Anybody else see this??
It was a very interesting and eye opening look into the gambling industry as a whole but especially the FOBT machines, both in the shops and online.
It was hosted by a woman whos husband had commited suicide over these machines and apparantly the problem is growing out of control- so much so that one industry expert is 100 percent sure these thingsa are on borrowed time (long overdue in my opinion).
It also took a look into the anti gambling messages that are blatantl y useless to a compulsive gambler spouted by the bookies "when the fun stops stop" YEH RIGHT
However the most interesting part to the program was a scan on a compulsive gamblers brain and the chemical reaction that takes place, it soon made me realise that willpower alone isnt enough, we have to change our whole brain process and change oure whole wiring. The best way to do this?? through years of hard work and dare i say it pain. The pain we are all going through every single day eventually can change your brains reaction to gambling.
Could what i am going through now be a blessing??? almost a silver lining?? So i dont go too far and end up like the poor man on the documentary.
Got me thinking!
hey colt
that was very strange as i just this minute literally posted my own opinion on it , i agree with exactly what your saying just added my bit that i think the ABB are a bunch of total tw**s with a lot of grief and despair on there hands , i wish they could feel what its like to lose all your money after a binge and the terrible lows , clueless to reality or maybe not just don,t want to rock a very profitable organization , the goverment bans drugs because they alter your mental state but these machines have now been proven to alter your state of mind aswell and consequences just as bad if not worse
BAN THE FOTB BAN THE FOTB , hate the lure they have for a CG , then warning and messages just too little too late
Completely agree mate. The problem with these machines is the odds you face on every spin/deal. Its not like going into a casino and sitting at a table. The odds are so grossley against the player. The machine knows the outcome before you even sit down, but it has a tactic to make you feel you were really close so you keep going, or to win a little so that makes you keep going.
The tactics are very underhanded and conning and not like losing money on a football match or on a horse.
My favourite line of the whole program was from the brain scientist and expert "the bookies know what drives a compulsive gambler on and pray on this using the most dastardly and immoral tactics"
AMEN BROTHER!
Hi Colt
Yes this was a very interesting documentary and like you I thought the bit about the brain wiring very intriguing. For me it reiterates the reasons why gamblers struggle to recover on their own. It has taken a few attempts for me to have a lengthy recovery and I know if I allow my triggers and thoughts to get the better of me I will be straight back in the thick of things. Support, exclusion, will power and not being in control of money are essential during initial stages as the brain wants that stimulus.
For those that spend time and energy focussing on lobbing against bookies and the gambling industry while their intentions are good I always look at this fundimental fact: Alcoholics in recovery do not lobby against off licenses and pubs, drug addicts in recovery cannot lobby against much as most of the products they use are illegal. Heroin addiction is at an all time high, drug addiction in general is, and there are tougher laws and more facilities for people to recieve support. The key for me is why are people seeking and escape for life or a happy stimuli? Life's pressures and grinds must have a great part to play in all this. So if we know why we behave the way we do,want to change what we do, and have support and structure, then there is a way to change. When people change the stigma around gambling and people can openly talk about thier addiction without being judged then maybe people would be more open to seeking help. Perhaps treatment for compulsive gambling also needs analyizing. There is a bookie on every corner perhaps there should be a walk in recovery centre in each town?
Just my thoughts !!
There's another great post about this topic in the recovery diaries
Lots of people giving there take.
Pop by and have a look
Some very good views
From forum members
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