You may have seen her on Sixty Minutes. Her story is not unique, but her problem is destroying the lives of people world-wide and enabled by governments of all persuasions. (Opinion of Sol Boxenbaum)
Gripped by Gambling mslancelot@cox.net
One weekend on my way home from work, the numbers on my odometer read 77,776.7 miles. Because the driveway to my house was circular, I could drive around until the odometer reached all 7’s. With each trip around the yard, the odometer added one tenth of a mile. With my heart pounding, I raced around the circle, spinning gravel into the air while my grand-kids waved from the front porch. When the odometer reached the magic number and rolled over to six sevens, I slammed on the brakes and ran into the house screaming, “Tommie, come quick and see what happened . . . there’s six sevens on the odometer, three for you and three for me.” I twirled around the kitchen and yelling, “Let’s hit the road! Right now!” Anything with seven in it was good luck, street signs, license plates, billboards and even adding page numbers in a book. But this sign was special because it had six of the lucky numbers.
Even as I drove down the streets in Yuma, I watched for cars with license plates with sevens in them, or if all the numbers in the license plate added up to a seven, it meant good luck. Or if there was a twenty-one in the number, I could divide it by three and then I had three sevens. I believed in lucky jewelry, especially my crystals and lucky clothes, like my red blouse.
If you wish to read the Women Helping Women Newsletter, the new link is: www.femalegamblers.info.
Switching Addictions Why didn’t someone tell me?
DENIAL VS. LACK OF KNOWLEDGE
The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we’re afraid.—Richard Bach
Denial may include delusion, illusion or fantasy, all of which can be defined as our determination to hold onto an attitude, positive or negative. Even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, we still grasp these opinions and beliefs and, unfortunately, our inability to recognize the truth can be a deadly form of denial.
Many addicts have a difficult time realizing they need help, even if they’re aware that help is available. Shame, guilt, and low self-esteem play a huge role in seeking help. How did I know I was going insane when it was my own sick mind doing the judging?
When gamblers attend their first few meetings or visit with a counselor, they may feel the need to justify their behavior.
? It’s because my husband is never home.
? I needed more money.
? It helps me to forget my problems.
Any of these “reasons” may create a band-aid for a troubled psyche.
THE BOOK
It’s never too late to find recovery and begin a new life. Switching Addictions reveals snapshots of Marilyn Lancelot’s life before she realized it was possible to switch one addiction for another. Her first book, Gripped by Gambling, chronicles her descent into compulsive gambling, followed by years of recovery. Switching Addictions builds on that material, following Lancelot as she so easily slips into new addictive behavior patterns.
Including helpful articles from Lancelot’s friends and counselors, Switching Addictions aims to offer hope and strength to the addict, their family members, and to those who have questions regarding their own behavior. Lancelot has included meaningful Bible verses, inspirational quotes, and a glossary of terms frequently used in recovery programs.
Ultimately, Lancelot realizes that the roots of her different addictions are connected. This realization has allowed her to make many positive changes in her life in recent years. Anyone can change, and it’s never too late to find recovery and begin a new life.
Both books are available on Amazon book store.
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