In these 4 videos, Jeff summarizes his 3 addictions and what helped him. Jeff’s cigarette addiction ended in 1979 with a 5 week pure behavior modification course. After the 5 weeks was over they were told to celebrate, and he went to Atlantic City and only managed to worsen his gambling addiction. His drug addiction started with marijuana, and to cocaine in law school. He was pulled over for a traffic violation and the officer booked him for finding drugs. Especially as a lawyer, he couldn’t chance being arrested again so he did an intense outpatient program called the “Alliance at St. Barnubus” and has not had drugs or a drink since ending the program in 1991. However, he turned even further to gambling, which started at 14 when he would play card games with friends on weekends. It wasn’t about the money, but about the good feeling of winning and being the big shot. His panacea was the racetrack. In 1997 he switched career paths from a lawyer to pursue a degree in counseling to help. At a lecture on gambling he heard himself described to a “T”. He went to dinner with the lecturer, who invited him to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting that day. He hasn’t made a bet since that day. He believes Gambling Anonymous works because of these 5 reasons: 1) Identification — people understand you. 2) Acceptance — non judgmental. 3) Pressure relief 4) 12 steps 5) Someone is there for you 24/7. Different addictions are related and the brain of a drug addict looks just like the brain of a …
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