Gambling Addiction: The complete guide to survival, treatment, and recovery from gambling addiction.

by Kurt Dahl

Read what the experts are saying about this Sheryl Anderson, Director of Vanguard Center for Gambling Recovery at Project Turnabout. Vanguard is the nation’s premier inpatient treatment program for gambling “Mr. Dahl’s insights into the characteristics of problem gambling are significant and important for our current understanding of this growing epidemic. Psychologists, gambling counselors, and problem gamblers should all read this book.”Devonna Washington State Certified Gambling Counselor “I intend to provide this book to all my patients, and I will recommend that every therapist I know do the same. It was also a very pleasant surprise that the book was a pleasure to read. It was well written, even funny at times. I believe this book will become the go-to first book for the problem gambling industry for a very long time to come.” D.G. Smith, Co-founder of Youth Emergency Services (Y.E.S) one of the nation’s first phone-in crisis “Suicide is preventable. Intervention is possible. My experience with crisis helplines informs me of that reality. Mr. Dahl’s specific step-by-step plan to get the problem gambler to prepare for a suicide attempt well before they get to that awful moment of decision not only has never been proposed, I believe it is pure genius. It will prevent completed suicides in the thousands!”Keith S. Whyte, Executive Director, National Council on Problem “This timely book on preventing problem gambling-related suicide is packed with practical tips and recommendations. Gambling addiction is a life-threatening disorder and needs to be taken extremely seriously.”If you think that you may have a gambling problem, read this book now before it is too late. Gambling addiction is exploding around the world and it is causing an alarming increase in suicides. Last year in the United States gambling-caused suicides killed approximately the same number of people as all homicides combined!These gambling related suicides are preventable, and this book tells you why, and how. If you have, or suspect you have a gambling problem, this book could save your life. If you know someone who you suspect has a gambling problem, this book could save their life.After dealing with suicide prevention, the book goes on to give you the most comprehensive information anywhere about all the available treatment and recovery options for gambling addiction. Therapists, researchers, counselors, and educators will also learn valuable concepts and tools for dealing with this exploding and dangerous addiction.Reading and learning from this book is a small price to pay to avoid impulsive and preventable suicides.

245 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2020

Reviews

[Chris Merola · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, I got hoodwinked yall

This book titled "Gambling Addiction: The Complete Guide..." is actually a personal letter from the author aimed at those who become suicidal after playing slot machines (not joking)

barely any research beyond a few cribbed wikipedia images, no footnotes, all speculation (the author essentially says "I am not a professional or a scientist so I can say anything I want without having to worry about losing my title" at one point)

this is a fraudulently titled book and I'm very silly for having bought it. never again shall I trust that damn google ai recommendation when I look up book topics

[Big Red · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels like "gambling addicts first read" it gives you basic info, but doesn't really help you stop in any way, but it does have some good advice, especially when dealing with how to handle a relapse. I appreciate his effort, but it's just too thin on actual advice or help to get you feeling like you're more equipped to fight your addiction.

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth reading

There are very limited gambling addiction books available. Grateful to have found this one. I appreciate his experience & honesty with his addiction.

[Diana Merrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kurt Dahl's "Gambling Addiction" is a practical, clear-eyed guide written by a gambling addict FOR gambling addicts. At one point, Dahl interrupts his own chapter and admits that he relapsed WHILE he was writing it. To me, this makes him an even more credible author. He gets it because he's lived it - he IS living it.

From the beginning, Dahls' intention is clear: "This book is focused on preventing the despairing gambler from committing suicide." He says, "The twelve-step program has no benefit to a dead person. In order to recover, the addict must stay alive." True!

What I appreciate most about Dahl's approach is that he's open to a wide variety of therapies -- Gambler's Anonymous, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, SMART recovery, mindfulness, etc. Unlike so many writers on the topic, Dahl recognizes that different treatments will appeal to different gamblers, and instead of being dogmatic or purist about it, gambling addicts should try multiple forms of therapy or even a combination of therapies.

When I first started reading the book, I was a little surprised by how unpolished it is. It reads like a personal email or a blog. But, pretty quickly, it was clear that Dahl knows what he's talking about. In which case, it's easy to ignore the informal nature of his writing. I hope you'll do the same! He has a lot of wisdom to share.

[Onisim Moisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good tips

The book was written by someone who was there and who right now walks in freedom from gambling addiction. The book is full with precious gems and advice.