Gambling. Ruining My Life.

[x CriiTiiCaL HiiT x 0]

I'm going to start off with this:Why do people gamble, if not to gain money?My dad gambles a lot, and always ends up losing all his money. He gambles every time he get's a paycheck.Basically, my parents have a LOT of unpaid bills, and he still ends up gambling almost every day.. we don't know exactly WHERE he gets the money.In my opinion, it's so STUPID! What is the point of spending money on gambling?!?! You don't get anything back except the 'experience'. My dad argues with my mom about how she buys a load of stuff.. but in my mind, I'm thinking 'Well at least she gets something in return that she can use or eat or drink or whatever!'So what are YOUR opinions on gambling?

[jaychant 0]

When people gamble, they often don't gamble responsively. They often bet all their money hoping to double what they have, which usually doesn't happen. And when they get lucky, they press their luck and don't ever stop until they're flat broke.Gambling is dangerous. Nobody should ever do it too much, and when they do, they should gamble responsively. For example, don't bet all your money. Bet a small amount, and if you win several times in a row, so that you win at least 10x the amount that you originally bet, you can raise it a bit. Then, when you lose, stop IMMEDIATELY, no matter what it looks like. This will ensure that you won't lose too much money, while at the same time you could possibly come out with a little more than when you came in.And the most important thing of all: NEVER drink an intoxicating beverage such as alcohol while gambling. Alcohol can make you make some really stupid choices, like obviously betting everything.Now I'd bet your dad is in fact gambling for the money. He probably has a determination to win big bucks by trying over and over again. This is persistence that is actually bad, because he doesn't know when to stop. My advice is, tell him that you don't think gambling is such a wise choice and that when he does gamble, he should gamble responsively. Chances are, he won't change his ways, but this is really the best you can do.

[x CriiTiiCaL HiiT x 0]

I'm sorry. I forgot to specify that my dad drinks before/while gambling. Usually throws up before going to the casino.And I think it's the DRINKING that makes him gamble. We have financial problems, so the stupid drunk of a dad thinks he can make money. Does the complete opposite.

Edited April 21, 2009 by x CriiTiiCaL HiiT x (see edit history)

[jaychant 0]

In that case, he of course needs to stop drinking. This could be a problem if he is an alcoholic (addicted to alcohol), but otherwise it's really just a matter of choice. If your dad is addicted to alcohol, I think there are some programs that help people get over their addiction (somehow my dad got over his addiction to alcohol). Otherwise (if he's not addicted), it's a matter of choice, so someone has to convince him to stop drinking.

[frozen.fish 0]

Give your father hints that he needs help, if he is still in the right mind, but addiction is always denial.First step is to let him accept he got problems.

[freeflashclocks 0]

I understand how you feel, to have your father ruining is life and yours as part of his family and blood actually, and i understand it quite well, my father did not have a gambling problem, he had a drinking problem, not anymore but, in that time i was 3 to 6 years old, my mother kicked him out of the house anf of our life when he hit her in the street full of people as a matter of fact, then my mother raised me and my two brothers, we had many problems because we did not have a father, with everything and every advantages that comes along with having a father, so i can say that i did not have one nor i have or will.If your father makes debts with loansharks or something like that, he could loose is life, just likfe that, quicker then the devil blinks his eye, and then you will not have a father anymore, maybe you should prepare yourself for the inevitable, and at the same time, try to speak to him, be natural, tell him how you feel and what he is doing to his family, to his own flesh and blood son, i would, i never had the chance to do it myself.

[x CriiTiiCaL HiiT x 0]

I understand how you feel, to have your father ruining is life and yours as part of his family and blood actually, and i understand it quite well, my father did not have a gambling problem, he had a drinking problem, not anymore but, in that time i was 3 to 6 years old, my mother kicked him out of the house anf of our life when he hit her in the street full of people as a matter of fact, then my mother raised me and my two brothers, we had many problems because we did not have a father, with everything and every advantages that comes along with having a father, so i can say that i did not have one nor i have or will.
If your father makes debts with loansharks or something like that, he could loose is life, just likfe that, quicker then the devil blinks his eye, and then you will not have a father anymore, maybe you should prepare yourself for the inevitable, and at the same time, try to speak to him, be natural, tell him how you feel and what he is doing to his family, to his own flesh and blood son, i would, i never had the chance to do it myself.

Thankfully, he hasn't made debts with loansharks.. he doesn't associate with those kind of people. Although, he may get desperate.. :'(

It must have been hard being raised without a father. I feel bad now..

I try to speak to him about how he is hurting our family.. my mother actually has negative $979 in her chequing account.. but my father doesn't care. He asks for even more money. He is ALWAYS drunk. I want to somehow get him treatment.. like rehab or something (sorry if that is stupid, I'm only 14 years of age).

[jaychant 0]

This just came to me. Last year, my health teacher said to us, "next time your mom or dad gets out a cigarette, ask them for one. See how they react."The next time your dad gets a beer, try asking him for one. When he says no, ask him why. The idea is it will get him thinking about how bad it is to drink. Then, maybe your dad will realize that he has a problem and get help. I don't know personally how well this works (no one in my family has a drinking problem anymore), but it's definitely worth a try.

[freeflashclocks 0]

Rehab means rehabilitation, to rehabiliate a person by treating the problem/cause that made him to go down, and there it depends which problem is, drinking, gambling, et cetera, rehab is for all persons that need to go up again, and there they get help to get in touch with reality and then to, step-by-step, get to a normal life, so yes, you're 100 right.I am 31 years old, it has been a long time since i even though of my father untill i read this topic, now i do not feel a thing, just nothing to be honest with myself.I know where my father is, but we made plenty of mistakes for his FIRST family to giving some slack or something, and i am the most cool about it, my mother would kill him if she saw him, my brothers would take a stake out of him for sure if my father gets the nerve to comeback, you see, he's in France and we are in portugal now.If your father does not stop now, he may get to a no return point, for your mother specially that wil not support the dexctruction for long, and she will not allow you have such a bad time, with pain and suffering all the time.Talk to him as soon as you can, then talk to your mother to make him an ultimatum, or he will teat himself or you all will disapear, move to another town or something, or else if he does not stop, he will put in danger all your family, specially your mother, trust me.