It is hard to experience the devastation of a friend and his family as a result of an addiction. It is a hopeless feeling. Hopefully, by sharing this story with you, you joker123 will be able to help a friend or loved one avoid this road to self devastation.
This friend, let’s call him Gary, enjoyed reaching his friends on a Sat night for an evening of playing pool. It seems innocent enough when he decided that we should all play for sectors. We all thought that this would make the game more pleasurable and competitive, which it did.
Gary loved to win. The bigger the pot the bigger the celebration. Little did I know that this was the beginning of his betting addiction.
You see, betting junkies feel the same rush as a crack addict. That rush is established when they win. They start to crave that feeling to the point where it characterizes every rising moment.
Next we learned that Gary was skipping the pool games so that he could go to the local Indian casino where he enjoyed playing poker. We stopped getting together on the weekends. I saw Gary less and less. I later learned that Gary had taken to playing poker online nightly in front of his computer drinking and placing online wagers.
Is it no surprise that soon Gary’s business was in trouble. He was failing his customers and his revenue was dropping. His creditors were calling. His wife couldn’t stand the worries. She left him.
These are the classic signs of a betting addict. The betting becomes a compulsion that defies reasoning and realistic thought. The gambler tries the betting high no matter what. His or her life is ruined through the devastation of personal relationships and the burden of increasing debt.
I hope that you share this article with any person you think may be suffering from a betting addiction. It may help them avoid the road to self-destruction. There are many self-help groups available and qualified consultants are willing to help. In fact, many casinos will have a 24 hour betting addiction hotline available if you ask.