Awareness is Positive

Apparently the level of awareness for “problem” gambling is being raised with the whole Charles Barkley issue. I read a very good editorial on this subject which can be accessed here. The whole issue will be raised again or rather is being raised even higher as the NBA referee Tom Donaghy faces his sentencing in July as he wager (compulsively) on NBA games while he was a referee. It appears Mr. Donaghy is receiving treatment for his compulsive gambling whereas Mr. Barkley is in a state of denial about his compulsive gambling. I will not take inventory of others as God knows I have many of my own character defects to address; however; I was a person who denied his compulsive gambling addiction for over 20 years which led me directly to prison.

Thankfully through recovery and most importantly in recovery my life continues to get better with each passing day. I wish Mr. Barkley well as he seeks to “quit gambling for a year or two”. I can only speak from my own experience and state that I two quit for several years but I was never in recovery which is why ultimately I went back to gambling. I know as long as I work the Gamblers Anonymous Program the way it is designed my life is enriched in so many different aspects and I am eternally grateful.

I was very tired for some reason this morning and I decided to take the morning off from exercising. I slept much later then usual and knew it was later then usual when I woke up and saw that it was light out. I usually wake up when it is still dark out but with the time change being moved up a few weeks and the time of year the sun is rising earlier and earlier. This is still no excuse and the bottom line I was tired this morning and needed more rest. Also this evening I was scheduled to have a late dinner with a very dear friend (this dinner has subsequently been cancelled) and I would have plenty of time to workout prior to dinner. Now as it turns out I have all evening (if I choose) to exercise at my leisure.

I got up this morning and took my time. I did turn on the television and the big stories were the Democratic primary which appears to be finally wrapped up by Barrack Obama even though Mrs. Clinton refuses to give up. There is a reason she is still in the race and I think she is the only one to understand this reason. Whatever the case it appears the candidates for president are set barring any unforeseen circumstances for the election in November. It maybe a good thing I am not allowed to vote this year because I don’t know who I would actually vote for. My allegiance doesn’t swing to a particular party and I do my best to select the best candidate no matter the party affiliation. I don’t know who the best candidate is because I can see faults in both of these men. In fact, I see more downside then upside but in reality whoever takes over the presidency is in for a difficult time.

I had my fill of the early morning news after 15 minutes and got out of bed. I made my way to work and days like today I am the first one in as most everyone starts much later. I had some work to do and while I was doing work my cell phone rang and it was a great friend. We had a wonderful conversation and this friend is a relatively new friend that I met because of my situation. My life is enriched beyond belief because of recovery and because of my situation. I am very blessed to be experiencing all of this goodness in my life. We talked about various topics and the topic led to problem gambling and the fact that the National Council for Problem Gambling’s Annual Conference will be held in Long Beach, California next month and most likely the two of us will see each other at the conference.

Yes, it was a great conversation and I went back to work where I noticed I received an email from an email I sent a few weeks ago. This email was in regards to the upcoming San Diego Rock n’ Roll Marathon next week. I had sent the reasons why I am running to the media department of the marathon and they want to interview me before the rest so now I guess I have to run!! I was looking for an incentive and now I have found this incentive.

It is my hope to raise awareness for problem gambling because all of the articles I have read and all of the interviews I have seen state the problem gambling is far behind alcohol and drug treatment. The issue of problem gambling is not going away anytime soon (if ever) and needs to be addressed. A state such as my state California sets aside $3 million for the treatment and awareness of problem gambling. This may seem like a great deal of money but the gambling coffers of the state rake in billions (yes billions with a B) of dollars in revenues and the amount of $3 million is a pittance. California is not even the leader in terms of dollars set aside for problem gambling issues. In fact Nevada, New Jersey and Mississippi aren’t even the top states when it comes to this issue. The top state is Indiana at $4.5 million.

I read today the state of Maryland is considering adding slot machines to their racetracks and part of that legislation would set aside $6 million for problem gambling issues. At the very least someone is thinking ahead. There is no doubt crimes will be committed, marriages will be lost, suicides will be contemplated and even fulfilled all due to gambling.

The vast majority of the general public can gamble like it is a form of entertainment; I am not part of this vast majority, I am in the minority and unfortunately my minority is growing in numbers. The estimate of problem gamblers is now between 6 to 9 million people which are big numbers even in the grand scheme of things. If I can only tell my story and it somehow resonates with someone then this has all been worth it. It has all been worth it because I have found an inner peace I have been lacking all my life.