European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 21, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Going Over the Edgely Chuck Roberts staff writer compulsive gambling is an incurable disease say the experts. The compulsive Gambler like the alcoholic can respond to treatment. But he never will be Quot Normal Quot again says or. Ralph Ettinger a clinical psychologist with the 130th station Hospital in Heidelberg Germany. There Are no definitive answers to How or Why people become compulsive gamblers. An occasional Gambler can become compulsive by sheer Luck says or Bruce Mather clinical director at the Community counselling Center in Mainz Germany a what pushes a social Gambler Over the Edge is a big win where either through skill or dumb Luck he wins a paycheck or More in one fell swoop,11 Mather says. There is some evidence that people May be born with a susceptibility to the addiction. Vet they May never succumb perhaps because of a set of Learned behaviour patterns such As those associated with certain religious beliefs or simply because they never get the Opportunity to Gamble according to psychologists and Counselor. Many of the approximately 80 patients Ettinger has treated the past three years say they never gambled until they joined the military. Quot they have gotten off the plane in Frankfurt gone to the hotel or no club that night and that is the first time that they Gamble Quot Ettinger said. Compulsive gambling also May be linked to a chemical activity in the brain. Research indicates that people May recall memorable events in their lives because of a chemical release in the brain when the event occurs says Paul Stichick clinical director of the Community counselling Center in Erlanger Germany a if some kind of chemical change can take place when you visit Disneyland Why can to it take place with a big win Quot he asks the face of the Gambler is changing. Fifteen years ago that face most Likely was White Middle aged and male. Today the stereotype no longer holds True says or. Valerie Lorenz executive director for the National Center for pathological gambling inc., in Baltimore. She says recent studies show the highest rates of compulsive gambling Are among teenagers. The number of women gamblers also is on the increase Lorenz says. More people Gamble today because it is More socially acceptable she says citing the growth of Casino gambling lotteries sports betting and Bingo. About 3 percent of the . Adult population suffers from compulsive gambling according to or. Lori Rugle coordinator of the gambling treatment program at the Cleveland veterans administration medical Center in Brecksville Ohio the . Department of Public health puts the figure at 6-10 million. Psychologists and therapists generally Divide gamblers into four types the professional Gambler the social Gambler the anti social Gambler and the pathological or compulsive Gambler. A professional gamblers Are rare. They Are in control of their actions and attempt to win Only what they need. Gambling is their occupation. A social gamblers Are similar to social drinkers Ettinger says. They Are Able to spend acceptable amounts of Money on gambling As a form of entertainment. The social Gambler will spend $10 gambling the same Way that another might spend $10 to see a movie. They done to worry about the $10 lost at the Slot machines the night before. A anti social gamblers suffer from a personality disorder. Their gambling is a desperate bid for Money. They will Rob steal or cheat for Money and usually Are Only a few feet ahead of the police Ettinger  air Jim Derheim or. Ralph Ettinger listens during a group therapy Messloh for compulsive gamblers a pathological or compulsive gamblers have lost control of their wagering. They continually Chase their losses gambling today to cover yesterdays losses. This is what separates them from the other types. They Are so preoccupied with gambling that they can deny themselves sleep and nourishment. Quot a lot of people Don t understand the Power of the addiction and the Power of the compulsion to get out and pull those Slot machine handles a Stichick says the profile of a compulsive Gambler resembles that of a White Collar criminal Mather says. Both typically Are competitive people of above average intelligence with a constant need for stimulation. Their childhoods often Are marked by highly critical parents who put More emphasis on Money than other areas of self improvement Quot they Are great people to have work for you As Long As you Don t give them control of the Bank account Quot Mather says. Co workers usually Are unaware that the person beside them suffers from staggering emotional and financial problems he says. By the time the problem is known in the work place the Gambler is out of control. A amps Effie Flo Ihsen Bingo As Corazon Mcclellan plays it in Furth Germany requires More than a Little concentration Mather believes compulsive gamblers generally go through three phases winning losing and desperation. Ettinger said Many gamblers done to seek help because they wont admit they have a problem. The spouse is usually the first one to seek help followed in the military by the unit supervisor and unit commander. Quot self referrals Are Way Down on the list Quot Ettinger said. The problem usually is out of control before a compulsive Gambler seeks help. Ettinger said that successful patients from the military have two things going for them a Strong spouse and support from the military unit. The role of the spouse is critical. He or she must work with the patient against the disease by confronting the Gambler when he or she strays. Generally recovering compulsive gamblers have three tasks abstain from All gambling regain the Basic Trust of the family or others who Are close and develop positive and productive activities with the family Ettinger said the military unit must be willing to give the service member a great Deal of time away from the Job to seek therapy because compulsive gambling in t something that can be cured by sending a Soldier to a three month course. Quot what s really important to me is the willingness of commanding officers and military system to see it As a real problem Quot said Rugle of the veterans Hospital i Ohio. She sees some encouraging trends. Quot compared to a few years ago the military is More willing to see it As an illness instead of criminal activity. The word is getting out slowly but  Rugle said a Lack of understanding can interfere with appropriate treatment. The Gambler May wind up in an alcoholics Anonymous program which won t help. And when the compulsive Gambler quits the withdrawal symptoms can be just As painful As those of a drug addict Ettinger said. Anyone who drops 500 Nickels into a machine while depriving himself of sleep and food and then suddenly quits is subject to tension headaches irritability and can become so depressed that he will contemplate suicide he said. Quot try to do anything that much and quit and you have a withdrawal Quot Ettinger said. Page 14 a a a the stars and stripes wednesday Quot