Best Gambling Addiction

Drawing on fifteen years of field research in Las Vegas, anthropologist Natasha Dow Schüll shows how the mechanical rhythm of electronic gambling pulls players into a trancelike state they call the "machine zone," in which daily worries, social demands, and even bodily awareness fade away. Schüll describes the strategic calculations behind game algorithms and machine ergonomics, casino architecture and "ambience management," player tracking and cash access systems--all designed to meet the market's desire for maximum "time on device." Ms Schüll has spent two decades studying the boom in casino gambling: the layout of its properties, the addicts and problem gamblers who account for roughly half its revenue in some places, and the engineering that goes into its most sophisticated products. Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas reads like a combination of Scientific American's number puzzles and the 'blue Book' of Alcoholics Anonymous." A richly detailed account of the particulars of video gaming addiction, worth reading for the excellence of the ethnographic narrative alone, it is also an empirically rigorous examination of users, designers, and objects that deepens practical and philosophical questions about the capacities of players interacting with machines designed to entrance them." Applying an anthropological perspective, the author focuses especially on the Las Vegas gambling industry, seeing many of today's avid machine gamblers as less preoccupied with winning than with maintaining themselves in the game, playing for as long as possible, and entering into a trance-like state of being, totally enmeshed psychologically into gaming and totally removed from the ordinary obligations of everyday life. "If books can be tools, Addiction by Design is one of the foundational artifacts for understanding the digital age--a lever, perhaps, to pry ourselves from the grasp of the coercive loops that now surround us." "Original, ambitious, and written with elegant lucidity, Addiction by Design presents us with a narrative that is as compulsive as the behavior it describes. Schüll's book offers a grim warning about the ways others can deliberately cut us off from natural and supernatural joys." "A fascinating, frightening window into the world of gambling in Las Vegas and the technological innovations that deliberately enhance and sustain the 'zone'--the odd, absorbed state for which extreme machine gamblers yearn. "This gripping, insightful, and poignant analysis of machine gambling offers a kind of object lesson in the intensified forms of consumption that computer-based technologies enable. An exemplary case of the way in which close, critical investigation of specific sites of capitalism can provide a deeper understanding of both intimate experience and widespread socioeconomic arrangements."

Wexler's gripping narrative leads us through the dungeon of a compulsive gambler's world—chasing the big win and coming up with empty pockets—and how his addiction drove him and his wife, Sheila, to the edge of life. He has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including Nightline , the Today Show , Good Morning America , Inside Edition , 48 Hours , and Crossfire , among others. All Bets Are Off offers an honest, open, frank—and at times opinionated—personal reflection on the devastation and deception of the disease as it manifests in gamblers and as it impacts those who love them. There’s a reason why, for the last thirty-five years, he has been the news media’s go-to guy on issues of addicted gambling: He has saved at least as many souls, including his own, as Mother Teresa.”. — Phil Mushnick Sports Columnist, NY Post. We learn and understand the effects of gambling and from this we can bring awareness and prevention; but most of all it gives a sense of hope that we can help, make positive strides, and be nonjudgmental.”. — Judge Cheryl Moss Las Vegas, Nevada. We all know someone who has reached his or her limit; Arnie fought his way back and lived to tell about what it takes to recover and reclaim your life.”. — Ian Eagle CBS Sports/YES Network/Westwood One Radio. In this intensely personal story, Sheila and Arnie bring home the reality of the dangers inherent in gambling when it becomes an addiction. This is an important treatise that finally brings this hidden problem to the public’s eye.”. — Allan Lans, DO, FASAM Assistant Professor in Psychiatry, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. No one knows the ins-and-outs of compulsive gambling better than Arnie Wexler, who has helped literally thousands of people to break loose from this deadly addiction. The more we know about compulsive gambling, the more we can protect ourselves and our loved ones from this malignant condition.”. — Abraham J. Twerski, MD Medical Director Emeritus and Founder, Gateway Rehabilitation Center. I have the deepest respect and admiration for both of them, not only for the help they provide to people, but for allowing me to be both instructor and student.”. — Deneen L Hernandez FBI Forensic Examiner. All Bets Are Off chronicles Wexler's life as a gambler that began on the streets of Brooklyn, New York, flipping cards, shooting marbles, and playing pinball machines. Wexler's gripping narrative leads us through the dungeon of a compulsive gambler's world--chasing the big win and coming up with empty pockets--and how his addiction drove him and his wife, Sheila, to the edge of life.

In Recover to Live , more than 100 of the world’s top experts interviewed by Lawford share their research and wisdom on how to determine if your bad habit is becoming a dependency, what treatments will work best for you, how best to help yourself or a loved one recover from addiction, and how to lead a fulfilling and productive life in recovery. “Christopher Lawford's Recover to Live is not only a personally revealing bible of hope and an encyclopedia for those struggling with addictions and their families, friends, and colleagues, it is a robust anthem to inspire the recovery community to come together to make our nation and this world a better place for all of us.” —Joseph A. Califano, Jr.Founder, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia UniversityFormer U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare “This is an important book by a genuine and insightful man. Recover to Live may alter the way broader society looks at the disease of addiction and those who are suffering from it.” —Drew Pinsky, M.D.Host, Dr. Drew. Recover to Live will help ease the suffering of addicts and their families. “ Recover to Live is a lifeline for anyone drowning in addiction. Recovery is a whole lot more than abstinence from addictive behavior; it is a new and less self-centered life that rises from the suffering of addiction. " Recover to Live has a clear and powerful message: Anyone can step out of the shadows of addiction and have a better life." “ Recover to Live provides the most up to date information available on addiction, treatment, and recovery today; the tools and strategies are proven to work, easy to understand and to apply.” —Evgeny M. Krupitsky, M.D., Ph.D., D.Med.Sci., Prof.Chief, Laboratory of Clinical Psychopharmacology of Addictions, St. Petersburg State Pavlov Medical UniversityChief, Department of Addictions, Bekhterev Research Psychoneurological Institute. “In Recover to Live , you’ll find out how and why they decided to get help, the many options there are to get well, and the choices you can make to live a new life.” —Patricia TaylorExecutive Director, Faces & Voices of Recovery. “Rarely does such a book cover a full range of problem behaviors and offers proven ways to address them.” —Alexandre Laudet, Ph.D.Director, Center for the Study of Addictions and Recovery, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. “ Recover to Live offers a holistic approach to recovery An approach to recovery of this kind is long overdue and I highly recommend this book to people in recovery, their families, and professionals in the field.” —Kitty S. Harris, Ph.D., L.M.F.T., L.C.D.C.Director, Center for the Study of Addiction and Recovery, Texas Tech UniversityAuthor, Women & Recovery: Finding Hope. “ Recover to Live challenges us to be radically open-minded about the ubiquity of addictions and compulsions in our lives. Solutions are found in collaboration, and Lawford has elicited remarkable cooperation from a broad range of addiction treatment professionals.” —Jeffrey D. Roth, M.D., F.A.S.A.M., A.G.P.A.Addiction Psychiatrist, Author, and Medical Director, Working Sobriety ChicagoEditor, Journal of Groups in Addiction Recovery.

Your Sexually Addicted Partner shatters the stigma and shame that millions of men and women carry when their partners are sexually addicted. "This sensible and authoritative guide will serve as a comforting source for those with a sexually addicted partner and as a resourceful approach for counselors."

This seminal book has enabled millions of smokers to quit easily and enjoyably using Carr's simple, drug-free approach. Allen Carr was an accountant and smoked 100 cigarettes a day until he gave up and wrote this bestselling book. It seems likely that the years he spent curing smokers in smoke-filled sessions at his clinics must have contributed to this illness, but Allen Carr remained positive; "Given that I am informed that I have cured at least 10 million smokers on a conservative estimation, it's a price worth paying."

Their vivid case studies (reminiscent of Oliver Sacks) in Stuff show how you can identify a hoarder—piles on sofas and beds that make the furniture useless, houses that can be navigated only by following small paths called goat trails, vast piles of paper that the hoarders “churn” but never discard, even collections of animals and garbage—and illuminate the pull that possessions exert over all of us. Or Jerry and Alvin, wealthy twin bachelors who filled up matching luxury apartments with countless pieces of fine art, not even leaving themselves room to sleep? Randy Frost and Gail Steketee were the first to study hoarding when they began their work a decade ago; they expected to find a few sufferers but ended up treating hundreds of patients and fielding thousands of calls from the families of others. Now they explore the compulsion through a series of compelling case studies in the vein of Oliver Sacks.With vivid portraits that show us the traits by which you can identify a hoarder--piles on sofas and beds that make the furniture useless, houses that can be navigated only by following small paths called goat trails, vast piles of paper that the hoarders "churn" but never discard, even collections of animals and garbage--Frost and Steketee explain the causes and outline the often ineffective treatments for the disorder.They also illuminate the pull that possessions exert on all of us. Whether we're savers, collectors, or compulsive cleaners, none of us is free of the impulses that drive hoarders to the extremes in which they live. A major feature of hoarding is the large amount of disorganized clutter that creates chaos in the home. Rooms can no longer be used as they were intended, moving around the house is difficult, exits are blocked, and life inside the home becomes dysfunctional. Many hoarders describe themselves as information junkies who save newspapers, magazines, brochures, and other information-laden papers. This takes many forms, including the sentimental association of things with important persons, places, or events, something most people experience as well, just not to the same degree as hoarders. Finally, some people hoard because they appreciate the aesthetic appeal of objects, especially their shape, color, and texture. At the time of acquisition, people who hoard often experience a sort of high or euphoric sensation during which their thoughts center on how wonderful it would be to own the object in front of them. These thoughts are so pleasant that they dominate thinking, crowding out information that might curb the urge to acquire. We do suspect there is a connection between hoarding and traumatic experiences, or chaotic or disruptive living situations, earlier in life. Only about 20 percent of people with hoarding problems report any significant OCD symptoms, like checking or cleaning rituals. In fact, the distress we see in hoarding comes from the byproduct of the acquiring and saving--the clutter--or from thinking about discarding things. For these reasons, many scientists who study hoarding have recommended that it be classified as a distinct disorder separate from OCD. People can just pick out the picture in each sequence that comes closest to the clutter in their own living room. This requires some degree of judgment because no two homes look exactly alike, and clutter can be higher in some parts of the room than in others. In general, clutter that reaches the level of picture #4 or higher impinges enough on people's lives that we would encourage them to get help for their hoarding problem. Amassing stuff is normal in our materialistic culture, but for millions it reaches unhealthy levels, according to the authors of this eye-opening study of the causes of hoarding, its meaning for the hoarder, and its impact on their families. Frost, a professor of psychology at Smith College, and Steketee, dean of the social work school at Brown, gather much anecdotal material from conversations with extreme hoarders and find that for such people, intense emotional meaning is attached to so many of their possessions… even trash. They even speculate that a hoarder's attention to the details of objects may indicate a special form of creativity and appreciation for the aesthetics of everyday things. This succinct, illuminating book will prove helpful to hoarders, their families, and mental health professionals who work with them.

But, they resist change because they fear losing the pleasure and stress-relief associated with alcohol, and assume giving it up will involve deprivation and misery. Here, Annie Grace clearly presents the psychological and neurological components of alcohol use based on the latest science, and reveals the cultural, social, and industry factors that support alcohol dependence in all of us. She grew up in a one-room cabin without running water or electricity in the mountains of Colorado and then, at age 26, became the youngest vice president in a multinational corporation. Annie's program has been featured in Forbes, the New York Daily News, and the Chicago Tribune. Annie is successful, happy, and alcohol-free and lives with her husband and three children in the Colorado mountains. I try to piece the previous evening togeth- er, attempting to count my drinks. I start to worry about my health, beginning the well- trodden road of fear and recrimination: What were you thinking? Just enough to shut down my brain, fall back asleep, and stop hurting. These early mornings are the only time I’m honest with myself, admitting I drink too much and need to change. If you ask me about drinking I’ll tell you I love it; it relaxes me and makes life fun. I am so busy that I don’t leave room for honesty, questioning, and bro- ken promises. I am no longer in control, and the only time I am brave enough to admit it (even to myself ) is alone, in the dark, at three in the morning. If my choice is to live a life of misery in diseased abstinence or drink myself to an early grave, I choose the latter. And I person- ally know self-proclaimed alcoholics who, rather than finding peace, fight a daily battle for sobriety. Recovering appears syn- onymous with accepting life as just OK and adjusting to a new reality of missing out. The idea of recovering seems to give alcohol more power even, and maybe especially, when I am abstaining from it. I want to make it small and irrelevant in my life rather than allowing it more power over me. Admitting that alcohol is a dangerous and addictive drug like nicotine, cocaine, or heroin has serious implications. It’s as if I have woken up from the Matrix and realized that alcohol was only dulling my senses and keeping me trapped rather than adding to my life. Experts imply that it takes months, even years, of hardship to stop drinking. A tough riddle can make you crazy, taking forever to solve. I offer a perspective of education and enlightenment based on common sense and the most recent insights across psychology and neuroscience. A perspective that will empower and delight you, al- lowing you to forever change your relationship with alcohol.

The healing touchstone of millions, this modern classic by one of America's best-loved and most inspirational authors holds the key to understanding codependency and to unlocking its stultifying hold on your life. In Newsweek magazine, Dr. Drew Pinsky named Melody Beattie's Codependent No More one of the four essential self-help books available today, calling it the "grandaddy of addiction tomes."

When the ratio of nutrients to calories in the food you eat is high, you lose weight. In this new edition, which incorporates the latest scientific nutritional data, Fuhrman's restrictive diet plan is designed for clinically overweight people who suffer from a spectrum of lifestyle/obesity-induced conditions like diabetes and heart disease and need to drop a significant amount of weight fast—about 20 pounds in the first six weeks. Although proven and sound, this guidebook is not for someone who wants to lose those last 10 pounds or fit into her wedding dress; this is a serious undertaking for dieters whose umpteen previous efforts have failed and whose health is endangered. Fuhrman’s nutrient-packed, healthful approach to nutrition combined with quick weight loss can be expressed in this equation, health=nutrients intake/calories intake.

Ten years ago, Janet Woititz broke new ground in our understanding of what it is to be an Adult Child of an Alcoholic. Janet Woititz was the author of Adult Children of Alcoholics, which was on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year. She wrote several other books, including Lifeskills for Adult Children; The Self-Sabotage Syndrome; The Struggle for Intimacy; Marriage on the Rocks; Healing Your Sexual Self and many others. Woititz was the director and founder of the Institute for Counseling and Training in West Caldwell, New Jersey. The medical model is accepted by all responsible folks working in alcoholism treatment. Because of the nature of this illness and the family response to it, certain things occur that influence your self-feelings, attitudes and behaviors in ways that cause you pain and concern. The object of AcoA recovery is to overcome those aspects of your history that cause you difficulty today and to learn a better way. Because there are so many alcoholic families and because we have been fortunate in being able to study them, it is possible to describe in general terms what happens to children who grow up in that environment. To the degree that other families have similar dynamics, individuals who have grown up in other ôdysfunctionalö systems identify with and recover in very much the same way. You may start a new and healthy relationship with them in the present but no amount of amends on their part will fix the past. That is why it is suggested that if you are recovering from an addiction, you need to focus on that first so that you will not be tempted to relieve those feelings in destructive ways. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the written permission of the publisher.

This is the only A.A.W.S.-authorized e-book version of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Using the real-life stories of actual patients, Brain Lock explains this revolutionary method and provides readers with the inspiration and tools to free themselves from their psychic prisons and regain control of their lives. Sinai School of Medicine An estimated 5 million Americans suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and live diminished lives in which they are compelled to obsess about something or to repeat a similar task over and over. In Brain Lock, Jeffrey M. Schwartz presents a simple four-step method for overcoming OCD that is so effective, it's now used in academic treatment centers throughout the world.