Customer Reviews

Losing Your Shirt - Second Edition: Recovery for Compulsive Gamblers and Their Families

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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As the adult child of a compulsive gambler, I picked up this book in desperation, looking for some answers on how I should react to my father and the chaos he has made of his and my mother's life, so that I am actually helping and not hurting the situation. I was sadly disappointed. The only "answers" presented in this book are many recommendations to join GA/Gam-anon. Unfortunately, there is no Gam-anon meeting in my area. I was also looking for an explanation of what it means to "work the steps" and what each step requires. No luck. Just a list of the steps. There are lots of true stories, enough so that almost any reader can find a situation they can relate to, but after you've read through Part One it starts to get tedious and really only depressed me more.

Anyone affected by another's gambling must read this book. Also anyone who has ever been told by another that their gambling is problematic must stop and look for themselves in Losing Your Shirt. Being able to identify may be the beginning of getting help before all is lost.

This book is an excellent source for understanding not only the gambler and his/her addiction, but the family members touched by the addiction. It is so well-written, that all members involved in the gambler's life (including the gambler) can relate to its message. For the spouse of a gambler, it can help you to get to the most important stage of grief, which is acceptance. Understanding breeds acceptance.

I read this book and many of the stories in it. Having had first hand experience with what gambling can do I feel the stories in this book are made up.

The one that stuck out the most was the kid who used a credit card and wrote bad checks. In the story the police got involved and the person arrested. That's not what would happen in that situation. Maxing out credit cards through online gambling will not result in the police getting involved. Your credit will be ruined and the banks will chase you for the debt but no law enforcement will get involved.

Every story seemed very extreme resulting in deaths and people being jailed. I call fiction on this book.

This book is an excellent source for understanding not only the gambler and his/her addiction, but the family members touched by the addiction. It is so well-written, that all members involved in the gambler's life (including the gambler) can relate to its message. For the spouse of a gambler, it can help you to get to the most important stage of grief, which is acceptance. Understanding breeds acceptance.