Think Marijuana Addiction has any negative effects? Check out these stories about Addiction To Marijuana and see how partners and relationships can suffer.
Here's an example of how a gambling addiction starts. This is the real story of one man who came to Guy Stuff Counseling for help with his gambling addiction.
Anthony had never gambled before. Sure, he'd played cards with friends at parties in high school, but never anything serious. Other than occasionally watching the poker tournaments on TV, gambling never had any appeal.
During his first year at college Anthony got invited into other guys' dorm rooms at night to play cards. He found that it was a great way to escape the studying he didn't want to do. As his school demands increased, so did the attraction and enjoyment of playing cards. Soon Anthony was up all night gambling and starting to skip classes. As his desire to gamble grew, he sought out other places to play and discovered online gambling.
When Anthony got kicked out of school, he knew it was partly due to his gambling, but he never thought he had a gambling addiction. He just moved back home, got a job, and started going to the local casinos to gamble. In addition to the 4 Indian casinos within easy driving distance, he found a card room only a mile from his house.
The card rooms made him feel seedy. He knew many of the other guys in there had a gambling problem. After all, they were always in there; every time he went in he saw the same faces.At least he could control it and didn't spend every day there, he thought.
He developed a strategy to keep his gambling addiction a secret from his parents. After the money he'd wasted at school, his dad watched his bank account carefully. He learned if he only withdrew a couple hundred dollars, and did from the local ATM and not at the casinos, his gambling wasn't noticeable by parents.
Anthony tried going back to school again at the local junior college, but found that missing classes and assignments didn't work there either. As he got more and more down on himself, and worried about what he would do with his life, he spent more and more time gambling. The money he was losing grew also. It didn't even seem inappropriate to him to be playing for a pot of $2,900 when he only made $10 an hour working part time at Home Depot.
One night, after getting kicked out by his girlfriend, he lost $400 in a half hour. Afterwards, as he walked out to his car and saw it packed full of everything he owned, and thought about having no money, no place to live, and no hope, he realized he had a gambling problem.
Anthony got his parents support and came to Guy Stuff for counseling. We've been working on his gambling addiction by helping him discover the reasons why he gambled. One of the things he's learned is that he used gambling to occupy his time and avoid things. As a result of our work, Anthony went back to school earlier this month and he's learning to use new ways to deal with the stressors in his life.
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My husband is a gambling addict but fails to admit it. He says he looks at playing cards like going to a regular 9-5 job. We've been married almost 3 years and and this continues to be a problem in the marriage. One minute he agrees it's and problem and days later he'll say it's the only way he can survive. There is so much more to this story but I am at my wits end and I don't know how to deal with this. At one point, I went outside my marriage for the attention because I felt abandoned and was being neglected by my husband. I need advice, resources. Can someone help?
Hi Nisha, It is typical for partners to feel neglected. Often partners blame themselves but in most cases it is not their fault. Usually, it is problems and traumatic experiences from the past that cause a gambling addiction.
After finacially depleting me, my husband walked out on me and the marriage January 2011.
Nisha I'm very sorry.... It's a sickness....
Hi, I began my gambling shortly after my husband told me he didn't love me anymore and wanted a divorce after he was having an affair and I believe a porn addiction. We have been married 25yrs and I have lost about $40,000 in the past 3 years. He now uses it against me to make himself look better. I have never been so unhappy and felt so unloved in my life. I moved here for his job 10 years ago and all my family and friends are back home, but my kids feel this is home for them. They are both in college now. The majority of the money I lost was an inheritence from my father(who was a bookie) and money I earned from a small job. It's the only time I am enjoying myself, but even after I win, I can't seem to go home and then I feel horrible later that I lost so much money. I am pretty severely depressed and feel like I'm in a black hole I can't get out of. The majority of the time I spend in bed. I am completely lost and can't believe this is happening to me and I am having a terrible time moving on. He is the all I've ever known and never wanted to work it out. He was done before I even knew there was a problem. What do you suggest?