Addictions & Anger Management

Websites designed to help people overcome their gambling addictions have recently been contacted by television associate producers and reporters in an effort to obtain information about individuals who have been affected by compulsive gambling addictions. In most cases, they are looking for people to come forward and share how their lives have been impacted by local gambling establishments. In the majority of these cases, people feel fear of embarrassment from family and friends and therefore, are not willing to discuss how their lives were affected.

I was recently contacted by BET nightly news. They asked for help to locate people who lived within a specific geographic area whose lives were affected by gambling. Out of the five individuals I found, all refused to discuss their situations or allow someone to interview them for fear of recognition.

Through my website, I Stopped Gambling So Can You http://www.istoppedgambling.com/ I have been fortunate enough to meet people of different backgrounds and learn about their gambling addictions. They have allowed me to share their stories with others as long as I assure them that their names will be kept confidential. I have shared some of these situations with reporters and associate producers with the hope that the message would reach the politicians.

One politician I spoke with said he was trying to pass a law that would prevent people from using their credit cards to buy lottery and scratch tickets at local convenience stores. At first I thought this was a joke. People who want lottery tickets will get them with or without a credit card. Lawmakers need to see the larger picture. Most people who live within sixty miles or less from gambling establishments, are negatively impacted.

Its been about ten years since the casinos opened in the state of Connecticut. People are spending more of their money there and not at the local businesses and shopping malls. Lawmakers need to realize that casinos grow very quickly in size due to the amount of money people lose. The amount money lost to gambling could be have been used to boost our economy instead.

The truth is political leaders love the revenues generated by the casinos. This makes them look good to the voters because they dont have to increase taxes. Do the political leaders care that the economy is being negatively affected? Based on my knowledge and experience in this area, I predict that in less than five years the devastation caused by gambling establishments will be seen. This can be prevented if people are educated and given the truth about this private addiction.

In speaking with reporters, I have also asked why they dont disclose the direct relationship between the amount of growth a casino has and the amount of money people lose by gambling. They have no response. The media enjoys reporting to everyone about the one individual who wins a million dollars. The media fails to mention that Casinos take in more than a million dollars a day from slot machines alone at the same time they report the million dollar winner. Its this distorted view that sends people down the road to self destruction by hoping to win big just once.

The operators at gambling establishments are very greedy people. In some states, penny slots were recently introduced as a way to attract seniors and lower income families. They believe the slots allow everyone to play such as those on social security and welfare and not just the rich. The truth is they dont care about whom they hurt or how many lives are destroyed. The one thing I have learned is that all gambling establishments do not discriminate. If you have money, they will gladly take it with a smile.

Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT ran a promotion in which they mailed out $50 dollar vouchers in an effort to bring people into the casino. In one week I heard from over fifteen people who actually used these vouchers but lost anywhere from one hundred to over a thousand dollars in just one visit. The casinos know how to draw people in. In order to avoid temptation, compulsive gamblers have asked to be removed from the mailing list. Unfortunately, gambling establishments dont care and will still send you information, but just not as often. During the holiday season, casinos mailed out $400 and $100 dollar vouchers for people to use at any of the gift stores located inside their establishment. Since its the holidays they know gamblers buy gifts too, but once they get the gambler back into the casino, theyre hooked once again. Is it unfortunate? Or was this just manipulation to get the gambler back?

Based on the statistics, gambling addiction is on the rise and the economy is in trouble. Is there a relationship between the current economy and gambling establishments? When will the politicians step up and help these people? Its up to the people to take a stand and hopefully the political leaders will step up and help these people out.

I have an extensive background in dealing with compulsive gamblers, friends and family of gamblers and teenage gamblers. I believe there are many alternatives to aid in the recovery of a gambling addiction. A large percentage of emails I receive are from compulsive gamblers looking for alternatives to Gamblers Anonymous and twelve step programs. Programs such as these help a number of people each year but there is a larger percentage that needs an alternative. These are people that I am trying to reach.

It is my goal to educate compulsive gamblers with options to help them beat their addiction.

Mr. Howard Keith has an extensive background in dealing with compulsive gamblers, relatives and friends of gamblers and teenage gamblers.

Mr. Keith believes there are many alternatives to aid in the recovery of a gambling addiction verses a twelve step program. A large percentage of his emails were from compulsive gamblers looking for an alternative to Gamblers Anonymous and twelve step programs. Gamblers Anonymous also helps a significant number of people each year but there is a large percentage that does not stay. These are the people Mr. Keith is hoping to reach.

Its Mr. Howard Keiths goal is to educate compulsive gamblers with options to help them beat their addiction.

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When we think of drug addiction, we simply think of somebody whos gotten accustomed to taking an addictive substance and cant stop. But what causes this addiction, what is the force behind it. For instance, what is the thing which makes the user go back time and time again to use more and more drugs. What we want to know is, why cant they just stop?

It is now believed that what drugs do is tamper with the brains way of working. Try and imagine all of the things in life, the things we hate and the things which give us pleasure. At the most basic of levels, in life we experience 2 emotions, these 2 extremes: like, and dislike. The things we like, we constantly seek to do more of, and the things we dislike we seek to avoid. Let us focus on the like side of things.

Somebody takes drugs because they like doing so, inevitably they take more, and more etc. Soon enough they cant stop and find themselves constantly wanting to take more drugs. Just as somebody who has a hobby seeks to do as much of it as they can. Drugs, basically, become a hobby. A part of peoples lives. Because of the constant need to do more, to maintain the sought-after effects, it is something the user likes whilst experiencing, but when coming down, or not experiencing dislikes. So rather than even consider quitting and getting out of the cycle, the first idea is to take more. It is such a cycle it is sometimes hard for the addicted to know where it ends and where it begins.

Some people are more prone to addictive behaviour than others. This is a medical fact. Some people have used hardcore drugs such as heroin, and simply decided not to take anymore one day, all on their own without any drugs rehab, and havent taken anymore. Sure, theyve maybe had to go through the withdrawal, something like a very long and painful hangover, and the physical and psychological cravings theyve maybe had, but in time this diminishes. Addiction can almost be like love. It is easy to fall in love, and think about nothing but, whilst it is quite something else to leave love behind.

Time is a great healer. At the most absolute basic level, the only way to beat drugs is to learn to stop loving them, and find something else to fall in love with. Eventually, youll never look back but forward!

For free information on drug addiction and much other information pertaining to beating drugs check out our website at http://drug.rehab4free.com

Every Mom Worries

Our culture makes anger a dirty word. Yet, it is an emotion that deserves attention. Because it has not received the proper attention, it is responsible for coming out "all wrong" and come out it will. The way to manage anger is by recognizing it as a valid emotion with a purpose. Next time you are angry, look at it as a form of information that has a message for you. Determine the message and act in a way that satisfies the message with self-respect and respect for others. Here are ten points to keep in mind as you move through anger:

1. Recognize that anger is a valid message that something is wrong.

2. Experience the sensations in the body: Where do you feel it? What does it feel like?

3. Determine the message in the emotion. What is the message? What is anger trying to tell you? Have one of your boundaries been violated? Is it a response to protect you from feeling hurt? Are your goals being frustrated? Are you responding to feeling threatened? Has your sense of justice been betrayed? Figure out the message. Your body and mind are trying to tell you something.

4. Understand the other persons point of view. Are you angry at someone? Have you thought about or talked about what may have provoked their behaviour? If you can truly understand, it will change your anger.

5. Understand your need for nourishing people in your life. Is your anger a pattern, a theme with the same kinds of problems with the same kinds of people? Is it time to respect yourself and choose friends and others who treat you better?

6. Recognize your beliefs. What beliefs about yourself and others are driving your anger. Use the ABC exercise on my site to excavate your beliefs. Are your beliefs adaptive or maladaptive? If they are adaptive, go ahead to action. If they are maladaptive, what new belief do you need to try that would work better or be more accurate?

7. Take action. Inherent in the message of anger is the need for non-violent action that is respectful of self and others. This is the tricky one. What action is required here that will satisfy the anger without causing damage to anyone including yourself.

8. Manage your anger. If you need to manage your anger, in what ways can you do that which would allow you to continue to function?

9. Acknowledge the anger. Suspend self-judgment. Are you truly acknowledging your anger, even if you know it is connected to a maladaptive belief that you havent yet changed completely? Acknowledging and having compassion for yourself in a nurturing style will go a long way to having your anger feel heard.

10. Look for moderation. Remember, suppressed anger is linked to cancer and cathartic anger is linked to cardiovascular heart disease. Find the moderate point on the continuum for hearing and taking appropriate action and your anger will be attended to in a way that is befitting for all concerned.

Now that you have some new insight, what will you do today to bring it into consciousness and apply it. Every day we get angry but don't pay much attention to it. Today, notice a small thing you are angry at and apply any one of these principles or insights and see how it changes things for you. I would love to hear if it had any effect for you.

Copyright 2006 Johanna Vanderpol

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