Community Counselling & Addiction Services

The gambling program at Atikokan Community Counselling Services began in 1999.

Services provided:

• Assessments with persons of any age
• Educational programs
• Support
• Treatment
• Relapse prevention
• Public relations in community
• Financial planning and budgeting and referrals

The “key” to healthy living is moderation in all the activities of one’s life. Treatment is client centered. Treatment philosophies include knowledge of twelve step for Gamblers Anonymous, stages of change and cognitive behavioral models.

1. Do you lose time to work from gambling?
2. Is gambling making your home life unhappy?
3. Is gambling affecting your reputation?
4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
5. Do you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or to otherwise solve financial difficulties?
6. Does gambling cause a decrease in your ambition efficiency?
7. After losing, do you feel you must return as soon as possible to win back losses?
8. After a win, do you have a strong urge to return and win more?
9. Do you often gamble until your last dollar is gone?
10. Do you ever borrow to finance gambling?
11. Have you ever sold real or personal property to finance gambling?
12. Are you reluctant to use “gambling money” for normal expenditures?
13. Does gambling make you careless of the welfare of your family?
14. Do you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
15. Do you ever gamble to escape worry?
16. Have you ever committed, or considered an illegal act to finance gambling?
17. Does gambling cause you to have difficulty sleeping?
18. Do arguments, sadness or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
19. Do you have an urge to celebrate any good fortune with gambling?
20. Have you ever considered suicide as a result of your gambling?

Compulsive gamblers usually answer yes to at least 7 of the 20 questions.