Services available for gamblers

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Services available for gamblers
By Sandra Jontz and Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, January 31, 2008

Servicemembers in Europe whose lives are negatively affected by gambling can get help. Mental health counselors, chaplains and Gamblers Anonymous groups are available to guide gamblers back on the right track.

At U.S. Navy bases in Europe, Fleet and Family Support Centers offer a variety of counseling and support sessions to help both sailors and dependents through addiction problems, including gambling, said Gary Winsper, director of regional FFSC offices.

The centers offer licensed counselors to work through additional problems that might arise from such addictions, to include marital struggles, dependency issues, stress and anger management. Financial planners also are available to help organize a member’s budget.

Some problems may be exacerbated overseas, said Karen Karadimov, director for the Fleet and Family Support Center in Naples, Italy. That’s because some servicemembers may develop a false sense of security since nearly all their needs — such as housing and medical care — are paid for by the military.

“Living overseas, even though the euro is not good for us right now, we do see a lot of overspending,” Karadimov said. In addition, servicemembers get extra money, via cost-of-living adjustments, to compensate for the poor exchange rate.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52066