QUOTES FOR ADDICTION RECOVERY

If you’re struggling to overcome an addiction, no one needs to tell you it’s tough – you’re living it. Sometimes you could use a few encouraging words to remind you that you’re not in this alone and that, yes, change really is possible. Here are some quotes for addiction recovery that can strengthen your will and path while overcoming your addiction problem:

“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” – Carl Bard

“If things go wrong, don’t go with them.” – Roger Babson

“Our greatest glory is not in ever failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“If you can quit for a day, you can quit for a lifetime.” – Benjamin Alire Sáenz

“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” – Jimmy Dean

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” – Harriet Beecher Stowe

“You must do the things you think you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

“What is addiction, really? It is a sign, a signal, a symptom of distress. It is a language that tells us about a plight that must be understood.” – Alice Miller

“If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.” – Michael Jordan

If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh

“To improve the golden moment of opportunity, and catch the good that is within our reach, is the great art of life.” – Samuel Johnson

“Happiness is where we find it, but rarely where we seek it.” – J. Petit Senn

“If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up some place else.” – Yogi Berra

“Amazing how we can light tomorrow with today.” – Elizabeth Barrett Browning

“Sometimes we motivate ourselves by thinking of what we want to become. Sometimes we motivate ourselves by thinking about who we don’t ever want to be again.” – Shane Niemeyer

“Every noble work is at first impossible.” – Thomas Carlyle

“Not feeling is no replacement for reality. Your problems today are still your problems tomorrow.” – Larry Michael Dredla

“I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward, as though you have the confidence to move forward, eventually gives you confidence when you look back and see what you’ve done.” – Robert Downey Jr.

“Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.” – Charlotte Whitton

“Every experience in your life is being orchestrated to teach you something you need to know to move forward.” – Brian Tracy

SOURCE: http://www.addictiontreatmentpost.com/addiction-recovery-quotes-overcome-fear/

SOURCE: https://www.addiction.com/7215/70-best-quotes-for-addiction-recovery/

HOW PROBLEM GAMBLING AFFECT THE  FAMILY 

When there’s a problem or compulsive gambler in the family, more than just the gambler is negatively affected. The entire family suffers as a result of the behavior and thinking of the gambling addict. Families may be affected in different ways. Gambling problems can be hidden for a long time; so many families are shocked when they learn how much money has been lost. Some relationships do not survive a gambling problem. Other families struggle through difficulties and grow stronger together. People can and do recover from problem gambling, but it takes time and patience to work through all the issues.

How each family is impacted depends on the severity of the gambling problem, how long it has gone on, the closeness of the relationship with the gambler and other factors. Serious financial, psychological, emotional, social and legal problems may completely undermine family functioning to the point of collapse.

Financial

The most common problem is the loss of money. Savings, property or belongings may suddenly be lost. This kind of money crisis makes the family feel scared, angry and betrayed.Out-of-control gambling and repeated gambling losses take a tremendous toll on the family finances. Well-meaning family members, usually the spouse of the gambler, often try to “help” the gambler by lending them money, bailing them out of financial difficulties, paying their bills, helping them to stash money to gamble, and other behaviors related to providing money to the gambler. This is classic enabling and does no good either for the gambler or his or her family. Ultimately, the financial losses become too great. The home may be forced into foreclosure. The family may have to declare bankruptcy. When bills can’t be paid because the gambler has squandered all the money on chasing the losses, more than just money is at stake. The provider can no longer provide, and everyone suffers.

Breakdown In Family Relationships

Trying to deal with the stress and tension brought on as a result of the gambler’s behavior jeopardizes the bond among family members. When the spouse, children, siblings and other family members can no longer trust the gambler, feel no sense of security, have no confidence in the gambler or even fear for their future, the result is a breakdown in the family relationships. Endless lies, staying out late or not coming home at all, threats, manipulation and violence or domestic abuse all contribute to the dissolution of family ties.Shame, avoidance of friends, secrecy and trying to hide the pain further magnify the isolation the family members feel as the gambler’s behavior gets more and more out of control.

Many families under stress have trouble coping. One member may try to keep things in control by taking on more tasks. This can lead to burnout. Family members often focus on the person with gambling problems, and forget to take care of themselves or to have fun.

Emotional Devastation

Gambling problems cause strong feelings.These feelings make it harder to solve problems. .Anxiety, guilt, shame, depression, insomnia, behavioral problems and emotional insecurity begin to afflict all the family members that are closest to or living in the same environment as the problem or compulsive gambler. The spouse or family members may hide their feelings and refrain from saying certain things, afraid that it may trigger an explosive outburst. Children often seek to distract the attention away from the gambler by being disruptive, comedic or inordinately charming, or they react in the opposite manner and become withdrawn, quiet, and fearful. Older children may assume the role of protector of the younger siblings, or attempt to pick up the responsibilities of one or both parents. They often try to overcompensate at school, believing that if they were only better in their scholastic achievement, maybe their gambling parent would love them more and quit gambling. The emotional roller coaster continues to wreak devastation on the children’s emotional development the longer the gambler keeps gambling and does not get treatment. But, again, everyone in the gambler’s family suffers emotional consequences.

Sexual Dysfunction

With no trust in the gambler, no belief in their word, the spouse of the gambler often withdraws from the relationship in the form of sex. What sex there is may become perfunctory at best. Harboring intense feelings of anger and blame, the non-gambling spouse cannot show feelings of love. As the cycle of gambling continues with even more damaging consequences, the gambler loses all desire for sexual intimacy – his or her life is now controlled by gambling. The result for the non-gambling spouse is often complete demoralization, loss of self-esteem and confidence.

Violence

Family violence is more common when families are in crisis.With tensions escalating at a dangerous pace, the arguments and emotional outbursts may end in violence. Gambling problems can lead to physical or emotional abuse of a partner, elder parent or child. Both parents may vent their anger at the children, while the children may try to stick up for one parent or defuse the tensions. They may also become pawns in the never-ending squabbling. The bigger the losses, the longer the out-of-control gambling goes on, the greater the potential for serious bodily harm to family members.

According to the systematic review, over half of people with gambling problems (56%) report perpetrating physical violence against their children (Dowling et al., in press). Moreover, several recent Australian studies have found that one-third to one-half (34-53%) of people with gambling problems and their family members report some form of family violence in the previous 12 months (victimisation (27-41%), perpetration (23-33%); Dowling, Jackson et al., 2014; Suomi et al., 2013). In these studies, parents, current partners and former partners were both the most common perpetrators and victims of the family violence. However, results from studies involving family members other than partners must be interpreted with caution. Only a few studies are available with large variability in reported prevalence estimates.

Gambling And Dependency

Some problem and compulsive gamblers have more than one dependency. It is commonly accepted that individuals with one type of addiction often have others as well. This may be an addiction to alcohol, illicit drugs, pharmaceutical drugs used for nonmedical purposes, or other type of substance. Just because someone gambles, however, doesn’t mean they’re automatically going to be addicted to something else, but the patterns of behavior are already established – particularly if one or more of the gambler’s parents had a problem with alcohol, drugs and/or gambling.

There are, of course, many gamblers who do not become otherwise addicted, saying that no other activity or substance gives them the kind of euphoria, excitement or “high” that gambling does.

SOURCE:https://aifs.gov.au/agrc/publications/impact-gambling-problems-families/what-are-impacts-gambling-problems-families

SOURCE:https://www.elementsbehavioralhealth.com/behavioral-process-addictions/how-problem-gambling-affects-the-family/

SOURCE:https://www.problemgambling.ca/gambling-help/support-for-families/how-are-families-affected.aspx

TYPES OF GAMBLING

Slot Machines 

Slot machines can be found in most pubs, amusement arcades and other locations. The player inserts money and presses buttons to make the reels spin round. The combination of pictures that line up when they’ve stopped spinning means you’ve either lost or won, although sometimes the machine might have a bonus feature to keep the game going a little longer. Slot machines are also called fruit machines because the pictures on the reels are often lemons, cherries, pineapples and so on. The whole game is down to a random number generator, which means that you can never guess the outcome.

Slot machines are the most popular gambling method in casinos and constitute about 70 percent of the average US casino's income.
Natasha Dow Schüll, associate professor in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology uses the term “machine zone” to describe the sensation which the users of slot machine experience during gambling, where is a distortion in the perception of time, related to a system of sound and visual rewards.

Mike Dixon, PhD, professor of psychology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada studies the relationship between slot players and slot machines. Slot players were observed experiencing heightened arousal from the sensory stimulus coming from the machines. They "sought to show that these "losses disguised as wins" (LDWs) would be as arousing as wins, and more arousing than regular losses".

Lottery

There are many different types of lotteries but they all work around the same system. Whether it’s the National Lottery, Thunder ball, Euro Millions or even a raffle ticket you’ve bought at the local church, some of the people that take part will win money or prizes, whilst most won’t win anything at all.

Lotteries come in many formats. For example, the prize can be a fixed amount of cash or goods. In this format there is risk to the organizer if insufficient tickets are sold. More commonly the prize fund will be a fixed percentage of the receipts. A popular form of this is the "50–50" draw where the organizers promise that the prize will be 50% of the revenue. Many recent lotteries allow purchasers to select the numbers on the lottery ticket, resulting in the possibility of multiple winners.

The purchase of lottery tickets cannot be accounted for by decision models based on expected value maximization. The reason is that lottery tickets cost more than the expected gain, as shown by lottery mathematics, so someone maximizing expected value should not buy lottery tickets. 

Scratch cards

A scratchcard is a small piece of card with a thin covering that can be scratched away using a coin. Scratchcards are available at different prices, usually starting at £1, and the more expensive the card, the larger the prizes available or the higher the chance of the player winning one. Sometimes a symbol beneath the scratch table area has to match a particular type, and sometimes three of the same symbol or monetary amounts need to be uncovered in order to win.

Poker

In poker, two or more players are given cards that have been shuffled at random. They then bet on the value of their cards, which is called their “hand”, and bets are placed in the “pot” in the middle of the table. A player wins everyone’s bets by having the highest amount using two cards in their hand and three on the table. Players try to force others to “fold”, meaning they’ve dropped out of the game and lost their bets. Poker does require some skill, but in the end only one player can win and chance plays a large part.

Blackjack

Blackjack is a relatively simple card game. A player is dealt cards one by one with the aim of their combined value (one, two, three etc.) adding up to as close to 21 as possible without going over. If your cards add up to over 21 you automatically lose – this is called “busting”. But if they add up to under 21 whilst being higher than that of the other player or dealer, you win.

Roulette

Roulette is a game in which the croupier (casino host) spins a ball around a wheel which has 37 red or black numbered holes around it's circumference. Players may choose to place bets on the ball landing on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even. The odds at which each outcome pays out depends on the probability of that outcome happening.

 

Bingo

Bingo is a game in which players are given cards with random numbers printed on them. The bingo caller shouts out numbers one by one as they’re removed from the ball machine, and the player marks off each number if it’s on their card. The winner is the first person to mark off five numbers in a row or another required pattern.
It does not matter what game we become addicted to, if we show symptoms of gambling addiction, we have a problem. In fact, a Bingo player goes through the same phases as the card player, slot player, sports bettor, etc. in the cycle of compulsive gambling addiction. The phases are the winning phase, the losing phase, and the desperation phase. When a player starts to notice the consequences of gaming, they can start to feel depressed and begin to isolate, lie, and blame others for their problem. Some other symptoms of Bingo addiction include:
Bingo starts to disrupt lives – Arguments with family about time spent playing the game, lying about money lost, missing birthdays or other family functions, and even interfering with their jobs. Some Bingo players have left their small children at home or in cars outside the Bingo parlors while they played the game.

Today, Bingo has evolved into popular online games where a player only needs a credit card, and can sit in their pajamas in front of their computers and play all day. There are more than 2,000 online gambling websites and more being added. One online bingo industry stated it had 80% female audience. Dr. Bowden-Jones, head of the National Problem Gambling Clinic based in Soho in London, stated that some women play up to ten hours a day online. 


Sports betting and racing

There are various types of bets that you can place on sports, most of which can be made at betting shops, also known as bookmakers or bookies. The odds of an individual sportsperson, team, horse or dog are provided and you can bet your money on them, but even if they’re expected to win it doesn’t mean they definitely will.

Betting on team sports has become an important  service industry  in many countries. For example, millions of people play the football poolo every week in the United Kingdom. In addition to organized sports betting, both legal and illegal, there are many side-betting games played by casual groups of spectators, such as NCAA Basketball Tournament Bracket Pools, Super Bowl Squares, Fantasy Sports Leagues with monetary entry fees and winnings, and in-person spectator games like Moundball.

Online gambling 

Most of the types of gambling described here can also be found online as well as in shops, arcades or casinos, and virtual forms of gambling share many of the same features as offline, or land-based, gambling.The Internet has made way for new types of gambling to form online. Improvements in technology have changed betting habits just as video lottery terminals, keno and scratchcards changed the gambling industry in the early 20th century.  

Gambling has become one of the most popular and lucrative businesses present on the Internet. In 2007 the UK gambling commission stated that the gambling industry achieved a turnover of over £84 billion according to the UK Gambling Commission. This is partly due to the wide range of gambling options that are available to facilitate many different types of people

Mobile gambling

Refers to playing games of chance or skill for money by using a remote device such as a tablet computer,  smartphone or a mobile phone with a wireless internet connection. Over a hundred mobile casinos are operating as of December 2013, with most of the big casino operators in gambling now providing a mobile platform for their player base.

According to a February 2010 comScore MobiLens study of the U.S. mobile gaming market, smartphone subscribers are much more likely to play mobile casino games than subscribers of generic phones. The study revealed that 7.6% of smartphone subscribers and 1.2% of generic mobile subscribers played mobile casino games within a three-month time frame.

People who have a problem with their gambling lose an average of $21,000 a year. That’s a third of the average annual salary. Hard earned money that would otherwise be used to pay bills, pay off the mortgage or take holidays with the kids.
But it’s not just about the money. It’s the harm to themselves and their family. Problem gamblers suffer mental and physical health problems, find it difficult to hold down a job, and struggle to maintain relationships.
For many families, perhaps the biggest loss is the quality of time together, which can never be recovered. People with gambling problems are six times more likely than non gamblers to get divorced. They are four times more likely to suffer from alcohol abuse.
So extensive are the impacts that the social cost of problem gambling to the community is estimated to be at least $4.7 billion each year.

SOURCE:http://www.bigdeal.org.uk/types-of-gambling

SOURCE:http://www.affluentgamblers.com/casino-games/
SOURCE:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambling
SOURCE: http://www.problemgambling.gov.au/impact/

CLIENTS ABOUT PROGRAM OF HERC TIME CENTER

 

I. G. (22): At the beginning I didn’t really have an idea how the program is going to look like. But as soon as it has started I gained a new will for engaging in it because I noticed a positive change in my behavior. I became aware of some things that were not important for me before. I learned how to behave in the right manner, how to speak for myself using ways of assertive communication, how to differ irrational from rational thinking and how to apply all those new mechanism in my fight with gambling.

A. H. (20): In the beginning I was feeling skeptical but during the rest of the counseling I realized that I am feeling better, that I am moving forward. That’s when I started to be sure that I am going to beat my problem. The fact which I like the most is that people from Herc Time were really involved and focused on me and my gambling problem. They were not interested only in taking my money and spending the rest of the program with no effort in helping me. They were trying really hard and they made it. 

N. K. (19): I was so afraid, scared to death… and I ended up extremely satisfied. I expected less than I actually got from the Herc Time and know I am feeling better on both fields – physical and mental. 

A. M. (28): In the beginning I didn’t expect too much. But, as the time was passing by, my expectations started  to grow big because during the program I have found myself again; I learned new mechanisms that helped me to improve the quality of my life and solve the gambling problem that I had. I was impressed the most when I realized how easily they found the core of my problem and how immediately we started to work on it with so much effort. Before the program, I believed that some huge philosophy is needed in order to help me but actually the key was more simple than that – now I believe that the most important and useful thing is to be always aware of yourself and others and to approach rationally to the world. It appears that we don’t need a lot in order to be happy.

M. K. (29): When I entered the program I was hostile and in resistance. Now I know that it was the consequence of my psychological condition at that time. After couple of sessions I let myself free and started to work with more trust in people from Herc Time who were trying really hard to explain me some things that later triggered my recovery. Now, after 5 months, I can say that they were right about everything they were saying. Every advice, every suggestion now perfectly makes sense. I cannot describe how thankful I am because they helped me and my family to close the door of the hell called gambling. 

P. M. (27): At the very beginning of the treatment I had no idea what is all about. Now I can say that the program is very good and different in comparison to many others I have heard about. Focus on presence and recognition of the impulse for gambling I found most useful in my case. But also, everything else that I have learned might be very helpful during everyday life. Many thanks to Herc Time team.

M. S. (30): I expected to stop gambling and to improve the quality of my life. And that is what I have got after only 2 month and 25 days. 

D. B. (25): The process I went through was really on a higher level. I learned a lot of things – how to behave in critical situations, how to react, what to change about myself, how to behave with others. I will definitely keep working on assertive communication. I learned a lot about consequences of gambling, how it can influence our organism and our conscience and have can I control my urges for gambling. I am here only 7 days and I am already feeling better – I am cheerful, refreshed and full of new information that I am ready to use in process of distancing from gambling. Treatment in Herc Time is completely professional. 

T. S. (27): When I came in Herc Time Center for the first time my only expectation was to solve the problem with gambling. But soon my appetite grew because I realized that I have an opportunity not only to work on gambling problem but to explore some other inner conflicts that are much deeper than gambling. The program is quite comprehensive and provides you a lot of support and challenges for dealing with yourself. I recommend you all to contact Herc Time Center for help, I am absolutely sure that you will make a progress and that you won’t regret any time and money.

S. M. (31): I came to Herc Time with an intention to heal and complete the program successfully. I came with no idea about the program that I was about to follow but already, after the first day, I realized that I am at the right place. I kept that feeling from day to day. I was feeling better and better as I was born again. Finally I was living normal life again. I find most important the approach they had towards me that helped me to relax and think clear-headed. People from Herc Time, just keep doing that way. THANK YOU A LOT FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME.

 

 

DEALING WITH GAMBLING FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE:

 

Do you want to stop gambling? Do you really want to stop gambling or want to return the money you owe? Do you really want to stop gambling or you're just fed up now, you're tired of the losses, quarrels and mistrust. Do you promise what you really think or what you would like to think?

If you really want to stop gambling then make a decision and go solve the problem. Time will pass whatever you are doing ... what kind of mood will you celebrate summer? As a winner or a loser? It depends on you and the skills and knowledge to deal with excuses that came bursting from all sides.

We'll teach you how not to gamble. Easy ...

Pathological gambling addiction like any other disease has its phases.

Repayment of debts can't solve the problem, but it is deepening the problem. Gambler will pray, promise, will be ready to swear in all the world. He meant it at the time because he was tired of the lies, manipulation, pressure lenders, interest and who knows what else ... But what happens when the money back and body rest? Again, all in a circle !!!

Do not try to solve the problem or prohibitions to experiment with your own methods because you will lose time and money. You must know that gamblers doing well in 'their world'  of manipulations. It is easier to defend the system regardless of the price, but to begin to build a new one.

The work of Herc Time Center includes:

 

• Initial psychological assessment-determining the intensity of pathological gambling problem and  the consequences of this problem.
• Individual psychological counseling combined with unique program developed by Dejan Stankovic (head of  Herc Time Center). The work includes construction of defense towers, visualization pulses and decoding the wrong behavior patterns.
• Monitoring progress of the client as well as the evaluation of the program.
   

There are no unsolvable problems. Anyone who has a problem with gambling has in itself the wrong program which needs to be interpreted, decoded and replaced with new and correct program. This can't be done by someone from their environment: parents, family, doctors, psychologists, only by someone who understands the problem. In the Herc Time Center we are helping people to understand the mechanisms of the problem and to find right and permanent solution in its own model with the patterns of behavior analyzes.