The increase of gambling venues has addiction specialists concerned — and for good reason. Study after study has shown that as the availability of gambling opportunities rises, so too does the number of problem gamblers. And, while the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has found that 6-to-9 million Americans will have a gambling problem in any given year, only a small fraction seek out education, intervention or treatment services. With this being the case, it’s even more important that those who know someone with a gambling problem reach out for help.

Compulsive gambling is called the invisible disease because it doesn’t carry with it the same recognizable symptoms as substance addiction.
This makes it even more important to look closer for the signs of a problem. Don’t assume someone has it under control. Instead, check in, ask questions and if the story doesn’t add up, reach out for support.

As with other addictions, compulsive gambling can be stopped with appropriate treatment. Even better news is that in most cases, funding is available — and not just for the gambler, but also family members and friends of gamblers. To learn more, contact Mikaela or Jason at (215) 421-1634 or info@guidanceforgrowing.com. Your confidentiality is always our priority.

Guidance for Growing will be on the Buxmont Live radio show on Monday, October 10, beginning at 11:10am. Mikaela will be talking with host, John Ralston about this month’s Healthy Bites topic: Balancing and evaluating your personal health — all seven areas of it

> Listen live on the AM dial at WNPV 1440
> Listen live online at http://wnpv1440.com/
> Listen to archives at http://www.buxmontlive.com/

Do you know where you rate on the happiness scale? Most of us could all use a little more — or maybe a lot more — happiness in our lives. For some, tapping into happiness seems like second nature and comes easily, but for others, connecting to joy seems challenging at best and impossible at worst. Sonja Lyubomirsky recommends in her book, The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want, that for those struggling with finding their inner smile, practicing some simple strategies may help. Take a look at the list below (adapted from Finding the Road to Happiness) and pick one or two that you think you can start doing this week:

• Look for the Positive: “Happy people are more likely than unhappy people to perceive themselves, as well as the world around them, positively,” says Lyubomirsky. The key here, she says, is to write down your hopes for the future, create goals and mini-goals and go for them, and identify thoughts that seem to be pulling you down, replacing them with more positive versions.
• Nurture Relationships: Not only do friendships and family relationships make you happier, the data also suggests that strong, supportive relationships help you live longer, notes Lyubomirsky. Make time for the ones you love or people you would like to get to know better; share in other people’s successes with your own delight; show appreciation for the people in your life.
• Be Physically Active: Exercise is a proven method for preventing or managing negative emotions. You could get even further along the way to happiness if you can work out with a group, building relationships even as you start to feel better about your life and your body. The key to success is making a regular appointment with yourself to work out — and sticking with it.
• Express Gratitude: Gratitude is a great antidote to anger and bitterness. Practicing gratitude for the little and big gifts in your life can push you along the way to happiness. Try writing thank-you notes, compose a letter of gratitude to a loved one or teacher, or jot down three things you are grateful for each week.
• Offer Help to Others: Happy people are often among the first to lend a hand….the reality is that being helpful does allow you to feel better about yourself, which helps you be happier. Just remember to find ways to be helpful that suit your personality and overall lifestyle, so that you will make helping out a regular habit.
• Forgive: Forgiveness is a tough — and deeply personal — subject. However, people who can forgive generally have higher self-esteem and more joy and happiness in their lives. While forgiving someone in person may not be possible or advisable, you can still practice forgiveness by writing a letter (even if you don’t send it) or imagining what it would be like to forgive them in person. It might help to think about times in your life when you have been forgiven.
• Savor Pleasures in Life: Savoring the big and little joys in your daily life increases self-esteem and may even protect against negative emotions, creating a buffer against stress. This particular habit includes reminiscing about happy times in your past, enjoying the little details of your daily life, taking time for a unique pleasure or a moment of beauty, and allowing yourself to fully appreciate even the bittersweet moments.
• Make Spiritual Practice a Habit: Religious or spiritual practice can help you get through hard times, give meaning to the good and bad days of life, and help you see the way to happiness more clearly. Lyubomirksy recommends regular prayer or meditation with a focus on seeing the spiritual in everyday life as a way to begin.

If you want to know how your joy scores, check out The Happiness Test on Oprah by clicking here.  If you have happiness tips, we’d love to hear them!

>>> Do you need a personalized strategy for bringing more happiness into your life? We have programs that will help you recognize and change the patterns that are preventing you from living your best life — contact us for more information by emailing info@guidanceforgrowing.com or calling (215) 421-1634.