The man had already lost his life savings because of gambling. But he figured he was on a winning streak after he had won his last five hands at the Poker table. So, he felt beefy and lucky, as a matter-of-fact and put everything he had gained on the table as his next bet, and lost. Even though he had took a horrible lost, and wanted a chance to win it all back several days later, the man decided no to take an even greater chance at losing his family.
It’s a common and undetectable habit, in some ways: Gambling. So often do we see ourselves, or people around us with this problem. And it can ruin an entire family, if allowed. I’ve known people who have lost their homes, jobs and family to gambling habits. It starts like any other habit; You feel that you got a hold of it, and you can handle the pressure of the rush. But just as the days pass of a person feeling like they are not a gambling fanatic, so are the strongholds of the addiction to it.
I say that it’s addictive because everytime you get an extra dollar, you, the gambler, go and try to make twenty dollars from that one dollar. And not only does a gambling fanatic spend their last dollar on a bet, they also turn to others to borrow money for even more gambling; which involves others into the problem. But how can someone suppress this addiction, you ask? It’s not an easy thing to do, just as any other habit.
First of all, a person has to admit that they have a problem with gambling; Then, they must want to be helped, but not before actually wanting to stop gambling. I would feel that during these steps of processes, this person is going to need the help of family and friends for the support and motivation of trying to conquer this habit; But it’s not to say that the family/friends should make the person feel bad about the gambling habits, but encourage them not to do so. Invite them to enjoy other activities.
If it’s possible to have the support of family during this time, a person can see what’s at stake when they gamble their finances away; and not to mention if a person is so addicted to it, that they may put their homes or stocks up for a bet. I’ve seen so many instances on television and in life, where a person places their homes, deeds, mortgages, life savings, children’s education funds, inheritances, and even more up as bets; And this is something that definitely flies up as a red flag. When a person goes this far, without having a for sure bet, it’s a sign of addiction. This person feels that if they just place one more bet, their luck will turn around; Sometimes it may, but the chances are slim.
If a person could gain a realization of what’s at stake when they place these bets and how these bets are such drastic chances with their futures and the futures of their loved ones, including responsibilites/priorities, they may have a chance of being cured of the addiction to gambling. It’s not a fact that it will happen, but it’s a start.
How would you help your loved one, if they had a gambling addiction?
