Abstract
This study was conducted to determine how treatment approaches would differ for two reference groups — wives of alcoholics and wives of pathological gamblers. Data from thirty-nine wives from each reference group were collected over a period of sixteen months. The results indicate that the wives of the pathological gamblers had to deal with specific issues which did not surface in the treatment of wives of the alcoholics. Some of the wives of the pathological gamblers received threatening phone calls from creditors, had to re-pay loans for which they co-signed, had to commence handling the family budget, and had to deal with their own withdrawal from his gambling. They also found trust very slow in coming, realized they would be under great financial straits for an extended period of time, and found a shortage of self-help groups and qualified professionals within a reasonable distance of their home. Finally they found loneliness a very realistic issue in early abstinence because he was spending so much of his time outside the home attending G.A. meetings, aftercare and working two, and sometimes three jobs, in order to repay his gambling debts.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Black, Claudia, (1981).It will never happen to me. M.A.C. Printing & Publishing Division, Denver, CO.
Burgin, James E. (1982).Guidebook for the family with alcohol problems. Hazeldon Foundation, Center City, MN.
Burnett, Marie, (1984, Summer). Toward a model for counseling the wives of alcoholics.Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 1 (2).
Darvas, Susan F. (1981). The spouse in treatment. Paper presented at the Fifth National Conference on Risk Taking, Lake Tahoe, NV.
Lesieur, Henry. (1985).The chase. Schenkman Books, Cambridge, MA.
Lorenz, V.C. (1981). Differences found among Catholic, Protestant and Jewish families of pathological gamblers. Paper presented at the Fifth National Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking, Lake Tahoe, NV.
Maxwell, Ruth. (1976).The booze battle. Praeger Publishers, New York.
Moravec, Jule D. (1978). A guide to establishing compulsive gambler treatment programs in outpatient clinics, mental hygiene clinics and community mental health clinics. Paper presented at the Fourth Conference on Gambling, Reno, NV.
Pokorny, Michael R (1972). Compulsive gambling and the family.”British Journal of Medical Psychology, 45 355.
Wanda, G. (1971).Games compulsive gamblers, wives and families play. GamAnon National Service Offices, New York.
Wegscheider, Sharon, (1981).Another chance. Science and Behavior Books, Palo Alto, CA.
Woititz, Janet G. (1979).Marriage on the rocks. Delacorte Press, New York.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heineman, M. A comparison: The treatment of wives of alcoholics with the treatment of wives of pathological gamblers. J Gambling Stud 3, 27–40 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01087475
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01087475