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Gambling
Gambling
For many people gambling can be exciting and entertaining. For others it can become an addiction with adverse affects impacting relationships, family, careers and finances. The Ontario Lawyers Assistance Program reports an increase in problematic gambling among Ontario lawyers. Consider the information provided in the following pages.
What is Gambling and Compulsive Gambling?
The following sites provide definitions for gambling as well as compulsive and problematic gambling.
Do you have a gambling problem?
The following are self-assessments that assist you in evaluating your gambling habit.
Cases in Point
Consider this case study which illustrates the debilitating effects of compulsive gambling on a lawyer's professional and personal lives:
Treatment Centres & Resources
The following is a partial list of treatment centres offering professional help for people with gambling addictions.
- Bellwood Health Centre (www.bellwood.ca)
This facility provides treatment to individuals from across Canada who have alcohol and drug addictions, eating disorders, gambling, sexual addictions and stress-related illnesses as well as a variety of compulsive or problematic behaviours.
- Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (www.ccsa.ca)
CCSA is Canada's national addictions agency. It provides objective, evidence-based information and advice that will help reduce the health, social and economic harm associated with substance abuse and addictions.
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (www.camh.net)
This centre is a public hospital providing care for people with mental health and addiction problems. CAMH is Canada's leading teaching hospital and also offers community-based facilities offering health promotion and prevention services across the province.
- Emotions Anonymous (www.emotionsanonymous.org)
Emotions Anonymous is built on a twelve-step program, similar to Alcoholics Anonymous. It facilitates weekly meetings for the purpose of working toward recovery from emotional difficulties.
- Gam-Anon Org. (www.gam-anon.org)
Is a group providing help to spouses, family and close friends of compulsive gamblers.
- Gamblers Anonymous (www.gamblersanonymous.org)
Gamblers Anonymous provides a forum for problem gamblers to share their experiences with each other in order to resolve and recover from gambling problems.
- Homewood Health Centre (www.homewood.org)
This centre, located in Guelph, Ontario, provides a wide range of programs dealing with mental health and addictions.
- Responsible Gambling Council (Ontario) (www.responsiblegambling.org)
RGC is an Ontario based organization helping individuals and communities address gambling issues through information, awareness/prevention, professional development and research.
- Addiction Resource Guide [US] (www.addictionresourceguide.com)
This site has a comprehensive directory of addiction treatment facilities.
- Dr. Koop [US] (www.drkoop.com)
Dr. Koop offers daily consumer-friendly advice about a variety of health and wellness issues.
- Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers [US] (www.lcl.org)
This is a US based organization of attorneys and judges dedicated to assisting those in the legal profession who suffer due to various causes, including but not limited to alcohol and/or chemical addiction.
I want help now
OLAP (Ontario Lawyers Assistance Program) provides one-on-one ongoing
volunteer peer support and professional counselling to lawyers, judges and law students who suffer from alcohol, drug or other
addictions, eating disorders, stress, burnout or mental illness. They will assist with referrals for support, assessments and
counselling. If you, your partner or your spouse needs help, please call. All calls are strictly confidential.
To contact the Volunteer Executive Director, call John Starzynski 1-877-584-6227. Leota Embleton, Program Manager, can be reached
at 416-241-7983 or 1-877-576-6227. The OLAP 24-hour Helpline is 1-800-667-5722.
For more information on OLAP and other programs that offer assistance click here.
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