Thursday, July 2, 2009
Lotteries are just another form of gambling.
In gambling, only the people who are providing that service is the one who actually benefits from it.
The people who are gambling often lose much more than what they may win back from gambling.
The enticement that one may get out of porverty the moment one strikes it big draws one more and more in to gambling.
This results in the desire to gamble more and more as they keep wanting to earn back what they lost.
This results in compulsive gambling.
Compulsive gamblers hurt not only themselves but also the people around them.
Melanie Morgan, a tv anchor in th 1980s, almost lost her job and marriage to gambling.
She continued gambling despite her pregnancy.
She was gambling right up to an hour before she gave birth.
Even after giving birth to her baby, she continued gambling.
Her husband resorted to putting their baby on the poker table in front of her and asked her "You want to play cards? Or do you want to be a mum?"
At this point of time she knew she was sick, but she could not stop.
Gambling was controlling her land her life. "A sick compulsive gambler will do whatever they have to do to gamble. It's an addiction" Quote from Frita, woman recovering from compulsive gambling.
The excitement of gambling is something that attributes to its compulsion.
"A sense of excitement, of being on the edge. You are literally holding your fate in your hands at a poker table." Quoted from psychiatrist Paul Goods.
Gamblers believe in the one day where they will strike it rich.
This is what keeps them going even if they have lost money over and over again due to gambling.
They believe if they persevere, they will make it.
When they win some money, they believe they can win more and they continue to gamble even more.
They borrow money from family and friends and when they cannot anymore, they turn to loansharks.
They can resort to anything just to continue gambling.
If they cannot borrow, they rob and steal.
This desire and greed for more is what their life turns into.
Families are torn apart and lives are ruined.
The compulsive gambler and the people around the gambler suffers.
One should never step into gambling.
If we do not start, it will be unable for us to become compulsive gamblers.
"People are unable to function at the highest level of productivity. Depression may be a by product of many addictive behaviours. They need to be hospitalised and families are torn apart by these behaviours. The ripple effect of addictive behaviours is enormous." Quoted from Doctor John Grant, associate professor of psychiatry at University of Minnesota.
Gambling affects everyone.
I do not support any form of gambling.
We should work hard to earn our money and not base it some unrealistic way which is purely another method to make you lose even more money.
Gambling is a way of you ruining your life and the lives of others, the people around you, not a way where you will strike it rich and earn such easy money.