Scottish Life
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March 2018 Volume 15 Issue 2 Scottish National MEMBERS AREA 24 HOUR HELPLINE WEBSITE News WWW.GASCOTLAND.ORG username: member GA SCOTLAND 0370 050 8881 password: 125tep5 SCOTTISH LIFE Hello Fellowship, What an amazing response again this month from all over When Anyone, Anywhere, At Any Scotland. The commitment shown to the Scottish Life is very Time, Reaches Out much appreciated. Please accept my apologies for the delay in For Help, printing and many thanks to Angie for her assistance. I hope I Want the Hand of everyone is looking forward to a great summer this year One Day GA and at a Time. Please keep your contributions coming for the June Gam-Anon edition which will incorporate the theme of ‘A New Life’ Always To Be EDITORIAL There; Many Thanks and have a Happy New Day-Pam And For That I Am Responsible. Useful Numbers as of 01/06/2014 Citizens Advice Scotland Debt Advice Centre Aberdeen 01224 569 750 Aberdeen 01224 523 738 Dumfries 0300 303 4321 Dumfries 0800 019 1278 Dundee 01382 307 494 Dundee 01382 431 167 Edinburgh 01315 548 144 Edinburgh 0131 200 2360 Falkirk 01324 626070 Falkirk 01324 506735 Glasgow 0141 552 5556 Glasgow 0808 801 1011 Inverness 0844 4994 111 Highland 0800 090 1004 Perth 01738 450580(1) Perth 01738 450580 Saltcoats 01294 467 848 Saltcoats 08001383328 What to take with you to the Citizens Advice Bureau www.cas.org.uk/bureaux You should not delay seeking advice even if you haven't got all the information listed below. In some cases there may be only a limited time in which to take certain action. It is important that the adviser who deals with your problem has as much information about your case as possible. (It may take longer to deal with your case if you cannot provide the relevant information) Debt/money problems Details of your income G.A. Scotland Website Details of all those that you owe money to (creditors) Members Pages Copy of original agreements Username member Password 125tep5 Copy of any court papers Proof of income Wage slips/benefit/tax credit details Details of household expenditure/bills (food, utilities, etc.) Copy of the latest correspondence you have received Housing problems Tenancy agreement/letters from your landlord (for rented accommodation) Mortgage details (if applicable) Title deeds (for owner occupiers) Proof of income Wage slips/benefit/tax credit details If you have any relaxing pictures that you would like to see on the cover of the Scottish Life please send them in with your story. 2 If you are affected by someone else’s gambling then Gam-Anon can help. Gam-Anon meetings are for the friends and families who have been affected by a gambling problem. You are not alone. Gam-Anon can help and support the partner, relative or friend of any compulsive gambler. Our gambling and its consequences, sometimes affects those around us. Gam-Anon provides support and encouragement for the families and friends of compulsive gamblers, and helps them to understand the problem and to help overcome it. Please email: [email protected] (or contact the G.A. office) Literature o Deviations along the road to Recovery o GA Manual o GA Handbook (orange) o Who Am I? o Towards Recovery In Prison o Unity Checklist o The 12 Steps Of Recovery o Towards 90 Days o Newcomers Handbook o Beyond 90 Days o The 12 Steps Of Unity o Sponsorship Booklet o Climbing The 12 Steps Please ask your group Secretary for any literature you require WEBTEAM Every Group Secretary should now have their group’s new email address: [email protected] This allows group emails to be sent anonymously and members do not need to use their own personal email addresses which could identify them or their workplace. As Group Secretaries change then only the password needs to change for the new secretary as they take over the address. This means that there will be 1 address only for each group and the office can easily manage the mailing list. The email account can be set up on any smartphone, tablet, pc, mac or even on any browser via webmail. It is important that your group has this set up, please check with your Secretary if this has been set up and working otherwise your group may not receive important information. Email [email protected] if you still require your groups email to be set up. 3 VENUE CHANGE Shawlands Thursday Meeting Will Be In New Premises Pollockshaws Methodist Church 74 Shawholm Crescent Pollockshaws Glasgow G43 1LH From 8th Feb 2018 NOTICES Volunteers Required For Therapies. Many of you know our friend Chet who mans the Live Chat from Michigan, U.S.A. Chet attended Gamblers Anonymous in Scotland for many years and helped many people in their recoveries. His meeting is a small one and he is looking for volunteers to attend the meeting via FaceTime to do a therapy for the benefit of the members there. A few members have already taken part and it is well worth it. INTERESTED IN HELPING? All you need is an ‘Apple product, internet connection and a bit of time to give back. Get in touch. Have a great weekend. Alan (Perth) Conference Call Meeting Sunday Evening from 7pm-8pm For Compulsive Gamblers Who Cannot Attend A Regular Meeting Due To Working, Living Abroad, Living In Outlying Areas. Or Geographically Due To Transport Issues Cannot Attend Meetings. The Meeting Is Not For Members Who Don’t Fancy the Idea of Going to a Meeting and Would Prefer To Dial In; Those Members Will Not Be Given Any Info on the Meeting (This Will Be Explained At the Time of Asking) The Editor reserves the right of refusal on all submissions and may shorten/amend articles where appropriate. Views and opinions reflected in articles in the Scottish life (GA) are not necessarily the aims and ideals of GA or the Editor. ! 4 Life - Poem by Charlotte Brontë LIFE, believe, is not a dream So dark as sages say; Oft a little morning rain Foretells a pleasant day. Sometimes there are clouds of gloom, But these are transient all; If the shower will make the roses bloom, O why lament its fall ? Rapidly, merrily, Life's sunny hours flit by, Gratefully, cheerily, Enjoy them as they fly ! What though Death at times steps in And calls our Best away? What though sorrow seems to win, O'er hope, a heavy sway ? Yet hope again elastic springs, Unconquered, though she fell; Still buoyant are her golden wings, Still strong to bear us well. Manfully, fearlessly, The day of trial bear, For gloriously, victoriously, Can courage quell despair! ‘There is no other way to change something or someone for the better Except to occupy it first; the only person you can occupy is yourself. That is why the only person who can change you for the better is you. Without your decision to change and Your commitment to change, You will not change’ 5 Lewis Partick Tuesday I started gambling just before I was about to become a dad, nearly eight years ago, as I wanted more money to support the family. I was going to the bookies every day and I very quickly got hooked on roulette machines which made things a lot worse. I was lying all the time, stealing money and had numerous credit cards maxed out to the limit. I wasn’t sleeping properly and eventually I had to confess as I had nothing left and didn’t know what to do. My wife Louise was obviously angry and upset but decided to stick by me as long as I got help. Eventually I came to Gamblers Anonymous and realised I HAD HOPE and that there are a lot of people similar to me with the same problems. Unfortunate- ly I didn’t do things correctly and was still very selfish and wanted to do it my way. This was obviously foolish as I had a couple of gambles which made me feel awful. I nearly lost Louise and our daughter Erin. Now being two years free of gambling I know what I have to do to continue having a great life. I have to be a good father, son and friend. I have learned that so long as I am honest, willing and open minded I have a chance. G.A. is a great support to me and I thank everyone who has helped me A Day at a Time ___________________________________________________________________ Michael- Dennistoun Tuesday I recently returned to Gamblers Anonymous after over a year out the door and a sustained period of ‘full on’ gambling. I sat in G.A. rooms’ years ago and heard the horror stories from members, and thought: wow, I’m not that bad; I only lost a few quid; he is ‘aff his heed! etc. However, I have proved that once I leave G.A., I cross the invisible line into nonstop gambling. I became “that bad”. My life was on hold from the time I left the fellowship, as the urge to gamble was too strong and I needed to perform whenever I had the means. Fast forward nearly a year and I have a normal life. It’s brilliant. I can afford a coffee at work; concentrate when reading a book; look to the future and I have my ambition and motivation for life back. All I’ve been asked is to do is commit myself to G.A, and make it a part of my life. I attend a couple of meetings a week and speak at nearly every one.