Is Alcoholics Anonymous Effective? Finally, Get the Real Facts Here FIRST Before Making ANY Treatment Plans for Yourself or Loved One

“Keep coming back, it works if you work it!” This is what is chanted at the end of every meeting, but what if you have “worked it” and you still keep going back and getting drunk or loaded? Now, most people in the program will say things like, “Well, you must not have really done the steps right,” or  “You didn’t go to enough meetings,” or  “You didn’t pray to your Higher Power,” or  “You know you did something wrong or else you would still be sober!” But what if the truth was that you did nothing “wrong,” that in reality you did not fail the Program, but rather the Program was just not a right fit for you, and in fact, it fails for most people? Hopefully even this little bit of knowledge would start to alleviate some of the guilt and shame that many carry due to numerous relapses and going in and out 12-step programs for many years.

Since what you are told from your very first 12-step meeting is, “Your only options are to get sober using our Program, or it’s jails, institutions or death,” you tend to stop thinking for yourself, (since it was your “best thinking that got you here“), stop questioning, and just follow what other’s tell you to do. This would be fine if this is what worked… but unfortunately, evidence is proving otherwise.

The 12-step success rate is showing to be approximately 3 percent. Yes, that’s right… only 3 percent! (Brown,Treatment Doesn’t Work, 1991). Here are some more startling statistics (Based on Alcoholics Anonymous World Services’ own statistics).:

          *45% of the people who attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings never return after their first meeting.

          *81% of AA attendees are gone after one month

           *90% are gone after three months

           *93% are gone (7% remain) after 6 months

           *95% never return after the first year.

So there is a 5% retention rate for the first year. Note that the claimed five percent of A.A. newcomers who are still coming back after one year (and sober, we hope) is exactly the same number as the normal rate of spontaneous remission among alcoholics. A number of studies have found that a small percentage of alcoholics improve to the point of remission of problems associated with alcohol consumption, and we call this spontaneous remission. The preponderance of studies suggests that a spontaneous remission rate for alcoholism of at least one-year duration is about 4-18 percent. Successful treatment would, therefore, have to produce rates of improvement significantly above this probable range of spontaneous remission. Alcoholics Anonymous comes nowhere near exceeding a 4 to 18 percent per year recovery rate. Harvard Medical Schoolreported that in the long run, the rate of spontaneous remission in alcoholics is slightly over 50 percent. That would put the annual rate of spontaneous remission to be around 5 percent. Yet the claimed success rate of Alcoholics Anonymous does not even exceed that much lower rate.

If we subtract the usual spontaneous remission rate from A.A.’s claimed success rate, we get zero percent for A.A.’s actual effective cure rate. A.A. didn’t make anybody quit drinking — those who quit were the ones who were going to quit anyway. They would have quit anyway, no matter what treatment they were receiving, or even no treatment at all!  So, an alcoholism treatment program that seems to have a 5% success rate probably really has a zero percent success rate, and it is just taking credit for the spontaneous remission that is happening anyway. And a program that has less than a five percent success rate, like four or three, may really have a negative success rate — it is actually keeping some people from succeeding in getting clean and sober. Any success rate that is less than the usual rate of spontaneous remission indicates a program that is a real disaster and is hurting the participants.

Yet even with all of this research, 93-97% of conventional drug rehabs and alcohol treatment centers are still 12-step or AA based, so those who leave AA to look elsewhere, such as conventional alcohol and drug treatment for solutions, are essentially rejoining AA!

AA hardly sounds like a “proven method,” let alone one that works for most people. So, if only about 5% of the people are getting the help that they need, what about the 95% of the people who are not being helped? That is the purpose of this article… to provide much needed awareness to individuals, rehabilitation centers, hospitals, sober livings, and even 12-step programs themselves so that people with substance abuse problems can actually start be helped. The bottom line is this… is the goal to get alcoholics and addicts into AA or NA or CA, or is it to actually get them some help?

Professor (and Doctor) George E. Vaillant of Harvard University is an enthusiastic advocate of Twelve-Step treatment, and is currently a non-alcoholic member of the Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. (AAWS) Board of Trustees. So he really wanted to prove the effectiveness of AA. To study the effectiveness of various methods of treating alcoholism, Vaillant compiled forty years of clinical studies. Vaillant and the director William Clark also conducted an eight-year longitudinal study of their own where Vaillant reported having followed 100 patients who had undergone twelve-step treatment. He compared those people to a group of several hundred other untreated alcohol abusers. The treated patients did no better than the untreated alcoholics. Fully 95% of the treated patients relapsed sometime during the eight-year period that Vaillant followed them.

After initial discharge, only five patients in the clinic sample never relapsed to alcoholic drinking, and there is compelling evidence that the results of their treatment were no better than the natural history of the disease (spontaneous remission). What Professor Vaillant, a Trustee of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. — in other words, one of the highest-ranking A.A. leaders — is candidly, clearly describing is a zero-percent success rate for his A.A.-based treatment program. And it was even worse than no help: The A.A.-treated group, with the death rate of 29%, had the highest death rate of any kind of program, significantly higher than all of the other programs. And those five people out of the hundred in the A.A.-treated clinic sample who successfully stayed sober for 8 years are just the result of that same old five percent spontaneous remission rate at work, again.

Remember that these terrible numbers were reported by a Trustee of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc., by a real true believer in A.A., by someone who loves A.A. and was trying hard to make it look good, not by some harsh critic of A.A. who might be suspected of bias, or of fudging the numbers to make A.A. look bad.

Let me mention that I think 12-step programs are great for those individuals who it does work for, (or at least seems to work for—again, it might just be the work of spontaneous remission rather than the program itself that is working). I have seen it change many lives for the better, including my dad, who has now had 15 years of continuous sobriety, maintaining his sobriety from his very first meeting. It is also a great fellowship to share experiences, strength and hope. So, in no way am I anti-AA. However, it has become clear to me that substance abuse is not a “one size fits all” problem, and therefore, there can not be a "one-size-fits-all" solution. 

The National Institute of Drug Abuse, NIDA, has even gone on record to emphasize that no single addiction treatment method is right for everyone. They claim that matching treatment services to each individual’s specific needs is critical to success. In addition, research studies indicate that even the most severely addicted individuals can participate actively in their own treatment, and that active participation is essential for good outcomes. According to the NIDA, counseling, either individual or group, and other behavioral therapies are critical components of effective treatment for addiction. It’s interesting to note that participation in a 12-step program was never mentioned anywhere in this research based guide which discussed the principles of effective treatment. 

Reliance on outdated and ineffective treatment methods has created an environment that fully expects individuals to fail, and fail again until such time that rock bottom has been reached. It is often said that once an individual has reached rock bottom that there is only one way to go, UP. The problem with that philosophy is that for many people, the ultimate rock bottom is death. (Vacovsky, Executive Director, American Council on Alcoholism, May 12, 2005).

Vacovsky goes on to write:

“Many, (if not indeed most) alcohol dependent individuals have lost faith in themselves, and more importantly hope for the future. It is common for such individuals to have numerous attempts at sobriety, most often using 12-step methods. They have been programmed to accept themselves as hopeless and powerless, with their chance for recovery being slim to none… It is up to the individual to determine what the most appropriate treatment is. It is up to the treatment community to provide options that set up individuals to succeed, rather than be expected to fail."

Sadly, Americans are largely unaware that such options even exist. At least, the general public is. While the public is being told that “turning your will and life over to the care of God as you understand Him,” as AA suggests, is the only treatment for their illness, scientifically based research has been going on for decades. Results of this research are threefold:

  1. We now have options for treatment that are based on science rather than fundamentalist religion;<br>
  2. Gives back choice and a sense of control to the individual, which is proving to be extremely important and<br>
  3. We now have evidence that is in direct contradiction to the traditional view of problem drinking.

What, exactly, is the research finding? Here is what some of the experts in the addiction field have found: 

Of course, not even all scientists agree on the nature of and best treatments for alcohol abuse. But this is the twenty-first century, and no one would disagree that all patients suffering with an alcohol or drug problem have a right, just like any other patient suffering with any other problem, to be fully informed of the available options, the risks or areas of uncertainty, and, after reviewing the relevant information, in consultation with one or more providers, choose a course of action. This is simply good, ethical medicine.  Should people struggling with substance abuse issues accept anything less?

It is also important to acknowledge that recovery programs are not necessary to discover how to quit and stay quit. The following is from the Harvard Medical School’s Mental Health Letter, the August/September 1996 issue:

Most recovery from alcoholism is not the result of treatment. Only 20% of alcohol abusers are ever treated… Alcohol addicts, like heroin addicts, have a tendency to mature out of their addiction…

In a group of self-treated alcoholics, more than half said that they had simply thought it over and decided that alcohol was bad for them. Another group said health problems and frightening experiences such as accidents and blackouts persuaded them to quit… Others have recovered by changing their circumstances with the help of a new job or a new love or under the threat of a legal crisis or the breakup of a family. Support from a husband or wife was important in sustaining the resolution.

Study results from addiction researchers, Doctors Linda and Mark Sobell, confirm Harvard’s 20% treatment statistic:

Surveys found that over 77 percent of those who had overcome an alcohol problem had done so without treatment. In an earlier study… a sizable majority of alcohol abusers, 82 percent, recovered on their own.

 However, even though it is possible to recover on your own, you may want a recovery program, or at least a licensed professional for support.  The good news is that many more treatment programs are starting to provide more evidence-based options beyond just the traditional 12-step approach, and this list is growing everyday. You can find a complete, comprehensive directory of over 100 professionals and drug and alcohol programs all over the U.S. and abroad that will provide you with many options in Melanie Solomon’s newly released 2nd Edition of "AA Not the Only Way; Your One Stop Resource Guide to 12-Step Alternatives."

 Leading U.S. addiction expert Dr. Marc Kern states, “I have long awaited this directory of addiction treatment alternatives. It represents what I believe to be the future of the field. It is a pioneering effort to organize this unique body of knowledge. A directory of this type was never available before.”

 Dr. Frederick Rotgers, another leading addiction expert explains, “The problem is finding treatment providers who provide these alternative, evidence-based approaches. Melanie Solomon has taken a wonderful step toward making that process, of identifying alternatives to traditional treatments, easier.”

 It is finally time to stop living in the dark ages of recovery, educate people about all of their choices and alternatives that are out there and maybe start making a dent in the alcohol and drug use problem that millions are facing each day instead of continuing to perpetuate it. If you are one of those people who still believe that the 12-steps are the “only way” to recover, I implore you to have an open mind. In fact, Bill W., one of the co-founders of AA said, "It would be a product of false pride to claim that A.A. is a cure-all, even for alcoholism." Bill W. repeatedly said that "our hats are off to you if you can find a better way" and "If [those seeking a different cure] can do better by other means, we are glad."

Melanie Solomon is the author of the highly anticipated 2nd Edition of "AA-Not the Only Way; Your One Stop Resource Guide to 12-Step Alternatives". Please visit AA Not the Only Way for more information or to sign up for your FREE discussion forum membership and updates. Solomon has now devoted her life to researching recovery options, and sharing her findings with others, both through her website and books. Before you make any decisions regarding your treatment plan, please be sure to get this excellent FREE report on how to get your most effective treatment, available at Alcoholic Help for Families She has also spoken to teens at The Huntington Beach School District Drug & Alcohol Program, and led workshops at The Learning Annex in California. Solomon offers a FREE first time 15-30 minute phone consultation where you can discuss your greatest challenges and how to overcome them, as well as your dreams and the outcomes you are trying to achieve. To schedule a free session, contact her through her website at aa alternatives

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Internet_Gambling

Internet_Gambling

Temptation at Your Doorstep: Internet Gambling.

Can you imagine being able to place a bet with just a press of a button? Can you imagine playing and betting as long as you want?

Can you imagine gambling from the comfort of your own home?

We know for a fact that gambling is risky business, and unrestrained gambling is just asking for trouble. Compulsive gamblers already have a hard time restraining themselves from the call of casinos and bookies, and now Internet gambling just takes the ante a step further.

With Internet gambling, you don?t need hard cash. Everything that is online is so easy to access. Play Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, Keno, Roulette or Slots. Play all day, all night.

Before the 1990s, gamblers who wanted to place a casino or sports type bet in the United States basically had two choices: they could travel to a legitimate brick-and-mortar gaming establishment or place an illegal wager through a bookie. However, with the emergence of the Internet in the mid-1990s, a new form of gambling appeared; Internet gambling through gaming casinos and sports wagering. Internet gambling can take place on any electronic device that offers Internet access anywhere on the globe.

Internet gambling makes payment options for gambling individuals easy. They can just choose from several types of payment options other than credit cards. These include:

VISA and MasterCard cards: These cards are tied directly to the cardholder?s bank account. Funds for all transactions are deducted directly from the cardholder?s bank account, but cardholders can make credit card-type transactions that do not require a personal identification number.

Private-label debit cards: These cards are similar to check cards above but are issued by private companies rather than credit card associations.

On-line payment providers: These companies send and receive funds electronically for such uses as on-line auctions and purchases.

Wire transfers: Some Internet gambling sites promote this method of payment, which allows Internet gambling customers to wire money directly from a bank account to the site.

?E-cash? or digital cash: It is a digital representation of real money that can be placed on a computer hard drive, smart card and other devices with memory. It can be purchased from an authorized provider.

Internet gambling sites also offer money orders; traveler?s checks; bank drafts; cashier?s, certified, and personal checks; and a number of other electronic banking systems or processors as payment options. With Internet gambling?s easy payment options, even a non-gambler would be tempted to try.

Statistics also show that Internet gambling has nearly doubled every year since 1997 ? in 2001 it exceeded $2 billion. It also boasts 110 sport-related Internet gambling sites.

According to the American Psychological Association, Internet gambling could be just as addictive as alcohol and drugs.

This is a confession from quoted from The Gambling Problem Talking Point website:

?… I am addicted to online poker, not to mention soccer betting and casinos whenever I am in the vicinity of one.

For the longest time I thought I had the beast under control. Thought I was smater than the pack, and shrewd enough to beat the pack. Considered my betting to be more of an investment than anything else.

How much hav I lost gambling? I am afraid to tally.

Has it ruined my life? Almost … I guess being from a wealthy family, it helped me to cover the tracks not to mention the losses.

But enough is enough and I would like to kick the habit alltogether.

I am sorry if I sound a little cocky or arrogant … I have a problem. And even now am half hearted to completely agree that I do have one.

Will I continue to gamble? I am not sure. I would like to stop, but it is just so easy with the Internet and all.

I guess if I was in NZ, I could join a group onj a regular basis and get some help in person. But in Malaysia, how do I do that?

From reading some of the posts here, I share all the common symptoms.

It is a disease, and can destroy the best of people, not to mention families and loved ones a like.

What can I do? How can I help myself…?

Internet gambling is a very slippery slope. It can ruin your life and the life of your loved ones. So the next time Internet gambling knocks on your door, think twice.

Internet_Gambling

Stay Away from Alcohol Abuse and Get Healthy

People with drinking problem take the substance to get a comfortable feeling. Alcohol might help them deal with issues of trauma, stress, or physical pain. By drinking alcohol they might be getting temporary relief of the loneliness they feel, depression, or stress in their life.

Commonly people have know that alcohol can cause serious problem and even dangerous or life-threatening. There are some term that linked to alcohol abuse such as binge drinking, and alcoholism. Binge drinking means having five or more drinks in one session for men and four or more for women. It also means simply drinking to get drunk. Commonly, It is the drinking problem for young people, under age 21.

In fact, people who abuse alcohol have fewer consequences than the others that have alcohol dependence . It means drink too much and suffer social and health consequences, but never completely lose your control over the drinking like in alcohol addiction.

But it isn’t a safe way to use alcohol, although it isn’t as serious as alcoholism. The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence says 18 million Americans have this problem. Drinking and driving cause almost 50% of all traffic fatal accidents in the United States.

Be careful binge drinking can lead you to alcoholic. If alcohol begins to cause problems like missing time at school or work, neglecting child or household responsibilities or trouble with the law and the drinking continues anyway we called it alcohol abuse. Mostly binge drinking turns into alcohol abuse when the binge drinkers get pressure or stress in their life. Infrequent drink with friends can turn into more serious drinking problem so quickly if we can’t manage ourselves.

The infection of Hepatitis C can be worse if the patients drink alcohol. Actually the relationship between of an infected person and drinking for developing alcoholic hepatitis is not necessarily linear. In some cases, hepatitis becomes chronic and may lead to cirrhosis (scarring process on liver), which is generally associated with excessive alcohol consumption.

Serious health conditions such as loss of muscle tissue, loss of memory, and loss of testosterone can cause by chronic drinking problem. In fact it also affects every cell within your body, and if this condition stays chronic, it will start to kill cells, and once a cell is dead, it stays dead. It is a toxin that will come in your bloodstream and run into every organ and cell in your body.

Chronic abuse bothers the absorption of important vitamins and mineral. Dehydration also can cause by alcohol abuse. People that abuse alcohol will have the narrow limits of each ion in our body, such as calcium, sodium, and potassium. Lack in concentration of these ions can produce the excess thirst which may lead to muscle cramps and sudden dizziness or fainting spells.

Watch out, this addiction can cause some severe health problems such as cancer, pancreatitis, high blood pressure, miscarriage, heart failure or stroke, alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver and even death. People must care about their own alcohol problem, rather than excuse the behaviour.

People should give more attention to this big community problem. Visit Drug and Alcohol Addiction Sharing Blog to discover alcohol abuse awareness as well as alcohol rehab program information.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/stay-away-from-alcohol-abuse-and-get-healthy-940729.html

Drug Abuse Treatment, What We Should Realize

Nowadays you can find a lot of drug rehab center around the world. Each center offer many programs which claim can help drug abuser solve their addiction problem. The question is: Are drug abusers really need treatment from rehab center? Or that place only waste the money without noteworthy results?

When the television, newspaper, or magazine give news about celebrities “recurring” to drug dependence program for the third or fourth time, many people think that rehab doesn’t really work. They say that public funding for the programs is a waste of tax dollars. How can an expensive treatment center be unsuccessful to treat the patients?

Remember, you have to know exactly about drug addiction before giving your opinion about the failure of these rehab centres. Drug addiction is a whole life problem. It consists of physical dependency and psychosocial dependency. Physical dependency is easy to treat by following drug detox program. But psychological dependency is difficult to treat.

Please realize that substance addiction is a chronic disease. Like other diseases, it needs a medical treatment. In drug rehab centre, people with addiction problem will get drug detox as medical treatment. The most important thing about drug rehab, it will give comprehensive treatment to ensure that you repair the damage drugs have done to your life. It will provide you a capability to control your social life.

Sometimes people with drug problem try to solve their problem by themselves. It takes a strong-willed individual to fight a drug habit, and most people, unfortunately, can’t do this alone. If you have trouble quitting on your own, you need to enrol in a rehab program. You can choose rehab centre that seem right for you. If you can’t leave your daily activity you can go for outpatient therapy and do several intermittent meetings with people who have same problem and trained professionals.

Special treatment for drug dependence is really necessitated for them that can’t solve their substance dependence alone. By following a special rehabilitation program they will get professional help from the expert and they can battle their craving easily.

Each rehabilitation program around the world are not focused in every kind of drug habit revival. That’s why; the primary step in selecting the appropiate drug abuse treatment is: identify the rehab centers that are trustworthy to treat the patients.

To opt for the right rehabilitation for you or you beloved person, please search information about the philosophy, methods, cost, staff member’s skills, therapist accreditation, and the counsellor of the rehabs. Team of drug abuse treatment center must be able to establish a positive, therapeutic relationship with the patient. They should ensure that a treatment plan is established and followed so that the abuser knows what to expect on drug abuse treatment. After you have enough information, visit the rehab centres. Check out for the program that they suggest to you and see what facilities are offered by them. Find out about the success rate and enquire how the family or friends can engage to the rehab program.

Sri Ariantini feels much better to discuss about drug abuse treatment centre, at her blogs. Find the important things you should know about <a rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank” href=” drug”>http://www.for-babyandkid.com/drug-rehab”>drug rehab there.

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Alcohol Addiction and Alcohol Treatment, The Community Problem We Have to Know

Alcoholic is never be someone dream. All of us know exactly that we must avoid this problem. But sometimes, it comes along with lifestyle, underpressure condition, or stress. Commonly people start from binge drinking then follow by alcohol abuse, and become alcoholism when they loose their control.

Be careful, occasional drinking not only could make you be an addict; it can also lead to death! Mostly they want to stop drinking. Well, then, why can’t people do that? The first reason is fear. They are afraid of what they are going to do without alcohol in their lives. Like people who smoke can’t imagine what they will do without cigarette in their hand.

If you detect the sign of alcohol dependence like hunger for alcohol, loss of control, physical dependency, or tolerance, you need special treatment. Because many people with this problem can’t stop by themselves. Mostlythe abusers have reported more than two symptoms simultaneously and large percentages of them have shown a strong need to drink. They can’t deal with the drinking anymore, they cannot prohibit themselves from another drink.

In serious step of addiction, the addict may suffer alcohol withdrawal. It refers to a group of symptoms that may occur from suddenly stopping the use of alcohol after chronic or prolonged ingestion, such as agitation, trembling, disturbed sleep, and lack of appetite, depression, convulsions, etc. Without prompt treatment, these symptoms will make the abusers drink alcohol again. Alcohol treatment is needed to cure people that suffer the symptoms.

We can search information about alcohol treatment centre in our country from drug and alcohol rehab services. They will work with you to find a center that can best serve your (or your loved one’s) needs. There is no consultation fee for the services they provide. They offer a website that will direct you to the rehab centre throughout the United States that offer treatment program at little or no cost. These centres provide a safe place for an alcoholic to receive therapy for chemical dependency. These services are very helpful for them and their family for finding the appropriate rehabilitation center.

Commonly this program include detoxification and the rehabilitation. New advance in this treatment is not only consisting of detox and rehab, but also others that work together cure alcoholism and prevent relapse. The advance treatment gives AA (Alcoholics Anonymous), Psychosocial Therapy, Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Pharmacotherapy, etc.

In the rehab center, they will assess withdrawal symptoms before starting detoxification process. There is a wide selection of the detox protocols that medical practitioners can choose according to the severity of the symptoms. Medical practitioners should assess the sign of the patient to pick the most appropriate protocol to treat them. One effective way to do this is to use the CIWA-Ar instrument, which can measure the severity by rating ten signs, which includes nausea; anxiety; tactile, visual and auditory disturbances; tremors; headaches; disorientation; autonomic hyperactivity; and agitation. So, what are you waiting for? Find the right treatment for you or your beloved person.

Do you have more desires on alcohol addiction and alcohol treatment after reading above topic? Sri Ariantini writes more about alcohol addiction overview as well as how alcohol treatment works.

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offshore gambling

offshore gambling

Offshore Gambling keeps Vegas casino at home

Many gamblers have come across the term ?Offshore Gambling?, but are not entirely sure what it means. A casino that deals with offshore gambling is one that basically operates outside the jurisdiction of a given country or it can be an online casino that has its servers in a country where online gambling is not prohibited. In short, then, it is a casino that operates outside the country of the player.

This form of gambling provides an easy and fun way to play all the games normally found at a land-based casino, but without the hassle of making the pilgrimage to Las Vegas. Online Vegas casinos are very safe, in that personal details are not required to be sent out and the payouts and odds are just as equal and fair as in a regular Vegas?style casino. Offshore gambling makes it a win-win situation.

Online vegas casinos are regulated by three organizations. These are OSGA (The Offshore Gaming Association), The IGC (Interactive Gaming Council) and the Fidelity Trust Gaming Association (FTGA), which is a smaller IGC in effect, in that it charges lower membership fees.

OSGA and Offshore Gambling
The OSGA is an independent “watchdog” agency that monitors the Off Shore Sports Gaming Industry in an effort to provide the public an avenue to find reputable companies to wager with. It aims to protect the rights of consumers and they charge no membership fees.

The agency is a professional non-biased third party organization that gives objective opinions, based on your feedback, independent research, phone calls, tips and inside news.

For OSGA they resolved to keeping the philosophy that there are safe places for sports gambling. Because of the climate in the industry today people need to have additional information on offshore sportsbooks and online casinos from an outside source.

IGC and Offshore Gambling
The IGC, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1996 in the US, relocating to Vancouver, Canada, incorporating there in March 2000. The organization was established to provide a forum for interested parties to address issues and advance common interests in the global interactive gaming industry, to establish fair and responsible trade guidelines and practices that enhance consumer confidence in interactive gaming products and services, and to serve as the industry?s public policy advocate and information clearinghouse. The IGC does what it has set out to do, and more.

IGC membership has increased significantly since being founded, drawing more and more attention from noteworthy industry groups to complement existing leading industry players. We have members from the U.S., the U.K., South Africa, Israel, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, Denmark and Sweden — to mention a few.The IGC has built a reputation for reliability, integrity and credibility through its high standards, and appeal to legitimate businesses. Affiliation with their association ensures that you have a trusted organization fighting for the promotion and enhancement of our industry, fighting for you when you need it and most importantly – with a collective voice.

The IGC regulates offshore gambling by utilizing a special 10-point code ff Conduct and charges casinos a fee to display their logo. Unhappy customers can also report their disputes to the IGC.

FTGA
The FTGA was formed in an effort to set a standard for online gaming operations. The agency believe that by conducting business with only reputable companies, they can form an alliance of the most fair and professional offshore gaming operations worldwide. To be sure that the companies they support are reputable FTGA do comprehensive background checks on not only the company but the individuals behind the company. According to them, they form a close relationship with their members and monitor their business practices frequently.

With the boom of the internet over the last few years, everything seems to have translated into an online version and offshore gambling has been no different. There are organizations that govern the fairness of online gambling which should serve to alleviate any fears of insecurity by skeptics. It eliminates the traveling costs, but still keeps the basic essence of a Vegas casino, but only now, in your very own home.

offshore gambling

How to Get Money for Business Opportunities

Are you thinking of starting your own company? The idea of owning your own business is exciting, but just how are you going to get the money to open on your own? There are several ways you can get money for business opportunities, but they often require a great deal of commitment and dedication. Make sure you are really ready to make your company work before you try to get started.

As a business owner you will need money to pay for rent, equipment, merchandise, employees, and other bills. To obtain this money you can either work for it yourself or ask for a loan. Many people tap into their savings when getting money for business opportunities since loans are so difficult to get in the early stages of a business. Never attach your personal assets to your business as you could end up losing them if your business fails.

If you don’t have enough money to open you can also go to your friends and family. You can ask to borrow money and pay it back when you can. This is a very simple way of getting funds, but keep in mind how disappointed your family or friends will be if the business fails. Will you still be able to pay them back?

You can get money through loans and investors as well. Getting a loan through a bank is actually easier than you think. They will want to see some sort of business credit, and they may even ask for some kind of personal guarantee. It helps if you get a business credit card first so you can build up your credit for awhile before going to the bank. Make sure you have a great business plan to show the bank so they can trust you with the loan.

Investors are also difficult to find in the early stages of a business. New businesses are at a high risk, since many of them close down right away. You can find private investors or business companies that are interested in putting money into your business and getting a larger return later on.

Look into setting out tier one and tier two accounts with private investors to begin establishing your business credit. The amounts you will receive at first are smaller than from the bank but it helps in assisting you to building the foundation the banks are looking for.

Angel Investors Help You Get Money for Business Opportunities

If you are the right type of company you may be able to find angel investors who can help you. These are private investors who invest in starting companies who are expecting to make a lot of money in a short amount of time. Angel investors expect to receive about ten times the money they invested in just a few short years. There are very few companies out there that are able to grow that quickly.

If you just need a little money to start your business you may want to go to the stores directly. If you just need some office supplies to get you going you can ask for a thirty day extension or company credit. You can also go online and search for information that can help any business owner get money for business opportunities. When you use these steps, getting money for business opportunities is easy.

The “10 Steps To Money®” system has assisted many of Pat Gage’s students in raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for their businesses, You can too!…visit http://www.10StepsToMoney.com NOW and learn how you can raise unlimited money for your own business.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/how-to-get-money-for-business-opportunities-931776.html

online casino gambling

online casino gambling

A Guide to Online Casino Gambling

The hassles of going to Casinos can be enough reason not to go there at all. The traffic, hassles, and things to do seem not worth the trouble for a chance to play at a casino but if you?re the type who lives and breathes casinos then online casino gambling would be the solution for you.

You do not need to go out of the house just for online casino gambling because it could be easily access in your own homes (provided that you have a computer and internet access). Once that is done, you are on your way to online casino gambling! But before indulging yourself, there are several guidelines and things that you must first know about online casino gambling especially if you are just a beginner. So slow down those hormones and let your minds read and absorb the following information.

The online casino gambling industry is very complex and varied with some bad elements meaning that there are many dishonest and problematic sites. This brief guide would be able to guide you in choosing an honest and trust-worthy online casino gambling site. The first thing that a smart online gambler would look for in an online casino gambling host is the type which has high winnings odds. Be sure that the online casino gambling host has a tie-up with a reputable accounting firm in order to audit their casino games payout percentage on a monthly basis. This is helpful in your part in order to be sure that the money that you would be spending in your future online casino gambling spree would be worth it. Here are some other tips in choosing an online casino gambling site.
Always make sure that the online casino gambling site is legal. How would you do that? You do not need to go to a government office to check that out. What you could do is search the licensing information on the casino state. If ever that you cannot find any licensing information on that online casino gambling site, do not even attempt to gamble there. The second tip would be to check if the online casino gambling host has 24/7 customer-service that would help you whenever you encounter a difficulty or a problem. If the online casino gambling host does not have a 24/7 customer service, chances are it is a hoax site. Next one would be reading carefully the different bonuses and promos that the online casino gambling site offers because if you do not read it carefully and you agreed, in the future you do not have any evidence against it. Remember that it is better to be safe than to be sorry. Another advice would be to gamble first in small amounts rather than spend big amounts of money right away. Check first the integrity and status of the online casino gambling before taking any major risk-especially financial ones. The last and most important tip in online casino gambling is to never forget that gambling is all about fun and pleasure rather than making money. Gambling is not a job rather a hobby that would make you happy and your life pleasurable.

After you have observed these advice and tips then go and give in to the lure of online casino gambling.

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Step One – Admitting To The Problem

Admitting To The Problem in Step One

Step One – We admitted we were powerless over alcohol / our addiction – that our lives had become unmanageable.

What does it mean, “to admit”? The word admit doesn’t seem all that direct, or purposeful, all by itself. However, when put into the context of this first step, and into the context of our lives, it has tremendous power. To admit is to accept something for what it really is… it means we are being honest with ourselves.

When we walk through the doors of our first 12-step meeting, or rehab, we are practicing the admit in Step One. We have finally put down our denial (or at least pushed it aside far enough to see how to climb past it), and for the first time, in what has probably been a very long time, we are being completely honest with ourselves, and are now waving the white flag of surrender. And while this act of admission is very ego-deflating, once we walk into the doors of AA/NA/CR/CODA, we are now no longer alone in our problem. I remember how hard it was walking into my very first meeting. It felt like ultimate “walk of shame”. But once I got it through my head that every other person in that room was there because they were admitting to their own drinking problem, I began to see them as allies. In my act of surrender, I had found support and a place where my honesty was not met with judgement or ridicule.

When we admit, we let go. When we let go, we can begin to pursue the solution. Once we admit/accept/stop denying, we can stop burning all our energy in the effort to hide/control/feed our addiction. And you know how exhausting that is, right? I am still blown away whenever I think about how hard I worked to keep a drink nearby at all times. But once we stop using every ounce of energy we have to play the “game”, that energy can now be used to work the solution. And the solution is simple. Hey, the play book only has 12 Steps.

But you have to work them. That is what we are trying to do here. To stay focused on the solution and work it. And it starts with “We admitted”…

Keep climbing…

Marc is the webmaster and primary writer for SobrietyWeb, where he is currently working on a collection of Step Studies based on his own experience as a recovering alcoholic. SobrietyWeb was created as an online community where people can support and encourage one another as they actively work the 12 Steps of recovery. Please visit us at http://www.sobrietyweb.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/addictions-articles/step-one-admitting-to-the-problem-926184.html

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AN OVERVIEW OF ONLINE GAMBLING

Now online: online gambling.

Just like any commercial market today, gambling also took its chance of having to saturate a broader area of gaming through the Internet.

Nowadays, there are as many online gambling games as there are gambling games. Every kind of gambling game has their online counter parts in the Web. From poker to sports betting, every gambling activity seems to be online.

Most proponents of online gambling assert that online gambling is just as safe as gambling in known casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Just like the usual casino, online casinos are also required to have their licenses and permits before engaging into online gambling.

By doing so, online casinos are systematically regulated and audited by professional firms. All online casinos use the secure e-cash facilities, in cooperation with the credit card companies, so that the customers are being protected from unauthorized use of credit cards or from cases of identity theft.

Generally, online gambling in an online casino will entice new players by requiring them to deposit an amount by offering bonuses. An online casino that will offer you a free $100 for a $50 deposit is a good example. In this manner, more people believe that online gambling offers better chances than real-life gambling. However, this poses more risk in getting addicted to the game.

For people who want to play online gambling, deposits can be made through credit cards, fire pay, or 900 pay. Fire pay works like an ordinary online debit card. Normally, the player places money into the account and can be spent to any online merchants. Funds can be deposited through wire transfers. 900 pay, on the other hand, is another way of depositing money by calling a 900 number and the amount that is to be deposited is charged to the player’s phone bill.

What’s more, online casinos are further classified into two groups based on their interface. Online casinos could either be web-based or download-based.

Web-based casinos are forms of online gambling wherein users may directly play online casino games without having to load any software to the local computer. Online gambling is mainly presented in the browser plugins like Macromedia Flash, Shockwave, or Java.

On the other hand, download-based online casinos are the most common online gambling sites in the Web. Here, online gambling users have to download certain software in order to play the casino games. And because it has pre-downloaded software, it is faster to initiate casino games on it compared to web-based casinos.

All the same, and due to the basic nature of online gambling, any transactions with it are vulnerable to fraud. There are online gambling known as rogue casinos wherein these sites refuse to pay the customers or contains a cheating software.

Plus, there are other ways of frauds in online gambling. Most of these cases are player-based. Players who want to cheat usually uses Adobe Photoshop or a comparable tool to maneuver the graphics of a slot machine screenshot in order to deceive the casino into thinking that the player just hit a jackpot.

Whatever forms of deception, it is evident that frauds are more likely to happen in online gambling. And if in any case, players get to be addicted in playing online gambling, they must remember that their obsession did not happen by mistake.

Online gambling is a highly interactive game, meaning whatever choices players make are based on their own prerogatives. So, however enticing online gambling can be it is a must that players must know their own dispositions so as not to be deceived.

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