[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”CHAPTER 10 : PHASES” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]After that first meeting at Gamblers Anonymous, I did something that I hadn’t done in years, I went home (the hotel) instead of the casino. I was very anxious, and I wanted to go and gamble, but something stopped me. The fact that I couldn’t stop hearing in my head all of the things that were said in that meeting made me contemplate going to the casino. In that first initial meeting, I learned some very valuable points about gambling.
There are four phases to gambling, and they are the winning phase, the losing phase, the depression phase and the hopeless phase.
The Winning Phase– This phase normally begins with a huge win, and that in turn leads to excitement, therefore, the gambler creates a positive image regarding gambling. They believe that they have some type of unique talent and that they will continue to win. Because of this view, they end up spending more time and larger amounts of money gambling
The Losing Phase-Problem gamblers often become increasingly preoccupied with gambling. They do anything they can to gamble. This normally involves gambling alone, skipping work, borrowing money and lying to friends and family about their debts.
The Depression Phase– This is the phase where a problem gambler eventually loses all control over their addiction. Shame and guilt set in but even so the gambler can’t seem to stop. They will do anything possible to get money for their addiction, including stealing money. Eventually, the consequences of their actions catch up with them and as a result, they often losing their spouses, their jobs and even sometimes end up in jail.
The Hopeless Phase– This is the “rock bottom” phase, and usually, the gambler believes that no one wants to help them or that there is even hope out there for them. They don’t care if their alive or dead and often they will take to drugs or alcohol to help numb their pain even more. A large number of gamblers end up think about suicide and in some cases attempt to end their lives.
After hearing the four phases of a gambler that day in the meeting, I realized right then and there that I was an addict and that I had gone through every one of those phases.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
