7 Things Writers Should Know About Gambling Addiction
More than 70 years ago, this country was warned about the dangers of gambling and the affect it would have on future generations. What was not known at the time was how gambling would expand to the degree it has today. The simplicity of being able to place a bet with a mobile device has enticed people from all walks of life who have a desire to gamble. In increasing numbers every year, this addiction is putting a stranglehold on the vast majority who gamble consistently.
Everywhere you go these days you’re sure to find a casino close by. There are still a number of racetracks for the horse bettors. Off-track betting parlors keep the action going as well. Many casinos now offer sports-betting which has taken on a whole new dynamic today. For the introvert who needs a quick fix, an instant bet can be made in the comfort and privacy of one’s home via phone or computer. If gambling action is what you want, it always seems to be at arm’s length.
Here are a few things writers should know about gambling addiction.
Gambling addiction is hard to identify
Unlike drug or alcohol addiction—which is conspicuous to everyone—a gambling addiction can reach the depths of misery before the inner circle becomes suspicious. All compulsive gamblers are good at two things: Lying and maintaining equilibrium for as long as possible.
In most cases, it’s not the emotional or physical state of the compulsive gambler that exposes the nightmare. Depleted bank accounts and excessive new debt is normally what rings the alarm bell. When a spouse or family member finally realizes they need answers to the new puzzling occurrences, it is often when the compulsive gambler has reached the highest plateau of the addiction.
Blindsided by all accounts, a whiplash of agony now engulfs those closest to the gambler.
All ages are at risk of gambling addiction
Young or elderly, highly-educated or not, male or female—the addicted gambler is extremely difficult to detect. More and more young people are getting addicted to sports-betting today. Many will find themselves heavily in debt before graduating college and entering the workforce.
The catastrophic economic hardships of the past decade and a half has taken a toll on the elderly. A large number of senior citizens are risking everything at the local casinos hoping for that one huge windfall. Some have lost a lifetime’s worth of savings being intrigued by the so-called glamour the casinos exude.
And for the middle-age gamblers who find the experience so captivating, the thought of a secure retirement is forgotten lore.
The ‘’ripple-effect” is devastating for most families
Any negative change in someone’s life can have a detrimental effect on them. When a misunderstood addiction like compulsive gambling surfaces for the first time in a family and with it no sense of logic, compassion and empathy are dismissive words. Intense anger takes center stage and will not subside easily.
For the compulsive gambler who once felt love and respect, it erodes in the snap of a finger when the addiction and its residuals are exposed. The healing-process must begin immediately. The good news is there is help not only for the compulsive gambler but also for family and friends.
Counselors, treatment centers, and 12-step meetings like Gamblers Anonymous are all avenues of hope for a compulsive gambler to find recovery from the addiction. Gam-Anon can play a major role in educating those affected by a gambling addiction; as well as introducing the key elements to moving forward: Understanding and forgiveness.
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Compulsive gamblers live in the moment
Most, if not all, do not grasp the entirety of the consequences. Lost in all the madness is the passage of time and thoughtlessness of the future. Retirement, or as some say, the Golden Years, will not fare well for the addicted gambler oblivious to life’s progression.
It takes a lifetime of making good decisions and proper planning to secure a retirement we all dream of. A one-year gambling addiction can have a huge negative impact on someone’s finances. Imagine what a 10- or 20-year gambling addiction can do?
It’s very simple math: The longer the gambling addiction continues, the more you are at risk of not securing that financially-stable retirement.
Gambling addiction has highest rate of suicide for any addiction
This is one of the most overlooked statistics today. Most people would probably assume that drug addictions have a higher rate of suicide. Or perhaps even alcohol addictions. This is why addiction awareness is so important.
Everyone has heard the expression an addiction is an addiction. Each one is just as deadly as the next. The only difference is that gambling awareness lags behind all other addictions. Until we do more to educate society about the dangers of compulsive gambling, it will continue to be the most “misunderstood” addiction of all.
Gambling addiction comes at a huge cost
In most cases, there is a heavy price to pay for a gambling addiction. Prevalent are financial hardships, loss of jobs, families ruined and prison sentences for crimes like embezzlement. The so-called “responsible” gamblers are a rare breed in diminutive numbers.
Most compulsive gamblers will tell you they were not born with nor did they ever have an “addictive” nature. But somehow, they were magnetized by the entire sphere of gambling. There has never been a success story transcribed about compulsive gambling or one that made its way to Fortune Magazine. It is nothing more than a path to destruction, always devoid of a happy ending.
Recovery takes a lot of time and patience
To fully recover from a gambling addiction, it takes time, patience, the willingness to accept responsibility, and most of all to be open and honest about their experience. The residual mental anguish suffered from the addiction takes a demonstrative toll on most compulsive gamblers. Many lack the stamina to endure the recovery process. Any willpower reserves have been extinguished.
The first step in recovery is sharing their story with others who have walked in their shoes. They need to escape the mindset that what they created with their own gambling addiction is unlike or worse than any other gambler on the planet. Gamblers Anonymous can immediately lift that burden of guilt and put them on a path of recovery.
A compulsive gambler in recovery wants forgiveness from all those they’ve hurt. Just as important, the compulsive gambler needs self-forgiveness in order to move forward and fully recover. It takes determination and hard work. And no, recovery does not happen overnight.
Check out Timothy J. Nilsson’s On Gambling here:
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