But gambling is a different beast. It’s a mental addiction, preying on feelings of vulnerability and depression (amongst others) to get started, and then feeding off your shame and remorse to keep you quiet about it.
Tag: personal
i can’t talk about it
Problem gambling is a strange addiction. When you say “addiction” most people think of drugs, legal or otherwise. Cigarettes, alcohol, prescription drugs, ecstacy, heroin, cocaine… you get the picture. The thing that’s common to all of these is that there’s a physical component to the addiction. Your body craves the drug, and so you give it more. As a long-time smoker, I know all about this!
my big win – a cautionary tale
Regardless of their reasons for gambling, it’s my experience that most problem gamblers are looking for that one big win. You know, the win that will make all their losses worthwhile. The win that will vindicate their decision to gamble in the first place. The win that will give their life meaning, and allow them to shed those feelings of guilt and desperation.
I know all about this. When I was gambling, I was convinced I was going to win big, sooner or later. Absolutely convinced. Oh, I knew the pokies were random and that each game had as much chance (ie: not much) of paying out as the last or the next, but that didn’t matter. I knew. It was only a matter of time.
a brief history
I’ve lived most of my life in Melbourne, Victoria. Grew up here, went to school, went to uni, got a job. And growing up, I would hear about the pokies holidays; bus trips across the border into New South Wales, specifically for the purpose of spending a day or two playing the pokies before returning home to normality.
Because in the Victoria that I grew up in, there were no pokies. There was no casino. Sure, there was gambling… let’s face it, gambling has been around for a long time. You don’t need pokies to gamble.
