By
Joseph Ciarrocchi, Loyola College, Columbia, Maryland, U.S.A.
Description
Over the past decade, legal wagering has expanded rapidly in North America. In 1998 alone, people lost 50 billion dollars in legal betting
and it is estimated that illegal wagering is twice that amount. A recent government report, based on the broadest population survey,
concludes that the lifetime and pathological gamblers in the U.S. range between 4 and 10 million persons and is growing. If we include
the families affected by problem gambling then the potential impact is indeed prodigious. Virtually no community in the U.S. and Canada
is left untouched by entertainment or problem gambling. Treating problem gambling has evolved from a small group of practitioners in
the 1980's working in specialty impatient units into an international enterprise that affects the caseload of many mental health professionals.
Owing to its quiet origins, problem gambling treatment strategies are not well known throughout the clinical community. Consequently
the average clinician is him/herself "learning as they go." This approach does not benefit either client or therapist. As the book's
first chapter makes clear, problem gambling differs significantly from substance abuse, its nearest clinical relative. Not attending
to these differences leads to poor results and clinical failure. This book is the one essential tool needed by clinicians treating or
likely to treat problem gambling. Written by a clinician with wide experience, it is intended for the general clinician treating or likely
to treat problem gambling desiring a comprehensive, yet user-friendly guide.
Included in series
Practical Resources for the Mental Health Professional
Audience:
In addition to clinical and counseling psychologists in private independent practice, therapists in publicly funded agencies represent a large audience relevant to treating problem gambling.
