Rehabilitation

This question was posed earlier today to me; "what am I going to use as my "medication" when I go away?" It is a fascinating question and one I was thinking about just last night. All of the research I have done on the California Prison System says nothing about having a Gamblers Anonymous program and certainly when I was in the County facility there wasn't anything available as well. I certainly don't want to get ahead of myself; however; it is something I really must think about. If I go away for a number of years and there is no GA available it will be very difficult to continue my recovery. One of the cornerstones of my recovery is GA and I do know California has a program for Alcoholics and Drug Addicts but not Compulsive Gamblers. Maybe it is time to start a program.

Yes, all crimes should have punishment but isn't the goal rehabilitation especially with the non-violent offenders? Why is there a special program for alcoholics and drug addicts when there isn't any for compulsive gamblers? I think I know; not too many people can understand the addiction to gambling because it goes back to the theory of "why don't you just stop". Wouldn't this theory work on drug addicts and alcoholics? Yet there are state mandated programs to help these addicts but not compulsive gamblers. Is it because drugs and alcohol are substances and gambling is not? Maybe but read this article and tell me these people weren't hooked on the "substance" of gambling? Yes, as the article states the vast majority of people do not get hooked on gambling much like drugs and alcohol; however; again there are grants available for drug and alcohol dependencies but not gambling.

I don't mean to get on my soap box but there seems to be a double standard. I have read case after case where a compulsive gambler commits a crime and the justice system does not understand. The American Psychiatric Association ("APA") declared "pathological gambling" to be an official "mental disorder." The disorder was published with a list of recognizable symptoms in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ("DSM"). (This information was taken from I Nelson Rose website; Mr. Rose is the world's foremost attorney when it comes to gambling; you can read more here.) Mr. Rose also goes on to say the law does not punish people for being ill and how can a compulsive gambler work to pay back the money when they are in prison? In this same article he talks about the United States' only gambling court which is in upstate New York. This is a fascinating approach and there has not been a repeat offender since the inception of the court. The same cannot be said for the drug and alcohol courts all throughout the country.

In my case when the time comes I hope to have a mechanism in place so I can continue my recovery. I know the California Prison System is going through many changes and hopefully one of them will include the Gamblers Anonymous program. I cannot worry about this because it is in the future and I must continue to concentrate on today and continue my recovery one day at a time.