Saturday, February 17, 2007

The Kentucky Council on Problem Gambling and the Problem Gamblers Help
Network of West Virginia are conducting a free workshop March 9 at Marshall
University titled "Missed or Dismissed? Problem Gambling Overlooked
Diagnosis." Scheduled from 9 a.m. until noon with three hours of continuing
education credits available, the symposium will be conducted by a panel of
professionals whose work has helped thousands of addicted gamblers. Several
recovering compulsive gamblers will also be present to share their
experience and answer questions, including a doctor's wife from Milton who
lost over $300,000 gambling before she was appropriately diagnosed and
treated. This local event is conducted as part of a larger public awareness
campaign for National Problem Gambling Awareness Week held March 5 through
March 11. It is also sponsored in part by Marshall University Counseling
Program and the Marshall University Psychology Clinic, as well as the
Kentucky Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse. "Our research shows
that 2%-3% of the US population will have a gambling problem in any given
year," said Keith Whyte, executive director for the National Council on
Problem Gambling in Washington, D.C., "and many of these gamblers see their
primary care providers complaining of stress-related problems such as
migraines, insomnia, stomach ailments and even cardiac distress." In fact,
one study found that about 10% of all patients entering the primary health
care setting met the criteria for problem gambling. And the missed diagnoses
don't only happen in primary health care. Whyte notes that numerous studies
have placed gamblers at higher risk for depression and personality
disorders, as well as alcohol and drug abuse. So, the problem gamblers may
be more prevalent in the mental health care system. But few counselors,
social workers or therapists are trained to screen their clients. "Many
medical personnel miss the gambling diagnosis because they don't ask," said
Sheila Moran, co-director of the Problem Gamblers Help Network of West
Virginia, "That's why we developed free educational information and resource
materials to make screening and referral easy for all healthcare providers."