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...
Have any of you seen the movie, "Going for Broke" with Delta Burke? It is an extremely spot on movie about the destructive path gambling takes us all down. It's been uploaded to You Tube, and it really makes you realize how things can spiral out of control. This movie is hard to watch, as its a reality check, but when I have the urge to go to the casino I make myself watch it and it make me sick and has actually helped me stay away. There is one part where Delta Burke wins $50,000. She puts it back in in less than an hour. I want to scream at her to go pay the bills, but the funny thing is how realistic that is. How many times have I "won" and then put it all back in, then lost more of my own?? Then that awful trip home thinking how much good could have been done with the money spent and that sick feeling of what loser could even do that??? Ugh. I wish I had never ever gone to a casino.
I for one am thankful that I got treatment that worked and I worked at it to gain 17 months of abstinence as of yesterday. Life is not wonderful, but I can see improvement and have hope for things to get better. While gambling I knew it would just get worse.
I hope you are recovering from your own addiction.
The movie is very realistic about gambling and the problems caused by the addiction. I really like the way it shows how gambling affects the gambler's life and the people in it. It really hit a nerve with me.
"Owning Mahowny" is one of my favourite movies about gambling addiction. "Going for Broke" will now go on that list too.
I can totally relate. I am thankful that my addiction did not take me as far as she got. I still get mad at myself about the wasted money and dept, but I have to not let myself stay in the place for long. It does not do any good.
The best part about not going to the casino is I don't have to lay in bed and see the wheel go around and around. Even with my eyes open. That is so awful.