to continue the good feelings. However, in the next stage, these feelings change. In what is called the “losing stage”, Huber said gamblers are “chasing losses”. In this stage, they begin to gamble more often, in an effort to make up for losses. It is during this stage, she said, that peo­ ple close to a gambler might begin to notice changes in that gambler. They might begin lying about their losses, and suffer from mood swings. “The debts start piling up,” Huber said, “And at some-point in the los­ ing phase, near the end, they will start borrowing money.” They may borrow money from family and friends, she said, or if they are in a position of responsibility at their job, they might borrow from work, lead­ ing to legal problems. Gamblers in this stage might also begin partici­ pating in illegal activities in order to get the money to continue their gam­ bling habit. The third phase, the “desperation stage”, is the point where gamblers “are really concerned with what’s going on,” Huber stated. They might, Huber said, become alienated from their family and they can be preoc­ cupied with their gambling, even while at work. A separate study, she said, identi­ fied a fourth stage in the slide towards gambling addiction, and it is called the “giving up stage.” In this stage, gamblers give up any effort to keep control of their gambling. Huber shared a long list of signs that family and friends can watch for to see if a person close to them has a gambling problem. One such sign is an increased pre­ occupation with gambling. She stat­ ed, for instance, that a person might begin to plan activities around gam­ bling, such as choosing a vacation destination specifically because gambling is available. A person with a gambling prob­ lem, she continued, will have the inability to stop gambling, “whether they are winning or losing”, and when the problem is identified by a WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS THAT A PERSON MAY HAVE A GAMBLING PROBLEM? • Spends large amounts of time gambling. This allows very little time for family, friends or hobbies. • Begins to place larger, more frequent bets. Larger bets are necessary to get the same level of excitement. • Has growing debts. The person with a gambling problem is secretive or defensive about money, and may borrow money from family members or friends. • Pins hopes on the “big win”. The problem gambler believes the big win, rather than changing the gambling behavior, will solve financial or other problems. • Promises to cut back on gambling. Despite the promises, the problem gambler is unable to reduce or stop gambling. • Refuses to explain behavior, or lies about it. The person with the gambling problem may be absent from home or work for long periods or may make an unusually high number of telephone calls. • Feels frequent highs or lows. If unable to gamble, the problem gambler misses the thrill of the action and may be bad-tempered, withdrawn, depressed or restless. During a winning streak, the gambler is on a high. • Boasts about winning. The person with a gambling problem talks about the “win” but downplays or ignores “losses”. Wins and losses may be kept a secret. • Prefers gambling to a special family occasion. The problem gambler often arrives late or misses family gather­ ings. • Seeks new places to gamble close to home and away. The problem gambler may insist that outings or family vacations be taken in areas where gambling is available. Rest best treatment Continued from page 1 and mix with people,” said Price. “Also, take it easy, rest. You can actually make the illness worse by trying to continue on with your nor­ mal routine.” Symptoms of influenza, are a fever, usually over 38°C that can last three or four days, headache, gener­ al aches and pains, fatigue, cough and sore throat. These can generally last from five to eight days, howev­ er, Price said, that with this particu­ lar strain, the cough and fatigue can family member, the gambler win make constant promises to change, “and all the time they are covering their tracks.” While the signs of problem gam­ bling are numerous (see boxed copy), help is available. “We are available to not only help the person gambling, but to help family mem­ bers who are dealing with them. We will see both,” Huber said. The service will accept informa­ tion calls, for people who might not know if they or a family member have a problem, and they have much educational material to share. They will also gather information and set up an appointment over the phone. “At that point, the appoint­ ment could be for an information session, or a comprehensive assess­ ment.” Huber assured all that the services offered are completely confidential, and come with no cost, as the pro­ gram is 100 per cent funded by the Ministry of Health. The decision to enter counselling is also completely voluntary. “They walk in the door because they want to,” she said. During an assessment, she said they will talk about the gambling problem, and where a person might fit on the scale of problem gamblers. They will then look at methods to deal with that problem. One such method might be total abstinence from gambling. “If some­ one has had a long-term addiction, if the problem is severe, we may have to look at abstinence,” she said. On the other end of the scale, if the hang on for three to four weeks. Though Price said the strain does­ n’t appear to be any more virulent than in other years, it has arrived earlier. However, for anyone who hasn’t been bitten by the bug, it’s not too late for a flu shot. Though the Ministry of Health prioritizes the elderly and those who work with them for recommending flu shots, Price said anyone who “doesn’t want to be down and out for five days,” might want to consid­ er getting one. gambling problem is determined to be mild, then a limited number of counselling sessions might be rec­ ommended, she said, “to get some education so the problem doesn't increase.” Huber, as the counsellor, will work with the client to find out what their goals are, and to set strategies to reach those goals. They will look at risk-reducing strategies, and Huber said she will “try to encourage them to think about gambling as entertain­ ment” and not as a way to make money. “I will encourage them to meet their financial obligations first, and when they go gambling to set lim­ its,” she said. “Don’t go gambling if you can’t afford to gamble.” Huber also stressed that as a coun­ sellor, she is there to aid those with gambling problems. “We are not here to judge people, we are here to help them.” The Huron Addiction Services can be reached at 482-1767. Walking 3 km in 35 minutes can do wonders for your health. It's that simple. k A little exercise can go a long way! Shanna a Healthier Future ^paRnnpacnon^® Avon SCHOOL Maitland Learning for a Lifetime Public Community Meetings In accordance with Board Policy No. 18 School Closure Policy, public meetings will be held at each school named for further study for.possible school closure. The following meetings will provide communities with information on school accommodation from a district perspective and information specific to the named school. There will be an opportunity for questions to be asked and feedback to be given by the public. Falstaff Public School January 11,2000 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Falstaff Public School Downie Central Public School January 12, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Downie Central Public School Walton Public School January 13, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Duff’s United Church (beside Walton Public School) Seaforth Public School January 17, 2000 at 7:00 p m. to 9:30 p.m. at Seaforth Public School McCurdy Public School January 19, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at McCurdy Public School Seaforth District High School January 20, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Seaforth DHS gymnasium Vanastra Public School January 24, 2000 at 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Vanastra Public School For further information contact the Director's Office. FRENCH IMMERSION REGISTRATION Students now in SK and Grade 1 may register for French Immersion beginning next September in Grade One and Grade Two at Bedford Public School in Stratford. Registrations for French Immersion for September 2000, will be accepted beginning Monday, January 10, 2000 to Friday, February 4. 2000, Contact your local Public School Principal as soon as possible. Transportation will be provided for students within Stratford who live outside the Bedford attendance area. Students who live outside Stratford may be accommodated, space permitting, on existing bus routes senring Stratford schools. For further information, contact Dianne Stevenson. Avon Maitland District School Board 62 Chalk Street, North Seaforth, ON N0K1W0 Telephone (519) 527-0111 or 1-800-592-5437 Fax (519) 527-0222 LORNE RACHLIS WENDY ANDERSON Director of Education Chair You Can Make Difference HUNTINGTON DISEASE HUNTINGTON SOCIETY OF CANADA 1-800-998-7398 C INSTANT FAX N AS F.A.S.T AS PHONE Send your paperwork by FAX instantly! eg. statements, contracts, auction ads, favorite recipes, obituaries, messages... The Citizen has a FAX machine in our office that lets you contact any other FAX machine in the world... instantly. Our FAX number is also your number so if you want to be reached instantly - we will receive your messages as well. Ca// Us Today For Details 523-4792 or 887-9114 FAX 523-9140 or 887-9021 C itizen^