Gambling Addiction & Recovery Support Group
Compulsive gambling is an urge or addiction to gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. A preferred term among many professionals is problem gambling, as few people described by the term experience true compulsions in the clinical sense of the word. Problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others rather...
I was thinking about addictions the other day and started thinking about how much addiction is like HOTEL CALIFORNIA. Stay with me here and we'll go through it verse by verse.
ON A DARK DESERT HIGHWAY, COOL WIND IN MY HAIR. WARM SMELL OF COLITAS, RISING UP THROUGH THE AIR.
In a dark moment on the highway of life, we smell or see something temptiing that will take our thoughts away from it. (colitas is the bud of a marajauna plant)
UP AHEAD IN THE DISTANCE, I SAW A SHIMMERING LIGHT, MY HEAD GREW HEAVY AND MY SIGHT GREW DIM. I HAD TO STOP FOR THE NIGHT.
We see the promise of rest from our pain. We start to see nothing but the release and we go for it.
THERE SHE STOOD IN THE DOORWAY, I HEARD THE MISSION BELL. AND I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF THIS COULD BE HEAVEN OR THIS COULD BE HELL.
There is always someone there to help us become addicted. Even though we are educated that this could possibly be bad for us; we decide to try it to find out if it helps us feel better or worse than the reality of life.
THEN SHE LIT UP A CANDLE, AND SHE SHOWED ME THE WAY. THERE WERE VOICES IN THE CORRIDOR AND I THOUGHT I HEARD THEM SAY...
Someone teaches us the addiction, even though we see what it has done to other people we continue on. There is a small voice somewhere inside of us, warning us about the consequences.
WELCOME TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA. SUCH A LOVELY PLACE. (SUCH A LOVELY PLACE.) SUCH A LOVELY FACE. PELNTLY OF ROOM AT THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA. ANY TIME OF YEAR, YOU CAN FIND IT HERE.
There are always people to share your new addiction. It looks so attractive. It is always available. If you look for it.
HER MIND IS TIFFANY-TWISTED, SHE GOT THE MERCEDES BENZ. SHE GOT A LOT OF PRETTY PRETTY BOYS THAT SHE CALLS FRIENDS.
TIFFANY-GREEK TEOPHANY = APPEARANCE OF GOD
The addiction has the twisted appearence of God like abilities. There are other addictions that seem almost as good that spin off the first one.
SO I CALLED UP THE CAPTAIN, "PLEASE BRING ME MY WINE" HE SAID "WE HAVENT HAD THAT SPIRIT HERE SINCE 1969."
Once you become addicted and used to having it all the time, there is a part of you that feels entitled to it. And then it becomes scarace.
AND STILL THOSE VOICES ARE CALLING FROM FAR AWAY, WAKE YOU UP IN THE OF THE NIGHT JUST TO HEAR THEM SAY... "WELCOME TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA. SUCH A LOVELY PLACE (SUCH A LOVELY PLACE) SUCH A LOVELY FACE. THEY LIVIN' IT UP AT THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA. WHAT A NICE SUPRISE (WHAT A HENICE SUPRISE) BRING YOUR ALIBIS.
You still have the feeling that what you are doing is wrong. But it still looks and feels so good. It seems like you are having a party and having a good time. But don't let anyone know what you are doing. If you go too long without it. The cravings disrupt your life.
MIRRORS ON THE CEILING, THE PINK CHAMPAGNE ON ICE. AND SHE SAID, "WE ARE ALL JUST PRISONERS OF OUR OWN DEVICE." AND IN THE MASTER'S CHAMPERS THEY GATHERED FOR THE FEAST. THEY STABBED IT WITH THEIR STEELY KNIVES BUT THEY JUST CAN'T KILL THE BEAST.
Your life starts to looks distorted. You see the person that you were and the person that you have become. But the addiction still looks good. When you finally try to overcome the addiction you realize that it wont be that easy.
THE LAST THING I REMEMBER I WAS RUNNING FOR THE DOOR, I HAD TO FIND THE PASSAGE BACK TO THE PLACE I WAS BEFORE.
You realize you are lost and try to find your way back to the person you were.
"RELAX." SAID THE NIGHTMAN,"WE ARE PROGRAMED TO RECEIVE. YOU CAN CHECK OUT ANYTIME YOU LIKE. BUT YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE!"
Sadly, once and addict alawys an addict.
Lyric were taken from analyzelyrics.com
ON A DARK DESERT HIGHWAY, COOL WIND IN MY HAIR. WARM SMELL OF COLITAS, RISING UP THROUGH THE AIR.
In a dark moment on the highway of life, we smell or see something temptiing that will take our thoughts away from it. (colitas is the bud of a marajauna plant)
UP AHEAD IN THE DISTANCE, I SAW A SHIMMERING LIGHT, MY HEAD GREW HEAVY AND MY SIGHT GREW DIM. I HAD TO STOP FOR THE NIGHT.
We see the promise of rest from our pain. We start to see nothing but the release and we go for it.
THERE SHE STOOD IN THE DOORWAY, I HEARD THE MISSION BELL. AND I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF THIS COULD BE HEAVEN OR THIS COULD BE HELL.
There is always someone there to help us become addicted. Even though we are educated that this could possibly be bad for us; we decide to try it to find out if it helps us feel better or worse than the reality of life.
THEN SHE LIT UP A CANDLE, AND SHE SHOWED ME THE WAY. THERE WERE VOICES IN THE CORRIDOR AND I THOUGHT I HEARD THEM SAY...
Someone teaches us the addiction, even though we see what it has done to other people we continue on. There is a small voice somewhere inside of us, warning us about the consequences.
WELCOME TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA. SUCH A LOVELY PLACE. (SUCH A LOVELY PLACE.) SUCH A LOVELY FACE. PELNTLY OF ROOM AT THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA. ANY TIME OF YEAR, YOU CAN FIND IT HERE.
There are always people to share your new addiction. It looks so attractive. It is always available. If you look for it.
HER MIND IS TIFFANY-TWISTED, SHE GOT THE MERCEDES BENZ. SHE GOT A LOT OF PRETTY PRETTY BOYS THAT SHE CALLS FRIENDS.
TIFFANY-GREEK TEOPHANY = APPEARANCE OF GOD
The addiction has the twisted appearence of God like abilities. There are other addictions that seem almost as good that spin off the first one.
SO I CALLED UP THE CAPTAIN, "PLEASE BRING ME MY WINE" HE SAID "WE HAVENT HAD THAT SPIRIT HERE SINCE 1969."
Once you become addicted and used to having it all the time, there is a part of you that feels entitled to it. And then it becomes scarace.
AND STILL THOSE VOICES ARE CALLING FROM FAR AWAY, WAKE YOU UP IN THE OF THE NIGHT JUST TO HEAR THEM SAY... "WELCOME TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA. SUCH A LOVELY PLACE (SUCH A LOVELY PLACE) SUCH A LOVELY FACE. THEY LIVIN' IT UP AT THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA. WHAT A NICE SUPRISE (WHAT A HENICE SUPRISE) BRING YOUR ALIBIS.
You still have the feeling that what you are doing is wrong. But it still looks and feels so good. It seems like you are having a party and having a good time. But don't let anyone know what you are doing. If you go too long without it. The cravings disrupt your life.
MIRRORS ON THE CEILING, THE PINK CHAMPAGNE ON ICE. AND SHE SAID, "WE ARE ALL JUST PRISONERS OF OUR OWN DEVICE." AND IN THE MASTER'S CHAMPERS THEY GATHERED FOR THE FEAST. THEY STABBED IT WITH THEIR STEELY KNIVES BUT THEY JUST CAN'T KILL THE BEAST.
Your life starts to looks distorted. You see the person that you were and the person that you have become. But the addiction still looks good. When you finally try to overcome the addiction you realize that it wont be that easy.
THE LAST THING I REMEMBER I WAS RUNNING FOR THE DOOR, I HAD TO FIND THE PASSAGE BACK TO THE PLACE I WAS BEFORE.
You realize you are lost and try to find your way back to the person you were.
"RELAX." SAID THE NIGHTMAN,"WE ARE PROGRAMED TO RECEIVE. YOU CAN CHECK OUT ANYTIME YOU LIKE. BUT YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE!"
Sadly, once and addict alawys an addict.
Lyric were taken from analyzelyrics.com
Good post.
Kenji
Thanks!
Smokeygirl
And then one day, I went in, still playing the nickles. I won a little so I went up to the fifty cents. On my next roll I hit the jackpot worth almost four thousand dollars. After that, I was hooked. I don't even know how much money I have lost over the years and I'm afraId to even try and count it up.
Yeah, one innocent win can kill ya.
Jenn
very nicely done.
bright lights, action..
easy to be addicted.
Can it be heaven or hell? Well..we have the answer, don't we!