Post 71

Halt the Roots of Relapse!

HALT! The Roots of Relapse

 Seeing double?  Same words.  Same order.   Yes.

Same meaning?  Perhaps … but look again.

The first is an imperative – a command, an order.

The second  - a description or even an explanation.  The exclamation mark clues us in …

 first:

Stop/halt  (growing/cultivating)  the roots of what may become a relapse.

second:

What are some identifiable “roots” of relapse?   H.A.L.T.

Often, recovery language speaks of the “roots” of addiction.  Then too, we hear of “recovery roots”.  Less commonly discussed, though, are the “roots of relapse” … usually referred to as reactivation of the addictive response to triggers and urges. 

It’s been known that for some folks, vacations can serve as triggers to relapse.  Possibly, the change of scenery (that once was associated with the addiction) or the time-on-your-hands trigger, etc., comes into play and pushes the old “action” or “escape” buttons. 

So for this beginning-of-the-summer edition of the GRM Blog, I want us to take a look at the dynamics of four, often stated, RELAPSE  ROOTS.  We’ll do this in the form of a set of simply stated (though possibly not simple to do) questions pertaining to each “root”.  As you go through these questions, perhaps, you will find more questions to consider in exploring the underground/covered –up/ hidden forces that may cultivate the dynamics that can encourage the possibilities of slips and relapses.

Remember, it has been observed:  relapse does not occur in a vacuum!

H -  Hunger 

·      Most obviously, am I in need of food?  Am I having meals regularly?  Many people, when hungry, become irritable and look for a quick fix to the fill the empty stomach … quick fix whether it be actual food (perhaps, the quick, unhealthy kinds) or something else to satisfy a down mood.

·     Still on the topic of eatable food, how am I satisfying the nutritional needs of my body (including my brain)?  It’s a no brainer (sorry for the pun) that our bodies and minds feel better with healthy diets … plus certain medications work more efficiently with appropriately balanced nutrition.

·    What do I hunger for?  Do I experience yearnings to accomplish, to try, to experience, to attain, to become …?

A – Angry

·      Is there a present issue that needs particular attention that I need to resolve (1) individually with courage and Divine Help (2) with the console of another person?

·    Are there longstanding provocations for anger  for which I need to find help from a counselor?

·    Is my personal situation of anger one where the Serenity Prayer especially applies?  (to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference)

L – Lonely

·      Is loneliness a consistent part of my daily life?  Loneliness can be a very real, deep-down sense of existence.  In fact, it can be experienced as so pervasive that it can be debilitating.  It affects not only one’s self esteem but also the person’s estimation of his/her own abilities.  Loneliness fears, questions, doubts, and limits. 

·     Are there baby-steps that I can take to open doors to meaningful communication and interaction with others?  Often we may overlook ways to reach out to others.  Even if the steps to take are mini ones, we may discover connections and activities that were not obvious due to our blankets of loneliness.   Sometimes, just the doing will bring fresh awareness to one’s situation … and more ideas for meaningful attempts to connect.

·    To what do I attribute this pervasive feeling?  This is a very individual and personal question.  It may be one to explore with a professional counselor.  Keeping involved with one’s recovery fellowship (GA, Gam-Anon, AA, NA, OA, etc.) and volunteering for responsibilities, within, will keep relationships going with others who, likewise, are working their recovery programs.  They may be lonely too!

 

T – Tired 

·      Does   H, A, L = T ?  Review what has been mentioned already.  Feeling tired holds us down.  It affects our physical work, mental energy, and emotional sense of well-being.  Debilitating tiredness may very well intertwine with all three of the above points.  Professional health check-ups are recommended!

May this summer for you be one of healthy renewal, affirmation, learning, peace, and courage!

Blessings,

Rev. Janet Jacobs

Founding Director
Gambling Recovery Ministries
www.grmumc.org

For more information on gambling addiction and recovery issues, go to www.gamblersanonymous.org  and www.gam-anon.org 

 

 

Pioneers and Frontiers ... Marilyn Lancelot

Post 70

As you may know, Kentucky has been the seat of recent training sessions for clergy and lay ministers for the American Board's new Clergy/Lay Ministers Certification in Gambling Addiction Prevention, Education, Awareness, and Spiritual Outreach Care.  Within the instruction, I often remind those working on this national certification that - so far - we are "pioneers" as faith-based ministers specializing as First Responders in (what I will call) the "frontier" mental health field of problem gambling recovery.  Yes, there is ongoing research and nationally certified counselors continue to be trained.  Moreover, fellowships as Gamblers Anonymous and Gam-Anon are encouraging supports for persons seeking help and recovery.

However, when I was assigned to create and implement a gambling recovery outreach in 2001, there was little to pattern-after this new-start parish ministry.  Yet I did find a wonderful resource to understand further the plight of persons suffering from gambling addiction.  The website, geared to women gamblers, included heartfelt and heart-wrenching letters about their trials and victories. Counselors wrote educational articles on compulsive gambling and recovery issues ... testimonies made the stories personal and real.  I read and read ... and I learned and learned.

This website www.female.info is the creation of a woman who personally knows about both the torment of and the recovery from compulsive gambling.  Marilyn Lancelot brought the reality of women gamblers to nationwide attention in the 1990's and into the 21st century.  Her online Women Helping Women Newsletter is an international outreach of encouragement to those struggling against gambling addiction.  I salute you, Marilyn, for telling your story, being honest with us, your readers, opening more and more GA Meetings (including prison GA Meetings), speaking out about the basics and the details of the devastations of addiction, and providing a worldwide platform for shared advice and celebration stories!  Keep on pioneering!  There are many frontiers to explore in the land of recovery!  Thank you for your courage to say the words we all need to hear!
                                      ...........................................................................

I have written the below article for the final edition of Women Helping Women, June 2015.   

We were invited and challenged to be "pioneers".  It was an exciting event! 

The huge hotel ballroom was filled with professionals, anxious to hear about treatment for problem gambling.  I had driven 2 ½ hours to attend Ohio’s First Ever Annual Conference on Problem Gambling.  The keynote speaker excitedly exclaimed that, years before, a “conference” on problem gambling might be a handful of colleagues gathered around her office space.  Instead, this was 2003 … and a real crowd of therapists and social workers had gathered.

Gambling Recovery Ministries (GRM) was not quite two years old then … and the call to be a pioneer in the burgeoning, frontier field of problem gambling recovery rang true.  Four years earlier, a soon-to-be-leader in the field of compulsive gambling recovery offered a pioneering outreach to those struggling with gambling addiction  – particularly –  female gamblers.   Her endeavor was a website designed to encourage women - seeking recovery, maintaining recovery, and celebrating recovery!  Marilyn Lancelot, through straight-forward, honest sharing of her hellish experiences in addiction, opened up worldwide awareness to the plight of women struggling with an addiction once reserved, by the public eye, to men only.

This website, www.femalegamblers.info , welcomed contributions from both those experiencing, first-hand, problems with gambling as well as counselors and clinicians with specialties in serving this population.  Over the years, articles and letters to the Women Helping Women Newsletter have come from the website’s worldwide readership.  Compiled, Marilyn Lancelot’s website’s entries would be an encyclopedic treasure trove of testimonies, clinical commentaries, and openly candid, tried-and-true, soundbites of advice.

It was through this media and her first book, Gripped by Gambling, I became acquainted with Marilyn.  We met at a national conference on problem gambling wherein she served as one of the special speakers.  I bought “Gripped …” for the Gambling Recovery Ministries Resource Center Library and have loaned it to others seeking to understand more about recovery from gambling addiction.   Needless to say, it’s been a blessing!

Marilyn’s message of  both reality and hope speaks loud and clear.  Her authentic testimony has been heard at the National Gambling Impact Study Commission and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse; and she continues to speak at numerous professional conferences nationwide.  Again, she is the voice of experience and encouragement  -  crying out to others in the wilderness of their despair - the truly, good news of recovery.

Marilyn’s work in gambling recovery continues to pioneer outside of publishing and speaking engagements too.  Her advocating of recovery through Gamblers Anonymous keeps calling women to take the journey to serenity and wellness.

Thank you, Marilyn!  May God bless you as you continue to pioneer and bring to all your transforming messages of personal understanding and hope for recovery!

Blessings with Sincere Gratefulness,

 Rev. Janet Jacobs

Director, Gambling Recovery Ministries

www.grmumc.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kentucky Clergy/Lay Ministers Certification Trainings in the Home Stretch!

Post 69

First, Lexington ... second, Morehead ... next, Shepherdsville (Greater Louisville Area)! 

We are stretching across the State of Kentucky with the American Board's pioneering Clergy/Lay Ministers Certification in Problem Gambling Prevention, Education, Awareness, and Spiritual Outreach Care.  The curriculum covers both clinical and spiritually-focused information; the take-home materials are quite practical to the parish and ready to use; and the instruction is noteworthy and accompanied by real-life testimonies.  Each time, we've met enthusiasm and keen interest!

During May 11-13, Modules 3 and 4 will be given in conjunction with the Kentucky Faith-Based Prevention Enhancement Site Fourth Annual Conference: Empowerment for Prevention!  This conference is also  a collaboration with the Kentucky Faith-Based Coalition.  The Conference dates are May 11-12.

Below is information about both - the Modules' Training Sessions and the Conference. 

NOTICE!  Modules 3 and 4 Free Training Sessions

 ACGCCB  CLERGY/LAY MINISTERS CERTIFICATION

in Problem Gambling Prevention, Education, Awareness, and Spiritual Outreach Care

 

MONDAY, TUESDAY, and WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 12, 13

2000 West Fourth Street, Shepherdsville, Kentucky (Family Worship Center Church)

Monday:  MODULE  3 

9:30 AM - 11:30 AM  at  Family Worship Center Church, Shepherdsville, KY  

 

Kentucky Faith-Based “Empowerment for Prevention” Conference  Registration & Exhibits 12:00-1:00

Conference Opening Plenary  1:00   Paroquet Springs Conference Center, Shepherdsville, KY

Information on this Conference can be found at  www.kyfaithbasedprevention.com  or e-mail kyfaithbasedprevention@yahoo.com

 
Tuesday:  MODULE  3 continues 

6:30 PM – 9:30 PM  at  Family Worship Center Church

 
Wednesday:  MODULE  4 

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM  at  Family Worship Center Church

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Registration is still open.  If you have not already registered yet, you may register at kyfaithbasedprevention@yahoo.com   Please, indicate the Module for which you are registering OR both Modules. 

MEALS are on your own at local restaurants, convenient to the training site.  We will have coffee, tea, and pastries on Monday and Wednesday mornings.

 DIRECTIONS:

The church is located at 2000 Hwy. 44 West in Shephersville, Kentucky.  At I-65 exit 117, turn West and go 3 miles to the church on the right side of the road.  From Dixie Hwy. (US 31 W, US 60) turn East onto Hwy 44; proceed 11 miles to the church on the left side of the road.  A parking lot is at the church.

EXTRA NOTE: Repeat Training Sessions for Modules 1 and 2 are scheduled for Tuesday/Wednesday, June 9-10, in either Louisville or Lexington.  Details on location and times will be forthcoming.

The Clergy/Lay Ministers Certification is a Program of the American Compulsive Gambling Counselors Certification Board.  This is a National Certification.  For more information on this Certification, e-mail  CCGNJAlice@aol.com

 

Post 68

March is NATIONAL PROBLEM GAMBLING AWARENESS MONTH!

During this month of March, watch for the P’s!!

Programs, Posters, PowerPoints, Panel discussions, Papers, Public health announcements, and Press releases on becoming aware of problem gambling …

in one’s family, circle of friends, workplace, church pew, and/or oneself! 

Across the nation, there is a growing awareness of gambling addiction and how this devastating disease is impacting all ages and economic levels … and society, in general.  In keeping with the theme of awareness, this edition of the GRM Blog will highlight the signs and symptoms of problem and compulsive gambling.  It’s not always a condition that’s easy to spot.  Sometimes, problem gambling is masked as “a money problem” or “we [spouses] just don’t get along anymore” or “(s)he’s always late for work and her/his projects are usually late now” or “his/her grades have really slipped and (s)he’s always on edge.”

Here is a listing of symptoms to look for when a person is experiencing problems with gambling:

•     Preoccupied with gambling (i.e., reliving past gambling experiences, planning the

            next venture, or thinking of ways to get money to gamble)
 
       ·         Secretive about his/her gambling habits, and defensive when confronted

·         Increasing bet amounts when gambling in order to achieve the desired excitement

·         Trying unsuccessfully to control, cut back, or stop gambling

·         Restless or irritable when not gambling

·         Gambling to escape problems

·         “Chasing” losses with more gambling

·         Lying to family and others about the extent of gambling

·         Jeopardizing or losing relationships, jobs, education, or career opportunities because of gambling

·         Relying on others to bail him or her out to relieve a desperate financial situation caused by gambling

See references below for help if a gambling problem is indicated by a number of “yes” answers to these problems!

Also, for this month’s GRM Blog, I am pleased to announce that the Mid-Central Alliance on Problem Gambling is holding an Educational Conference that will prove to be of significant assistance to professional problem gambling counselors.  Here are the details!

Time:  Tuesday/Wednesday, March 24 and 25

Location:  Indianapolis, IN at the Holiday Inn, 251 E. Pennsylvania Pkwy.

Register for both days:  www.ipgap.indiana.edu

CEUs granted: 14

FOCUS:   

THE STUDY OF THE ENNEAGRAM

Presented by Renee Siegel, MA, LISAC, NCGC-II

The word “enneagram” refers to a symbol with nine points, referencing nine types of perceptions of reality (personalities) and the movement between them.  The study of the enneagram is very useful in growing your self-awareness, growing tolerance and understanding of others, [and] understanding how we each operate on “automatic pilot”, sometimes even when we don’t want to.  However, when we step back and examine these nine types with nine habitual patterns of thinking, feeling, and doing, we can see ourselves more clearly and make changes.

Finally, plans are continuing for ongoing trainings in Kentucky for the Clergy/Lay Ministers Certification in Gambling Addiction Prevention, Education, Awareness, and Spiritual Outreach Care by the American Compulsive Gambling Counselor Certification Board.  For more information on this new national certification – and how you can register for the trainings AND bring it to your State – contact the American Board at (609)588-9338 or e-mail ccgnjalice@aol.com

Blessings,

Rev. Janet Jacobs

Founding Director
Gambling Recovery Ministries

For more information on help with problem gambling, go to www.gamblersanonymous.org

For Gambling Awareness Month Resources, visit www.npgam.org   You will find the following resources: infographic, resource guide, sample proclamations, press releases, and grassroots media outreach.

For more information on problem gambling and recovery issues, go to www.grmumc.org  

 

For special perspectives on women and problem gambling, visit www.femalegamblers.info/    

Post 67

PROMISE … AND PIONEERS!

It was obviously not a pre-planned, written-out acceptance speech.  The award truly came as a personal surprise.  Standing at the podium in the crowded banquet room,  acceptance words tumbled out - re-gifting the Jim Cooke Leadership Award to all in the room who represent PROMISE to folks seeking help for problem gambling.  Bringing help, hope, and promise (of better days to come) to persons affected, both directly and indirectly, by gambling addiction is, indeed, still a PIONEERING effort in the field of mental health services.  This Award, from the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling, is an incredible honor to receive … and yet, there’s more behind this very special distinction for which I am most grateful.  

As accurately as I can, I am – now for this February Posting - composing my acceptance “speech” in bulleted form, along with italicized, background information (from the KYCPG website www.kycpg.org ).  You will see that themes of “Promise” and “Pioneers”, likewise, continue to run through the outreach work of the Kentucky Council.

·         First, each person present at the Kentucky Council’s Awards Luncheon (of the 16^th Annual Education and Awareness Conference on Problem Gambling) serves as a “beacon of promise” through knowledge gained and shared through learning conferences about problem gambling and how recovery can truly come.

KYCPG’s Goals and Strategies: Goal – To provide education and training programs on problem gambling throughout Kentucky.  Strategy – To ensure the continued development of training programs that enhance knowledge of the issue of problem gambling.  Twice annually, the Council hosts Education and Awareness Conferences, with a number of scholarships offered for each event. 

·         This promise, portrayed via hope and help, is extended to those who – initially – have not sensed any promise for a different and better life.  Their existence has been that of failure, shame, and tremendous pain.   


The Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling encourages individuals to become Certified Compulsive Gambling Counselors.  Although professionally counseling compulsive gamblers shares many aspects of professional counseling of other addictions and disorders, there are some critically important differences.  Without familiarity of and understanding how to address those differences, the attempt at counseling the compulsive gambler can be unsuccessful.  Working in cooperation with the state Division of Behavioral Health, KYCPG has helped increased the number of certified counselors in Kentucky.Also, the Council has presented an Exam Preparation Workshop to encourage counselors to seek certification by the American Compulsive Gambling Counselor Certification Board.

·         Second, we are a gathering – here and now – of “true pioneers”!  It is exciting work … opening new doors of recovery to many individuals who feel isolated in their addiction due to inadequate care - and who experience the sting of marginalization from others ready to minimize their afflictions or point the finger of shame. 

The Kentucky Council was founded 20 years ago!

It began as the vision of Curtis L. Barrett, Ph.D., professor emeritus, University of Louisville [who] saw in his teaching and practice that pathological gambling (then known as compulsive gambling) was an existing concern for Kentucky, and that action was needed to raise awareness of the issue among the citizenry, with governments and even inside the gambling industry, itself. 

Moreover …

KYCPG was the founding council of the MidCentral Alliance on Problem Gambling, which also includes the state councils on problem gambling affiliated with the National Council on Problem Gambling in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin 

·         In journeying new paths and creating new concepts, as pioneers we will face obstacles and even opposition.  We find it is often tough setting an unexplored  pace and direction.  Colleagues may hesitate to understand where we are going, continue to hold onto comfortable, familiar perspectives, or keep their doors closely guarded.  We may even begin to feel that our clients are not the only ones marginalized! 

Still, our own country was settled by pioneers – from the beginning!  Yes, creating those new doors of recovery is groundbreaking and, sometimes, lonely work.  But as history tells us, this work is worth it … and as GA and Gam-Anon members proclaim, You [you and those who seek help for problem gambling] are worth it!  We are all people of worth – and assisting folks into recovery is an incredibly, significant way to remind them of their own unique worthiness.

Therefore, I express in humble gratitude to you, Members of the Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling and Council Director Mike Stone, my deep Thank You for this very special award … and for the pioneering leadership you continue to and have provided for these many years … in extending help and hope … and the embodiment of promise for recovery to all affected by problem gambling. 

Blessings,

Rev. Janet Jacobs
Founding Director
Gambling Recovery Ministries

For more information on problem gambling and recovery issues, visit www.grmumc.org

For information and registration details for the MidCentral Conference on Problem Gambling, on March 24-25, in Indianapolis, go to www.indianaproblemgambling.org

Member organizations of the MidCentral Alliance include:

·         · Indiana Council on Problem Gambling    www.indianaproblemgambling.org

• Illinois Council on Problem Gambling    www.icpg.info

·           Indiana Division of Mental Health & Addiction    www.state.in.us 

·           Indiana Prevention Resource Center        www.drugs.indiana.edu 

·           Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling   www.kycpg.org   

·           Michigan Association on Problem Gambling  www.michapg.com   

·           Northstar Alliance on Problem Gambling.org (Minnesota)      www.northstarproblemgambling.org 

·           Problem Gambling Network of Ohio www.pgnohio.org   

·           Kentucky Behavioral Health & Development and Intellectual Disabilities     www.dbhdid.ky.gov/kdbhdid/default.asp  

·           Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling   www.wi-gamblers.org 

·           Gambling Recovery Ministries    www.grmumc.org