An In-Depth Interview With Advocate Catherine Townsend-Lyon, Gambling Recovery Expert and Blogger Who Shares Her Recovery Journey and About Her Book. . .

Catherine Townsend-Lyon is an influential writer known for her gripping memoir, “Addicted To Dimes,” and her contributions to the recovery compilation book “Ten The Hard Way: Real Voices of Recovery.” A dynamic speaker, she shares her story through various platforms, including radio shows, podcasts, and speaking engagements. Catherine currently resides in Glendale/Phoenix, Arizona.

** Interview With Catherine Townsend-Lyon – May 2024 Courtesy of All Author **

Can you share a bit about your early childhood and how your love for storytelling began?

I was born an East Coast baby in New Jersey and lived there until my parents moved us to the West Coast of Southern California. I grew up in Highland/Redlands, CA., at seven. As I grew up, I lived and worked in the banking field. At age twenty-five, I moved to Southern Oregon to live a slower lifestyle. As a teenager, I spent time in my room and liked writing, thinking I was writing poems or song lyrics.

Of course, that was all in my head! LOL.

My childhood was a little rough as I continue to be a survivor of trauma and sexual abuse as a little girl. Writing and journaling were one way for me not to think about what had happened to me that became part of the trauma I felt years later.


You have been featured in various media outlets and publications. What impact does such visibility have on the conversation surrounding addiction?

Yes, I contributed to several addiction/recovery publications through the years after my memoir/book, published in the late fall of 2012. I have been a featured guest on many radio and podcast appearances.
It is a powerful way to start the conversation about recovery from gambling addiction and begin to raise more awareness about this growing disease.

I look at it in this way: ANY addiction is a disease, be it gambling, drugs, alcohol, etc., that is only the “preference” of what we choose to partake. Mine happened to be gambling, and I became addicted to it the more I gambled. Doing so also helps to shatter the stigma around addiction and recovery.


How do you maintain your recovery lifestyle, and what advice do you have for others struggling with addiction?

I have maintained my recovery from addicted gambling for about 17 years now. Doing so comes naturally at this point in my recovery journey. Much of my advocacy work is to support others who are first entering recovery, even as I share my advocacy work and blog about my recovery journey, which means doing something every day to support my recovery.

What advice would I give to those who may have a gambling problem? First, acknowledging that gambling is interfering with your life is a big step forward. Know there is help available for you. You don’t need to suffer in silence because you are not alone when it comes to problem gambling. Second, they need to reach out for help. I advise “The National Council on Problem Gambling: Helpline Home – National Council on Problem Gambling …

They offer a 24/7 Hotline at 1-800-GAMBLER, which can provide you with the necessary information in your area or state to get help. Over the years, I have worked with and written articles for them.


Can you share a bit about your journey with gambling addiction and how it led to your advocacy work?

My journey began when I tried to commit suicide in 2002 because my gambling addiction got that “BAD.” Thankfully, GOD had a higher calling and purpose for my life. After my release from the hospital, my husband arranged a 30-day stay in an addiction/behavioral center. Ironically, it was paid for by the Oregon State-sponsored gambling treatment program.

I also began attending recovery group meetings and loads of therapy. I was blessed to have my husband’s support, which was essential and half the battle of becoming “bet-free.” I began to learn why I was gambling in the first place. Learning the underlying issues and roots of why I was using it to “escape and numb out” the pain and hurt of the sexual abuse and trauma I went through as a little girl.

During the worst of my addiction, I was gambling money I didn’t have and gambled away paychecks and rent money, and the financial chaos was never-ending. I was gambling several times a day or would drive 40 miles to an Indian Casino and spend hours and hours there gambling. It was an insane 10 to 14 years of pure hell and insanity with addicted gambling. My gratitude today now comes from my recovery and living a healthy life.


What inspired you to write “Addicted To Dimes” and “Ten The Hard Way: Real Voices of Recovery”?

Again, I was blessed to have the help of an exceptional editor and friend who took my journaling and writings from seven notebooks and formed them into a manuscript for “Addicted to Dimes.” She helped me walk the fine line of making my memoirs not sound like I was blaming others or things around my addiction.

See, “Addicted to Dimes” is NOT a book on “How to Recover,” it is about times in my past that were not dealt with or processed in a healthy way that added fuel to my addiction. It is about learning the underlying issues to begin to heal as I maintain the early stages of my recovery journey.


What do you hope readers take away from your memoir and your contributions to “Ten The Hard Way”?

Our book “Ten The Hard Way” came later. It is an anthology I worked on with my dear friend and fellow author Kevin Coughlin, and it came years later. We invited several of our friends to share their stories of recovery in hopes that it may inspire those who may have any addiction to reach out for help and HOPE. Each person’s story carries many powerful messages.


You’ve been actively involved in raising awareness about gambling addiction. What are some common misconceptions about this issue that you aim to dispel?

First and foremost is to dispel “Stigma.” Stigma is the number one reason many will not reach out for help from gambling addiction, so many continue to suffer in silence with a gambling problem. Some of the facts, statistics, and misconceptions about problem gambling are staggering. Like, 1 in 5 persons may try suicide from addiction to gambling like I had.

Currently, 2.9% of our population are already problem gamblers, and gambling addiction is now the #1 addiction with the highest suicide rate than any other addiction. It is staggering to me, and I aim to help change this statistic by advocating loud and proud.


What challenges did you face while writing about your experiences, and how did you overcome them?

Writing and journaling for over a year in those notebooks helped me to learn and begin to heal from my past trauma. It was a very emotional journey. I shared an earlier answer that it was different from a traditional manuscript. It took me about a year or so of writing and journaling after a few years into my recovery journey.

Thanks to my dear friend Julie Hall, who transformed it into a book manuscript. We worked together as she edited. Then, my friend and fellow author Steve Laible, who does publishing and owns TKG Publishing, pushed me to publish “Addicted to Dimes” as he believed it would help many who may be suffering in silence with problem gambling.

So he published it on my 50th birthday in 2012. It was a great birthday gift and a legacy of all my advocacy work to leave for others.


As a dynamic speaker, what key messages do you try to convey when sharing your story through various platforms?

My main goals and messages are to share hope with others who may be looking to get help for their gambling problem and share that they are not alone. To not let stigma or what others may say that they have a gambling problem. Even though society sees gambling as “fun and a few hours of entertainment,” there are many who can and do not become addicted to it.


What role do you believe storytelling plays in advocacy work, particularly in the realm of addiction and recovery?

I know sharing one’s story of recovery from gambling addiction, or any other addiction, is a powerful way to reach people. Sharing real and raw recovery and personal experiences is just as important as may be the “medical or clinical” side. It needs to be accepted as a genuine mental, emotional, and medical disease and not just as an addiction.

The habits and negative behaviors we learn and use as survival deep in our addiction need to be changed and replaced with healthy ones. Learn to make better and healthier choices when we enter recovery. So, sharing my real personal experiences and the stories of our journey are ways to shatter the stigma.


Could you discuss some of the resources and support systems you recommend for individuals seeking help for gambling addiction?

Again, I would first recommend others with a gambling problem to visit “The National Council on Problem Gambling” and call the 24/7 Hotline to seek help. Another is Gambler’s Anonymous: U.S. Meetings | Gamblers Anonymous for help and group meetings nationally and internationally. One other is my friends at the “Stop Predatory Gambling” website: Home, a non-profit organization working hard on legislation changes in Washington, DC., on many topics related to problem gambling.


How do you balance the vulnerability of sharing personal experiences with the responsibility of advocating for change and raising awareness?

At this point in my recovery and where I am in my life, I have no vulnerabilities in sharing where I have been with an addicted gambling problem. Part of recovery is knowing “we are not defined by our past” and making peace with it. We learn to take all accountability and ownership of the past.

In doing so, we can move forward in our life journey while being better stewards by helping and caring for others along the way.


What motivates you to continue your advocacy work, even after maintaining your recovery for over 17 years?

What motivates me and is my passion is helping others avoid the cunning and devastating effects of addictive gambling. I look forward to living in the “NOW” and am always excited about the future. However, I will continue to advocate for and mentor those who reach out to me for help and hope. One of the first steps I took when beginning my recovery was coming to terms with the fact that it would be a lifelong process. I am okay with that.

My advocacy work has opened many doors in other areas of my life, including my career and business as a self-employed book marketing consultant.

Another passion from the blessings of my recovery is helping authors learn how to market and promote their new books. I have been doing so for over 11 years and love it! It started when some recovery friends and supporters asked for help marketing their recovery books. I did so, as it came naturally to me. So, I built and began my “at-home business” of Lyon Literary Marketing and Consulting.


How long have you been associated with AllAuthor?

I was lucky to learn about All Author in 2018 and become a pro member. I was so impressed with all the tools and the pricing for becoming a Pro Author that I began sharing my incredible experiences using your services. Your services do help teach authors how to promote their new books.


How has your experience been?

Being a pro member gives you access to all the exceptional services and helps you save money on outsourcing those tasks elsewhere. The utility tools, automated tweets, and book teaser banners are just a few of the many features that can help authors streamline their work and promote their books effectively. I now incorporate your services as a recommended must-have for the authors I work with!

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(Photos: Speaking at The State Capitol of Arizona for a Recover Out Loud Event in April 2019, 2021 Podcast Interview on Knockin’ Doorz Down!)

Let’s Connect on Social Media!
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It Happens Around The World and In The USA. “Teens Partake In Illegal Gambling.” Are You a Parent? What You Need To Know From This Study. . .

Happy 2024! I found this study that took place in Denmark, but I think we know this happening everywhere, not just in Denmark. Parents need to be “In The Know” by reading this article courtesy of my friends of “Casino Reviews” (dotnet) and written by Author, John Olanipekun …

When asked about the reasons why they opted for unlicensed sites, 37% claimed to be attracted by the availability of unique game types, 32% believed in higher paybacks and winnings, and 26% were enticed by larger bonuses.

 Danish Gambling Authority

Spillemyndigheden, the Danish Gambling Authority, has released details from its latest study, revealing that 15% of 15 to 17-year-old Danish teenagers have engaged in online gambling.

The figures were based on research conducted by Spillemyndigheden from November 24, 2022, to January 15, 2023, which sought to establish the number of Danes involved in online gambling. The survey also looked into the demographics of these gamblers, the frequency of gambling on unlicensed platforms, and the motivations behind selecting such sites.

The study surveyed 30,070 Danes aged 15 and above and received responses from 7,637 individuals.

Key Findings of the Study

The study revealed that 21.7% of the surveyed individuals engaged in online gambling over the past year, while the average expenditure on online gambling amounted to DKK 6,500., about $950 in US dollars.

Notably, 15% of minors aged between 15 and 17 were identified as participants in online gambling activities within the last year. Furthermore, 3.8% of respondents admitted to using illegal online gambling websites.

However, 8.6% of participants expressed uncertainty regarding the licensing status of the Live Casinos and gambling sites they used. Lotteries and scratch cards were the most popular form of gambling amongst the surveyed individuals at 13.4%. It is followed by sports betting at 8.7%. Online casino gambling was engaged in by 4.1%, while 0.7% participated in skins betting. 1.6% wagered on other forms.

Regarding unlicensed gambling, online casinos took the lead at 43.4%, followed by sports betting at 36%, skins betting at 34.2%, lotteries and scratch cards at 12.4%, and other types of gambling at 8.2%.

Motivations Behind Gambling Behavior

Insights into reasons for choosing licensed sites revealed that 57% valued better control and supervision, 48% cited the reliability and responsibility of the site, 45% appreciated the site being in Danish, 29% considered the site’s contribution to Danish taxes, 16% sought safeguards against problem gambling, and 9% favored better self-exclusion options.

When asked about the reasons why they opted for unlicensed sites, 37% claimed to be attracted by the availability of unique game types, 32% believed in higher paybacks and winnings, and 26% were enticed by larger bonuses.

Additionally, 23% chose unlicensed sites due to exclusion from licensed sites through the ROFUS, 21% were under 18, and 17% valued the absence of identification requirements. Lastly, 19% preferred better or different payment options.

Last December, Spillemyndigheden launched a nationwide campaign aimed at educating young people under the age of 18 about the risks associated with gambling. The motivation behind the campaign was largely fueled by the insights unveiled in the newly released report.


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I am celebrating my 16th year maintaining my recovery and journey from “Gambling Addiction” with having a Sale of my Memoir in Kindle version from Amazon! The Kindle is now only $1.99 for all of Jan and Feb. 2024. A little about my memoir, “Addicted To Dimes”…

If there is anyone you love and care about who may have a problem with gambling, gift them a copy of my book. It just may let them see the light of hurting themself and others with their gambling. http://www.amazon.com/Addicted-Dimes-Confessions-Liar-Cheat-ebook/dp/B00CSUJI3A/

Summary:
How did a good girl go bad?
A Gambling Addiction.

The book is based on a true story told in the author’s unbridled words, without polish or prose. It’s a memoir of how the author became addicted to gambling without any insights into how to recover from it.

Throughout the book, the author shares her haunting and captivating roots and underlying issues in a true tale of dark family secrets, abuse, childhood trauma, crime, and, ultimately, recovery.

By reading this book, one day at a time, one page at a time, you can learn about this remarkable and brave woman’s story of redemption.

Reflection:

Sweet Peace

“Within you is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”

~Hermann Hesse

The Holidays Are Here. Learn How To Support A Loved One In Recovery During The Holiday Season and Beyond. There is Help, Hope, and Caring For Everyone For A Happy Season!

Courtesy: Marc Lefkowitz and Dr. Nathan D. L. Smith of “Kindbridge . Com)

The stress and struggles all start right about now. Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season, and away we go. For most, it means family, friends, and festive food.

However, for people with a gambling problem and their families, it can be a precarious time of year. Turkey Day, football, college bowls, and NFL playoffs are on the menu for sports bettors. Casinos decorated for the season are waiting with perks and comps.

Relationships and families are tested due to financial stress and lying to hide the gambling. Christmas presents offer a challenge. Gamblers may chase their losses only to dig a deeper financial hole. Isolation can become the norm. These are the typical situations people with gambling problems find themselves navigating to try, and both feed their need to gamble and hide their gambling during this time of year.

For many these days, gambling is a new experience. Legal sports betting is a relatively new phenomenon sweeping the US these days, and sportsbooks and casinos are bombarding the airwaves with unbelievable deals to attract new bettors to their products. This is no surprise. Every product that enters a market and gains traction advertises its product heavily to bring new clientele in the door. The problem arises when those with a tumultuous relationship with gambling ignore what the casino or sportsbook already tells them. They don’t hide it. They’re going to win in the long run.

Usually, the first problem for people who gamble excessively is financial. Unless diligently following a budget, when these gamblers start losing, they chase after their losses. They have won in the past and believe if they just gamble long enough, their luck will turn around, and they can win it all back. 

It just creates greater losses. This burden can lead to lying, missing work, relationship tension, and/or borrowing money. In the early stages, problems like this can be solved before they progress into addiction, a repetitive pattern of unhealthy behavior experienced over weeks or months. Loss of the ability to stop or control your gambling is a symptom of gambling addiction. As we all prepare for the holidays, here are some suggestions if you recognize some of these problems developing in yourself or a loved one.  

HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT WAYS TO HELP YOU NOT GAMBLE THIS HOLIDAY.

Talk it Out

Many are afraid to talk about a gambling problem. Along with problem gambling comes shame and guilt, especially when money is involved. Talk to your family, a friend, therapist, or clergy. If this hasn’t been a persistent problem, your family and friends will most likely understand and offer support. If you are still afraid to reveal your problem, or it’s more serious, try talking to a therapist or clergy. In that case, confidentiality is assured. Though it may feel overwhelming at first, talking helps.
 

Turn Over Your Money

If you’re afraid you can’t stop and still have available cash, find someone trusted to hold your money. This can be important this time of the year, especially with Christmas bonuses, cash gifts, and other financial windfalls associated with the season. 

Gambling Blocking Software

If you’re Gambling with apps, the Internet, or on your cell phone, there is software available to block access to betting sites. Download and install the software for a sense of relief and peace of mind right away. See our Resources page for some of these App Blockers. They do help!

Stop Chasing Your Lost Money

Depending on the preferred choice of gambling, the odds are always with the house. You will likely create more debt if you try to win the money back. The more times you gamble, the higher the odds of losing. It could lead to even committing a crime.

Avoid Isolation

When invited by family, friends, or co-workers to attend parties or events, say yes. Engaging with positive people can help in avoiding cravings to gamble. Accountability with friends or other trusted contacts is another bonus of avoiding isolation.

Throw Away the Mailers

Throw away any and all casino mailers or delete the gambling emails/texts as soon as you get them. If they’re giving you something for free, it means you’re probably losing multiples of the value of the gift. Unsubscribe from emails, delete the applications on your phone, and ask to be taken off promotional lists.

Plan Alternate Holiday Activities

On days when you usually gamble, plan alternative activities. For example, if you like betting on pro football on Sundays, instead plan family outings such as taking a hike, seeing a movie, or even playing in the snow in the mountains. Any activity that breaks your unhealthy patterns is a benefit. 

Take a Break From Gambling

If you can, take a break from gambling during the holidays. It can be a relief from the normal chaos of this time of year. If you are unable to stop, it might be an indicator of a more serious problem. If you can’t take a voluntary break of 30 days on your own, it may be time to seek professional help. You can help by visiting “The National Council on Problem Gambling”> https://www.ncpgambling.org/ or call at:
1-800-GAMBLER

The National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network. The network is a single national access point to local resources for those seeking help for a gambling problem. The network consists of 28 contact centers that provide resources and referrals for all 50 states and US territories. Help is available 24/7 and is 100% confidential.

The National Problem Gambling Helpline Network also includes text and chat services. These features enable those who are gambling online or on their mobile phone to access help the same way they play. One call, text, or chat will get you to problem gambling help anywhere in the U.S. 24/7/365. Again, it is private, and there is NO SHAME in reaching out for help. 

Lastly, Seek Professional Help

There are many licensed therapists and certified counselors well-trained in treating persons with a gambling problem and their loved ones. Accountability coaches and trained counselors can help you faster than you think. Join peer support groups, try group therapy focused on reducing gambling-related harms, or talk to a therapist trained to help you navigate a successful recovery program. There are more resources available today to help people struggling with gambling disorders than ever before. 

You may find someone through SAMSHA.

 Also visit the online treatment locator. Call: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

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I hope these tips and advice will help you or those supporting a loved one to have a blessed holiday season without any pressure to gamble. I know firsthand how they felt through MANY past holidays when I was still deep within my addicted gambling days. I can still remember those years of wanting to shop for Christmas presents for my family and having no money because I gambled it all away.

When I think about it now, it still makes my stomach turn. It is why I am grateful I reached out for help 16+ years ago to gain my life back from this destructive disease and addiction. Yes, I still recall the many negatives back then, but we need to always remember where we came from in order to be grateful for how far we have come in our recovery journey.

So, I wish you all a very happy holiday season with your loved ones and family. To learn more about my journey from addiction to gambling by purchasing my book from Amazon as a holiday gift! It shares my memoirs of How and Why I became a gambling addict. Most times, there are underlying issues as to why we use gambling as an escape…

Addicted to Dimes (Confessions of a LIAR & a CHEAT)

by Catherine Townsend-Lyon

A Special Message For Those Maintaining Recovery From Gambling Addiction. Never Underestimate Your Strength, Wisdom, and Worth. . .

YOU ARE VALUED HERE!

Always Know and Build Your Worth.
No Need To Count The Days If You Live A Recovery Lifestyle!

Catherine Townsend Lyon
Gambling Recovery Expert & Advocate

Parents, Take Note. These Are Teen and Young Adult Problem Gambling Risks. Online Gambling Is On The Rise Post-COVID Among YA & Teens…

SPECIAL GUEST ARTICLE By The Fine Friends of ALGAMUS Treatment Center.

Gambling is on the rise among teenagers, and between 60 percent and 80 percent of high school students report having gambled for money in the past year, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. Of this percentage, 4-6% are considered to be problem gamblers. 

Gambling is something that needs to be taken seriously, as it can be extremely damaging, especially for young people.

Dangers Associated with Teen Gambling

Teens today are living in a society where gambling is not only socially acceptable, it is widely promoted and accessible. Gambling is portrayed in the media as being a glamorous activity that can make you lots of money, and make you look cool among your group of friends. However, gambling can lead to serious consequences, including relationship problems, academic problems, financial problems, and more. 

Increased Risk of Developing a Gambling Problem

Teens are two to four times more susceptible to developing a gambling problem than adults. Teenagers are more likely to develop gambling addictions because the parts of their brains needed for making good, reasonable decisions have not yet been fully developed. Therefore, they are more impulsive and less inhibited. This makes them prone to making poor decisions, which can mean spending more money than they should and making riskier bets.

Children introduced to gambling by age 12 are 4 times more likely to develop a gambling problem later in life. Gambling can be addictive and lead to a lot of problems, including financial instability, relational strife, and mental health disorders. Ultimately, if gambling becomes a problem, it can completely derail a person’s life.

Mental Health Issues

There also seems to be a link between gambling and mental health problems in young people. It can lead to low self-esteem issues, stress, anxiety, and depression. 

If a teen already has a present mental health disorder, they are more prone to developing a gambling addiction, since they may look to gambling as a way to ease their symptoms of anxiety or depression. Gambling can also cause financial stress and problems at work or school, which in turn can further the decline of mental health. 

Gambling Can Be a Gateway Drug No Substances Required 

Engaging in the risky behavior of gambling can lead teens to want to try substances that will also give them a rush of adrenaline. Teens can easily get hooked on the adrenaline rush that gambling and substances give them, and it can quickly spiral out of control.
 

How Gambling Affects the Teenage Brain

Teens are notorious for experimentation, and gambling is no exception. However, gambling can have a serious impact on the teenage brain, causing problems with focus, impulse control, and decision-making. 

Gambling actually affects the brain’s reward system in the same way that drugs do and causes a “high” when they make a risky bet. When you gamble, your brain releases dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter that makes you feel excited. 

Although you think you would only feel this rush when you win money, it comes from the mere action of placing a bet. This means that, even if a person loses over and over again and gambling is no longer fun, they can still get hooked on the act of gambling.

Why Do Teens Gamble?

Teens gamble for a variety of reasons, but no one starts gambling thinking that they will develop a problem. Some of the more popular forms of gambling teens bet on include sports betting, poker, and scratch-off lottery tickets. 

Gambling to Fill an Emotional Void

Adolescents with gambling problems reported more negative life experiences as a whole and more major negative life events than social gamblers or non-gamblers. They turn to gambling to gain an instant sense of satisfaction, and this can quickly become addicting. 

Teens might also gamble as a way to avoid difficult emotions such as loneliness or feeling like they don’t fit into society. When they are winning, it can increase their self-esteem and temporarily make them feel like they are on top of the world. 

Gambling as a Social Activity

Gambling often starts as an innocent game between friends – many wouldn’t even consider placing bets to be gambling. However, it can quickly spiral out of control, and cause teens to lose a large amount of money in a short amount of time. Losing money from gambling can cause them to feel as though they must win the money back, which only fuels the gambling problem further, and makes it harder to quit. 

Teens may also start gambling due to peer pressure. If all their friends are doing it, they don’t want to feel excluded or like the odd person out. 

Gambling for a Thrill

Teens can be impulsive and are looking for an adrenaline rush, and gambling gives that to them. They also see gambling as an easy way to make money. 

Identifying a Gambling Problem in Your Teenage Child

Money Lost or Stolen

Teenagers may not be able to see the signs that they are getting too close to losing money. This can happen when your teenager is gambling with friends, or on online games like poker or casino. Gambling can quickly spiral out of control and become a life-threatening problem. 

For example, if your teen spends time gambling with friends, and suddenly their savings account is majorly depleted, this could be a sign of a gambling problem. Or if they often ask to borrow money from you and then don’t repay it, this could also be a sign. 

Constantly Playing Games

Teens are impressionable and are likely to become hooked on gambling if they start playing games early on. This not only applies to traditional forms of gambling (casino games, lottery tickets, poker) but to new, less obvious forms like video games and fantasy sports. For example, an obsession with sports scores could be an indication of a sports betting addiction.

Changes in Behavior

Look out for behavioral changes in your teen. Warning signs include a loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy, seeming irritable or worried, or changes in sleeping and eating patterns. If you notice that your child is suddenly skipping classes, getting low grades, or having other troubles at school, this can also be a sign that there is a problem.

 

How to Keep Your Child Safe From Gambling

1. Educate Them About the Risks

With gambling becoming increasingly accessible, kids are exposed to gambling at a very young age. It’s important to be proactive in order to help protect your child from gambling.  Just as you would educate your child about drug and alcohol addiction, also educate them on the risks of gambling. 

Gambling is not inherently bad, but it needs to be done in a responsible way, which includes having set spending limits and time limits. This way, they can make informed decisions and stay safe from gambling addiction.
 

2. Monitor Their Gaming Habits

Gambling ads are everywhere – on sports games, social media, and other websites. Kids can also get introduced to gambling through video games, particularly those that involve loot boxes, which are in-game purchases that can progress the player in the game. 

If you find any evidence that your child is gambling – for example, they are spending money on betting sites or video games – talk to them about quitting gambling altogether. 

There are also helpful online tools available, such as GamBan, which allows you to block access to betting sites and apps, which can help protect your child from gambling. 

3. Lead By Example

Examine your own gambling habits. Could you be setting a poor example for your child by betting on sports games or frequently purchasing lottery tickets? By understanding the risks of gambling yourself, you can evaluate your own habits, and learn to gamble responsibly in order to set a good example for your child.

4. No Shame In Seeking Professional Help

If you discover that your child is gambling, and their spending is getting out of control, you may need to seek professional help. Gambling can have serious long-term consequences for your child, and if left untreated, it could lead to addiction or other mental health issues in the future. Now that you understand the risks of teen gambling, you can take steps to help your child avoid these risks.

If you suspect your Teen or College age children are gambling, speak to our gambling addiction treatment experts here at Algamus for advice on how to deal with this issue. We thank Bet Free Recovery Now for having us share our resources and what we do for others from problem gambling!

Get In Touch

Are you or someone you love struggling with a gambling addiction or compulsive behavior? 

At Algamus, we provide support and resources that help our clients start a journey free from gambling. Our program covers a variety of treatment plans, as well as an individualized after-care plan.  

Stop and fill out the contact form https://www.algamus.org/contact-us and we will contact you as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

Also Serving Prescott, Phoenix & Tucson, Arizona
Email: algamus@aol.com
Phone: 888-527-3098

“National Problem Gambling Awareness Month” Through March 2023 Along With My Friends of “The National Council On Problem Gambling Organization.” There Is Help and Hope From Problem Gambling. . .

UPCOMING EVENTS

EXPANDING ACCESS TO GAMBLING TREATMENT: TELEHEALTH AND WEB-BASED TOOLS

MARCH 28, 2023 | 1:00 PM ET

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MOBILIZING LOCAL COMMUNITY COALITIONS TO PREVENT PROBLEM GAMBLING

TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2023 | 1:00 PM ET

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MAY 2, 2023 | 1:00 PM ET

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Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) is a grassroots campaign that depends on the participation of NCPG state Affiliates, organizational and individual members, state health agencies, gambling companies, recovery groups, and a wide range of healthcare organizations and providers. Groups across America hold conferences, air Public Service Announcements, provide counselor training, host health screening days, run social media campaigns, and many other activities to increase public awareness of problem gambling and the availability of prevention, treatment, and recovery services.

The 2023 PGAM theme is “Celebrating 20 Years”#PGAM2023

The goals of this national campaign are:

• To increase public awareness of problem gambling and the availability of prevention, treatment & recovery services.
• To encourage healthcare providers to screen clients for problem gambling.
  
  
  

HELP BY STATE

The National Council on Problem Gambling has developed this list as a starting point for those seeking help or information about gambling problems. Problem gambling is a rare but chronic mental disorder and is treatable. But without help, a gambling problem may get worse.

The information compiled below by NCPG is intended to be a starting point for individuals to learn more about problem gambling — it is not a complete list of information or services. We encourage you to ask questions, gather information and research the type of help most appropriate for your situation.


Please visit this link and check what is happening in your STATE> https://www.ncpgambling.org/help-treatment/help-by-state/

As an active advocate and mentor of recovery from gambling addiction for 16 years, so, please feel free to reach out to me by EMAIL at: lyonmedia@aol.com –
OR CALL the Hotline Below.

National Problem Gambling Helpline 1-800-522-4700 24/7 and 7 Days a Week…

YES, Super Bowl LVll is here. Keep This Message In Your Mind. If You Plan To BET ON THE GAME? …

From My Friends of “The National Council on Problem Gambling”…

“TODAY, Sunday, more than 50 million across the country plan to place a sports wager on Super Bowl LVII– a 61% increase from 2022.

If you choose to place a bet, make a plan, set a budget, set a time limit & play #responsibly!“

One In Every Five Problem Gamblers May Try Suicide From The Financial Hardships That Comes From Being Addicted to Uncontrollable Gambling”. . .

Advocate, Catherine Lyon


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Important update from my friends at “Stop Predatory Gambling”…

Director’s Note — Winter 2023

I’m writing this note at one of the most extraordinary moments in the history of our fight to protect the 40 million Americans suffering harm because of the greed of big gambling operators. In early November, California voters overwhelmingly rejected two ballot questions that would have allowed online gambling and sports gambling across the state. They resoundingly voted No in the face of more than $600 million in campaign spending of self-interested gambling operators – demolishing the most expensive lobbying campaign in US history.

And then just two weeks later, in a front page, above-the-fold series, The New York Times published the most detailed, thorough, and revealing investigation into the commercialized gambling industry by any national media outlet in at least fifteen years. If you didn’t read the series yet, you can find the stories here: Story #1, Story #2, Story #3, and Story #4.

The Times investigation shined a powerful light upon the corrupt and deceitful lobbying campaign to push sports gambling and online gambling across the US. Predatory gambling is America’s most-neglected major problem, which is why this Times investigation is even more significant.  

We are trying hard to seize this historic moment. We’ve added several accomplished and passionate national board members. We added three talented and committed staff members but urgently need several others. We’ve attracted even more national press for our work: in recent weeks we’ve been quoted on CNN, Fox National News, and National Public Radio’s All Things Considered along with at least 15 different statewide media outlets from across the US.

To maximize our impact, we are narrowing our focus on what I consider the three pillars of gambling reform:

1) Restrict gambling advertising, marketing, and sponsorships to protect the health and well-being of kids and their families.

2) Cut the financial losses that citizens are suffering from commercialized gambling by 50%.

3) End the profiteering by gambling operators at the expense of citizens who have been turned into gambling addicts.

“How” we achieve these major reforms is by expanding our national reach through advocacy, litigation, and education efforts that reveal the truth behind gambling operators and their partners. Specifically, we will work to restrict gambling ads, reduce gambling losses, and dismantle the sham system of “responsible gambling” that has allowed operators to inflict severe harm on millions of Americans.

We will work with legislators and other opinion leaders on bills that achieve these goals at the federal, state, and local levels. We will partner with reform-minded attorneys to fight for these reforms through the courts.

And, we will dramatically expand our education efforts to include: a 2023 national conference in the Washington, DC area on April 28-29th (registration and more info can be found here or by clicking the image below); at least ten webinar events with the best independent experts in the world; a bigger presence on national media; and a long-overdue focus on social media.

Our members make our country a more just, loving, and merciful place. Thank you for the contributions you make to our network and to our nation.         

                                                                                Sincerely, 

                                                                               Les Bernal, National Director

Even A Person Maintaining Recovery Like Me Knows It’s Time To Stop The “Hate & Racism.” We Are Part of Humanity-We Are God’s Children Collectively-No Matter What Our Skin Color Happens To BE!

I was reviewing an upcoming event I saw on Facebook that will be taking place here where I live in Arizona. Since I battle challenges of mental health, I am going to soon share it here on my website as it pertains to raising Mental Health Awareness through the event being held in Mesa, AZ late this month.

But as I read and research all the information? I came across an article about one of the musical guests who will be performing at the event. As read and dug deeper about the guest, Alex Boye’ who happens to be an exceptional vocalist and a singer who happens to Africanize Pop songs. I love his music as he is a very talented singer after being founded on “America’s Got Talent” years back.

Long story short, his wife is white, while Alex is black born in London, England and they have eight biracial healthy thriving children… But about 10 years ago Alex’s wife, Julie received an anonymous letter from someone that IS filled with HATE, trash talk, and heartbreak, along with being an ignorant racist.

Since February is “Black History Month,” I felt it fitting to share this letter because I applaud her answer to the person who is anonymous and actually mailed it to her home address, which is disturbing in itself. It just touched me to my core while reading HER answer in this article.

I CHEERED as I read her letter, But sadly, it also proves that we have NOT come far enough out of people still spewing hateful racist remarks and their ideology thinking of today. Sad, but true…


(Photo Courtesy of Julie Boye’)

PERSPECTIVE RACE IN AMERICA OPINION

Perspective: What I’ve been wanting to say to the anonymous hater

My husband is Black. Our eight children are biracial. We love each other even when we are confronted by haters… By Julie Boyé Feb 202


Editor’s note: Ten years ago, the author of this essay, Julie Boyé, received an anonymous letter through the mail. The letter was riddled with expletives and racial slurs directed at Julie Boyé, who is married to British-American singer Alex Boyé, and her family. The letter states, in part, that Julie is a “disgrace to the rest of us white people,” because Julie is white and Alex is Black. The letter was signed “Concerned Parents.” In this essay, Julie Boyé is publicly responding to the letter for the first time.

___________________________


Dear “Concerned Parents,”

I’ve wanted to respond to your letter for a long time now. But I don’t want you to think that you’ve been at the forefront of my mind. Actually, you’ve been benched in the back. But every so often, I think about the day I got your letter, and I’m reminded that people like you actually do exist, which I’ll never be able to comprehend.

It was 10 years ago when I received your stamped envelope in my mailbox. The handwriting looked like a kindergartener’s penmanship, complete with backward R’s and a combination of upper and lowercase letters. You made the effort to make the handwriting unrecognizable, which I found strange. 

“Who in Pennsylvania knows where I live?” I wondered.

I thought maybe it was fan mail of some kind. Sometimes people write to thank me for letting my husband, Alex Boyé, take time away from our family to perform a concert or speak. I thought it might be something like that.

It was not that.

It was a vile diatribe so profoundly disturbing that it reminded me of those described in Latter-day Saint scripture as “a wild and a hardened and a ferocious people.” Except you sat behind a computer like a coward, typed a letter berating my amazing, God-given family, got in your car, paid for a stamp, and mailed your deranged rant anonymously. At least villains of old had the courage to show their faces.

You seemed to find pleasure in name-calling. You used the N-word repeatedly. You called my family “shameless ingrates” and “mongrels.” Multiple times, you called me a prostitute. I’ve come to realize that your letter is really about you, and not about me. It’s a reflection of just how hurt you must be to write a letter like this.

Because hurt people hurt people.

Still, it’s astounding the way you choose to speak. You said you would disown your children if they were romantically involved with a person of another race, and that you’ve been telling them that since they were small. You said you would rather your kids be with a white father who abused them than with a Black father who did not.

But here’s the kicker: There is hope for your kids, and maybe for you, too. Your kids, I believe, will likely be better than you. They may well be pioneers of peace in your family, not the carriers of repugnant racist beliefs passed down from an ignorant parent.

Like my own husband, who was a victim of abuse, they may be the ones who can break the link to end a destructive chain within a family’s line. Who knows, maybe your children could be the means to open your own eyes and lead you to the love that comes on the other side of blind bigotry.

______________________

“In Loving v. Virginia, decided on June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously struck down Virginia’s law prohibiting interracial marriages as a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. The appellants, Richard and Mildred Loving, of Caroline County, had married in Washington, D.C., in June 1958 and then returned to Virginia, where they were arrested. After pleading guilty, they were forced to leave the state. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed motions and appeals on their behalf beginning in 1963, and after the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled against the Lovings in 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court heard their arguments.

The case came after nearly 300 years of legislation in Virginia regulating interracial marriage and carefully defining which citizens could legally claim to be white. Two U.S. Supreme Court cases, Pace v. Alabama (1883) and Maynard v. Hill (1888), upheld the constitutionality of such laws. In 1924, the Act to Preserve Racial Integrity banned interracial marriage in Virginia while defining a white person as someone who had no discernible nonwhite ancestry. It was this law that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling said denied Virginians’ “fundamental freedom” to marry. Loving v. Virginia is a landmark case, both in the history of race relations in the United States and in the ongoing political and cultural dispute over the proper definition of marriage.“

_______________________

It’s been almost 55 years since the decision in Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court case that invalidated laws banning interracial marriage. We still have a long way to go to get rid of racism in our society, but as CBS News reported, “Nowadays, you can hardly open a magazine or turn on the TV without seeing an interracial couple.” Nearly 1 in 5 marriages in the U.S. involve people of different ethnicities, nearly twice the number from just two decades ago.

In other words, ironically, you’re the aberration, not me.

February is Black History Month, and at this time each year, I’m always reminded of the heroic accomplishments of our Black brothers and sisters. The insulting names, the abuse, and the racist ladders they had to climb give me perspective on just how minuscule my own experience with racism has been.

As Alex likes to say, “It’s Black History Month every month for me. I’m still Black in March, April, May, and June.”

The scriptures teach us to turn the other cheek, but sometimes we need a little spinal adjustment and pop of the neck to help us combat the punches. 

So to that end, I declare to you, “Concerned Parents”:

We, The Boyés are a thriving family of 10 in a world that otherwise criticizes us for our size. I have eight strong and resilient kids who love one another and help each other and try to be like Jesus.  I have a husband who lifts me up and stands behind me when cowards like you come swingin’ (and miss). He bears me up in the moments I lose my confidence to trolls who delight in the shedding of emotional blood continually. 

So thank you very much for your concern, but it’s misplaced, much like your values.

The Boyés are doing just fine.

How are your kids?

Visit Alex’s website to sample his music as a multicultural Vocalist at: https://alexboye.com/…
His Ukraine Tribute and Charity Fund Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6TZD1jfMkc
Julie Boyé and her husband, Alex, live in Sandy, Utah, with their eight kids and goldendoodle. 

“Never Underestimate The Power of Divine Intervention.” It Saved My Life & How I began The Path Within Long-Term Recovery Through Faith. . .

There are certain situations that people find themselves, that it is only the hand of God that can bring them out. Divine intervention is the sudden movement of God upon your situation and challenges and when God is fighting for you as no one can harm you when under the covering of God…

~Unknown

Let me share how I work my recovery and some of my backstory, if you will, about my recovery journey within my faith.

Now, I’m not going to preach a ‘Sunday Gospel Sermon’ to you all… lol.

These are just some of my personal experiences of why I believe my recovery wouldn’t work doing so all by myself. I believe in a higher power greater and my higher power happens to be God and his Son, our Lord, and savior, Jesus Christ.

In November of 2002, my mother passed, and then my best friend, who was older than me, and was like an adopted mom passed due to cancer, and my addiction at that time got so severe I tried suicide. My gambling addiction was raging out of control. My 40th birthday was in a week, and there I was, suffering in an addictions/mental health crisis center.

I became one of the gambling addiction statistics of one in five will try suicide.


Thankfully God stepped in and helped me when I could not help myself. I ended up at an Indian Casino for hours on a bad gambling binge when I was supposed to be at my best friend’s memorial service.


All of these events and loss was too much for me to handle!

See, I had turned my back on God when I became a gambling addict. Sounds kind of corny, but I would tell myself, “how can Jesus love me when I hate myself and am deep into my addiction?” I felt he probably gave up on me anyway. I learned this was not true. But I kept on within my addiction and was deep in selfishness. I was lost, broken, and spiritually gone. Not knowing God had been with me every step of the way!

Within almost 30 days in this crisis center, I began a gambling treatment program.

I was also diagnosed with several mental health disorders and started a medication treatment and therapy plan as well. I became a dually diagnosed person and am beginning recovery. It was way more than I could handle or wrap my mind around at that time. I had a tough time accepting the fact that I had several mental disorders. And, yes, I did have another failed suicide in 2006, but that was all from the two of the medications I was on had stopped working. And, well, that is another post for another time.

Soon after my release from the crisis center, and while I was in the center, my husband started attending Church with his friends from work. It was where he drew his strength from all this chaos I created with my addicted gambling. Faith helped me shed the guilt and pain of knowing what I put my husband through. Because now I had even MORE GUILT of scaring our families and my husband with my failed suicide! My husband kept going to Church and didn’t push me to go.

See, we were both raised Catholics, but a few years into our marriage, we stopped attending mass as we both felt disappointed about all the media and news coming out about the abuse of many children at the hands of priests. We also didn’t feel right or agree any longer about “giving confession ” as it felt like it was an intrusion of our relationship, our personal relationship with God.


I finally decided to go with him to Church and we attended Calvary Chapel in late December 2002. By August of 2003, we rededicated our lives and faith to Christ by being rebaptized, still living in Grants Pass, Oregon at that time, and within the Famous Rogue River. This was a miracle for me as I had my husband on one side and the Pastor on the other. When they lifted me out of the water? I honestly felt feelings I had never had before. It was like all the bad in my life and within addiction had slipped away and been replaced by what I felt: God’s love, grace, and mercy, and I haven’t looked back since!

Courtesy Dynamic Art

I still have and feel those same feelings today.

Without my faith in my higher power, GOD, I know that I would not be sharing this with you. I genuinely am a living, breathing, walking MIRACLE of God, his power greater than myself. It has enabled me to reach 16 years maintaining my recovery path and still counting.


Do I go to Church every Sunday?

No, because as God tells us in Matthew 18:20 – – 

“For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”


So, long story short, never underestimate the power of your higher power.

It is where all your MIRACLES within recovery come from and especially through the Holidays!

~Catherine Townsend-Lyon, Advocate

Martin Luther Link, JR. Family

Gambling Recovery News, Lotteries Updates, and Opportunities to Share Your Story from Addicted Gambling. News Shared By ‘Bet Free Recovery Now!’

Hello Recovery Friends, Supporters, and New Visitors,

I have several updates and opportunities for you! One is about an exceptional video to watch of a conference held last week about STATE LOTTERIES. It is very informative to watch. The other news is TWO opportunities to share your story and experiences with ONLINE SPORTS BETTING.

Then, the fine folks of the MA Council on Problem Gambling are looking for people willing to share their stories of gambling addiction or problem gambling and recovery exclusively for their website. See all the details below. I always enjoy keeping everyone informed and educated, including the public!

~Advocate Catherine Lyon

“Investigative journalist seeking to interview citizens who’ve suffered harm from online sports gambling“

Stop Predatory Gambling was contacted by a national investigative journalist who is seeking to interview citizens who have been harmed in some way by online sports gambling and the gambling operators behind it. The person could be anyone who developed an online sports gambling problem, a loved one or friend of an addicted online sports gambler, an employer, etc. The person can do the interview anonymously if professional or family considerations are a significant factor.

People revealing the truth about predatory gambling with these kinds of stories can make a real difference in bringing about change. Please ask your family, friends, co-workers, and website visitors if they know someone who has been harmed and is open to discussing what happened.

If they are a member of Gamblers Anonymous or Gam-Anon, any interview will not reference GA in keeping with the guidelines of those organizations.

Please call or email me as soon as possible if you know someone, and I’ll pass it on to the journalist to get them connected.

Thank you.

Best,
Les Bernal
Stop Predatory Gambling

Stop Predatory Gambling Foundation
100 Maryland Avenue NE, Room 310  | Washington, District of Columbia 20002
(202) 567-6996 | les@stoppredatorygambling.org

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A Message and OpportunityFrom MA Office of The National Council on Problem Gambling:

Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health

ICYMI: “Our Tell Your Story series” is accepting submissions. No writing is required, just a brief, confidential interview on your real-life experience with gambling.

Check out current submissions here: https://bit.ly/3LReU8l

Interested in participating? Email pshewood@macgh.org.

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And Lastly, A Message From Les Bernal of Stop Predatory Gambling ~ STATE LOTTERIES

Catherine,

Below is the video to watch last week’s important national event, “How States’ Experiment with Lotteries Has Failed and Why It Affects You,” which featured prominent national lottery expert Dr. Jonathan Cohen, author of the important new book “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America,” and Sean Mussenden, data editor for the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland who was a key figure behind the publication of the 2022 groundbreaking national series on state lotteries, “Mega Billions: The Great Lottery Wealth Transfer.”  Brief background about each speaker is below. 

If you didn’t get to attend, I urge you to watch the forum. Cohen and Mussenden were engaging, highly knowledgeable, and persuasive. After you watch it, I strongly urge you to share the video with your email list and your social media networks, inviting people to learn for themselves how severe and urgent the problem of state lotteries has become and how it affects all of us, including those who rarely, if ever, gamble on the lottery.

I also strongly encourage you to share the video with every local, state, and federal official in your region, along with members of the local and state media.

The video is NOW posted to our Stop Predatory Gambling YouTube channel, and it can be watched here. 
You can also click on the image below.

This webinar is one of a series of events that we’re hosting, and we’d be grateful if you would please take one minute to fill out this brief survey about the event to give us your feedback.

About the Speakers:

Dr. Jonathan D. Cohen is a program officer at the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. He is the co-editor of All In: The Spread of Gambling in Twentieth-Century United States and Long Walk Home: Reflections on Bruce Springsteen. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Virginia. His new book “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America” was published by Oxford University Press and can be purchased here. (Use coupon code AAFLYG6 to receive a 30% discount.)

Sean Mussenden is the data editor for the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, an investigative reporting unit at the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism that partners early-career journalists and veteran journalists at news organizations like the Associated Press, PBS NewsHour, and National Public Radio to produce deeply reported investigative stories. 

He was a crucial figure in the Howard Center’s recently published “Mega Billions: The great lottery wealth transfer,” an in-depth look at lotteries in nearly every state.

We can fund essential events like this national webinar because of our members’ selfless financial generosity. If you support our mission to reveal the truth behind commercialize​d​ ​gambling operators to prevent more victim​s​, ​​please ​​become a member of our national network by making a gift of any size you can afford today.

Thank you.

Best,
Les Bernal
Stop Predatory Gambling


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I Was Invited to Share My Story & Hope In a New Featured Article For Recovery Warriors & Heroes. My Challenges of Recovery While Being Dual-Diagnosed.

We are only given one life to live while helping others along our journey. After years of addicted gambling, wasting a portion of my life, I will never again take for granted the beautiful life I have been given by GOD and will continue soar to heights I never dreamed possible from the work I have done within my recovery. . .

Author and Advocate Catherine Lyon

Advocating Out Loud At The Arizona State Capitol

My recovery journey started in 2002, and again in 2006 from my mental health challenges.

I woke up in a hospital as the result of another failed suicide attempt and then went back to an addiction and mental health crisis center for a 20-day stay. The problem wasn’t that I gambled again and relapsed; the problem was not taking my psych medications for a few weeks. I thought I didn’t need them; that I could be normal like everyone else around me, but as you read my story, you’ll see that didn’t work out too well.

I had a few severe financial crises happen, and since I had not taken my medication and had worked through all of my savings, I panicked and chose to steal from someone. What a mess! Of course, she pressed charges. I was arrested, went through the courts, and was sentenced to many hours of community service, two years of probation, and paid restitution that I’m still paying today.

My point?

You have to do the work in all areas of your recovery, including your finances. I chose to not do all the work necessary for a well-rounded recovery. Even though I was not gambling, my financial and legal troubles told me I still needed to work with a gambling addiction specialist. After my troubles occurred, I worked with a specialist for a year while I went through the legal mess I created. Why am I sharing this? Our recovery stories and words are powerful tools to help others.

After this second suicide attempt and crisis, I learned I did not have a well-balanced recovery and had a lot more work to do, and I also learned that God, my higher power, had bigger plans for me, a purpose for me that involves helping those reaching out for recovery from the cunning illness of compulsive gambling addiction. After I was released from the crisis center in 2006 and started working with a gambling specialist and got my mental health under control, I began to see the stigma surrounding those of us who maintaining recovery, and those of us who suffer from a mental illness, and we have a huge hurdle in our path.

I am a dual-diagnosed person who lives in recovery and has mental health challenges. It can make obtaining recovery a wee bit more work, as I discovered. The nasty habits, behaviors, and diseased thinking needed more correcting. Working with the gambling specialist was eye-opening.

He helped me break down the cycle of the addiction, and we also worked with tools and skills for dealing with financial problems that may arise while in recovery. I was given a fantastic relapse prevention workbook as well. Although I didn’t relapse into gambling, this workbook has helped me develop a plan for any financial or life event that may arise during my recovery journey. You need a plan before life events come.

Another tool that helped was journaling every day. I have always done this, but my specialist showed me how to relieve stress and learn more from my journaling. Those journals were used for help in writing my current published book. Writing my story and experiences in memoir form was a very healing process for me. I shared my gambling addiction and alcohol abuse, my past childhood abuse, and sexual trauma, and what it is like living with mental illness. I never dreamed I would be a published author, recovery advocate, writer, and blogger, but these are just a few of the recovery blessings I have received in my journey thus far.

By writing my book, and memoirs, and sharing it with the world, I hope to help shatter the stigma around gambling addiction, recovery, and mental and emotional health. I want to be a voice for those who are childhood sex abuse survivors. Through my book and my recovery blog, I have chosen to not be anonymous or silent any longer.

I want others and the public to know how devastating compulsive gambling addiction is and how easily one can become addicted. It truly is a real disease and illness. I want others to be informed and educated, and I raise awareness of the effects it has in our communities and in families’ lives.

The expansion of casinos, state lotteries, and now legal sports betting and online gambling venues are making gambling more and more accessible today and are now touching our youth. Currently, 1.9% of our population are problem gamblers. Through my own recovery and by writing my book, I have learned a lot. The best advice I can give? When starting recovery learn about this addiction. Work with a specialist or recovery coach to learn the cycle and then learn the tools and skills to interrupt it.

Work a well-balanced recovery that encompasses mind, body, spirit, and finances. There are many ways to recover including in or outpatient treatment and 12-step meetings. Anything and everything you can find? Do it. Only one option may not be enough for success in long-term recovery. Sadly, I learned this the hard way.

Now that I have reached and maintained 15+years of recovery from gambling addiction and alcohol abuse, I know it is my job, my purpose, to be of recovery service to others. Life today is good!

My husband and I learned that we can weather any storm together. I’m proud that my book has done so well and has opened doors for me to share what I have learned. I share as much as I can with others. I do this in many ways. My second book is almost finished, and I hope to release it in early 2023.

It will be more of a “how-to” for reaching that elusive first year of recovery. With a high percentage of people relapsing after rehab or treatment, I wanted, and my readers asked me, to share how to attain the first year of recovery. I also share my recovery and experiences in blog form here. All I can do is urge others to never give up. You are worth a better life in recovery. Sharing our experiences and our recovery story with others is just as important as the professional or clinical side of how to recover. Sharing one’s story is a powerful tool for others to listen to and learn from.

My last tip is to do something for your recovery each day. It will help keep you within your recovery, and you won’t ever become complacent on your journey.

Thank you for reading my story.

“Life Is Good Today!”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx8Z4oHkScs

My Newest Radio Podcast Featured Guest!

I Support My Friends of The Mass. Council On Gaming and Health. Special Guest Article About Voluntary Self-Exclusion From Gambling Casinos.

Self-Exclusion or self-banning yourself from gambling and casinos can be a tricky thing to do. There has been much controversy over it. So does it really work for the gambler to ban themselves from the temptation to try and stop one from gambling? Well, I can only speak for myself that it didn’t work. But I was far too deep into full-blown addicted gambling.

If we have a positive mindset and attitude about self-exclusion and try it when we’re beginning to feel like gambling is becoming a problem and interfering in our daily lives? Then for those who are aware and looking to curb or nix this habit before it does become a full-blown addiction, it just may work for them.

I began to think more about this after I read this article I’m going to share with you by the fine folks of The Massachusetts Council On Gaming & Health. It made me see a different side to self-exclusion. I hope you can learn a little more after you give it a read. ~Advocate, Catherine Lyon

For some casino patrons, Voluntary Self-Exclusions are the real home run.

Apr 7, 2022 | Blog

For some casino patrons, ‘Voluntary Self-Exclusions’ is a real home run...

Knowing our limits is part of maintaining a safe, healthy lifestyle.
It’s what naturally encourages our bodies and minds to crave breaks. Whether powering off our laptop after a few hours of work or pausing to stretch when we get a muscle cramp exercising, breaks help us reassess and recharge. Even our favorites on the Sox and Celtics take timeouts to breathe and strategize their next play.

You may not know that you can take breaks from gambling activities, too. With Massachusetts sports betting legalization emerging as a real possibility, more Bay Staters could be at risk of developing a gambling disorder. About two percent of the population has a gambling disorder today. And up to 488,000 adults in Massachusetts are at-risk gamblers, meaning they show an increasing preoccupation with gambling.

As Opening Day kicks off this week, these statistics should serve as a vital reminder to policymakers. The passage of sports betting legislation without robust consumer protections such as Voluntary Self-Exclusion (VSE) programs would prove to be a massive oversight and undermine our Commonwealth’s pro-public health reputation.

Gambling can be tough to see or sniff out, literally. Unlike some alcohol or drug use addictions, problem gambling or at-risk gambling can be easily concealed. However, keep a lookout for signs and symptoms. Perhaps you or someone you care about is placing higher bets to try to reach the same adrenaline rushes.

Others find themselves driving to the casino or instinctively pulling up a gambling app whenever they are down or stressed. Individuals are increasingly chasing sports betting thrills on flashy apps and websites. So be mindful of more-than-usual screen time. The sheer accessibility of sports betting poses concerns to public health — and a potentially greater need for self-exclusion programs.

Like anything in excess, gambling can wreak havoc on relationships, workplaces, finances, and your wellbeing. As a former competitive hockey player turned gaming services professional, I have seen countless sports bettors jeopardize their careers and families. And in working as a table games dealer for many years, I’ve seen what happens when gambling no longer feels like a game.

It isn’t only about the damage to your wallet. Even when they pay off their debts, individuals still have a gambling disorder. A break  — sometimes for a year, sometimes for good  — might be the best thing to do.

In my current role as a Senior GameSense Advisor, I have a unique opportunity to help patrons create limits around their gambling. Our team staffs info centers at the state casinos, educating patrons on responsible gambling. Conversations can range from understanding the odds in a game of craps to helping folks take a break and enroll in a Voluntary Self-Exclusion program.

By enrolling in VSE, participants voluntarily exclude themselves from the gaming floors of all Massachusetts casinos. Participants can choose how long they would like to exclude. And just like if Xander Bogaerts tried to belt a line drive between innings, any money wagered, lost, or won during VSE enrollment is forfeited and does not count. Like Bogaerts, you also get a coach. Trained staff, including GameSense Advisors like myself, conduct regular check-ins throughout the term and connect you to local resources.

Some patrons have shared that heading to a casino to enroll in a VSE poses too much of a temptation. That’s a valid point, and it’s one of the reasons why we created remote VSE enrollment, which is the first of its kind in the nation. Patrons can still self-exclude in person or through confidential, online platforms. The program has created hundreds of success stories: over 1,000 Bay Staters are enrolled in a VSE. This is solely because Massachusetts lawmakers prioritized public health in crafting the Expanded Gaming Act in 2011.

One of the Boston greats, Pedro Martinez, said, “If you’re healthy, you’re capable of doing everything.” VSEs serve as an innovative, critical resource and keep countless Bay Staters healthy and safe. As such, making sure that these resources are within reach for all should remain paramount in future sports gambling legislation.

The health of thousands of Bay Staters — and the health of gaming in Massachusetts  — is at stake.

**************************************

Ken Averill is a Senior GameSense Advisor with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission and The Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health. He has over 24 years of experience in the gaming industry and previously worked as a table games dealer and operations manager. 

For gambling-related questions, chat with a member of the GameSense team 24/7 via LiveChat at MACGH.org by calling the GamLine at 1-800-GAM-1234.

An Introduction and Resource For Gambling Addiction to Recovery, Meet Dr. Louise Stanger, an Interventionist Who Shares Addicted Gambling is Very Treatable.

Article Courtesy of Dr. Louise Stanger who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW, BBS #4581) for over 35 years, and specializes in substance abuse disorders, process addictions, mental health disorders, sudden death, trauma, grief, and loss. She is a great resource and offers interventions and helps heal not just the addict, but the family as she focuses on strength-based solutions and invitational change.

Information Courtesy of Dr. Stanger.

Wanna make a bet?

Gambling Shatters Records, Takes Hold Of America

The gambling industry shattered records in 2021, taking in over $53 Billion. That’s a 21% increase over the previous record, set in 2019. With sports gambling now publicly embraced by and partnered with the major sports leagues, gambling is more popular and more acceptable than ever.

The Super Bowl had the highest TV rating of any sports media event in history. That one game alone was expected to bring in 31.4 million gamblers and $7.4 billion in bets. Is it a coincidence that the highest year in Super Bowl TV ratings happens during the same year that gambling is breaking records? To a lesser extent, this kind of gambling happens at every sports event, in every league, throughout the year.

Do you have a smartphone? Then you can gamble in real-time on just about any event (not just sports) you can think of. Quick access and instant results also come with another price (not just money lost). It reminds of me the video games that lure you into a new world and the only way to continue to advance in the game is to continue to play. If you set down the controller and stop playing, you lose ground in the competition. 

It is not only just sports enthusiasts who are addicted to gambling or feeding the industry’s record year in 2021. Casinos continue to lead all revenue sources, with large amounts of walk-in traffic. Seniors make up as much as 50% of casino visitors, and casinos prey on them in order to increase revenue. And continues into 2022!

What do Americans think of gambling? If you believe that people’s votes tell the story, then this ABCNews headline from the 2020 elections says it all: Jackpot! Expansion of gambling in the US wins big at polls

So, gambling will become more pervasive, more impulsive, and easier to access. This can lead many to an unhealthy relationship with gambling — ruining relationships, costing families their fortunes, and leading to other addictions. The link between gambling and substance abuse is well-known, and most casinos still offer a free drink (or many) while you play.

************************************************************************


If you know someone who is addicted to gambling, there is hope. It is a process addiction that can be addressed before it’s too late. I sure encourage you to visit Dr. Stanger’s website for more information and resources on she can help. You can take her “Gambling Self-Assessment Survey” while you visit and you may contact her on her site as well. An intervention is a great place to start if you have a loved one who has a gambling problem or needs serious help.
https://www.allaboutinterventions.com/test-yourself/gambling-self-assessment/

Here are a few additional stories you may want to take the time to read.
https://www.allaboutinterventions.com/2019/05/28/aging-in-the-time-of-the-silver-tsunami/
(https://www.allaboutinterventions.com/2018/07/06/video-game-addiction-in-the-communication-age/)

More About Dr. Stanger:

Dr. Louise is no stranger to adversity. Born on a fault line of trauma, she knows what it is like to grow up in a family beset with anxiety, depression, substance misuse, and death by suicide. She brings her own years of experience working with families in bespoke fashion as well as her ability to work alongside talented professionals to ensure you get the best possible care. In doing so she and her team are collaborative, strength-based, and invitational.

Dr. Louise Stanger received her doctorate in education from the University of San Diego, a master’s degree in social work from San Diego State University, and a BA in English Literature and Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Louise is an Ivy League Award winner (2019 Interventionist of the Year from DB Resources in London and McLean Hospital – an affiliate of Harvard), educated social worker, popular author, internationally renowned clinician, interventionist and speaker, and an expert on mental health, addiction, process disorders, and chronic pain. She gets to the heart of the matter in helping families because she’s passionate about bringing hope and healing to loved ones.

“When you call, you won’t have to go through any intermediaries. She will pick up the phone and talk directly with you.“

Dr. Louise developed and refined her invitational method of mental health and substance abuse interventions using the well-established research methodology of portraiture. She has performed thousands of family interventions throughout the United States and abroad.

She has received numerous awards for her years of dedication to the fields of intervention & recovery. In addition to her years of experience, Dr. Louise is a published author whose work covers a range of topics including mental health, substance abuse, and well-being, the opioid epidemic, marijuana, and other drugs, parenting, high wealth clients, finding happiness, spirituality, failure to launch, chronic pain and pain management, family and many more.

Her latest book titled Addiction in the Family: Helping Families Navigate Challenges, Emotions, and Recovery (2020) is a #1 bestseller on Amazon. Her book Falling Up: A Memoir of Renewal is available on Amazon. and The Definitive Guide to Addiction Intervention-A Collective Strategy is available on Amazon and University Bookstores.


Addiction in the Family: Helping Families Navigate Challenges, Emotions, and Recovery

Dr. Louise is also known for lively, informative, customized, and invigorating training for staff, families, and clients. Foundations Recovery Network’s Moments of Change Conference proclaimed Dr. Stanger the “Fan Favorite Speaker.” In addition, the San Diego Business Journal listed her as one of the top 10 “Women Who Mean Business” and she was ranked as one of the top 10 Interventionists in the Country.

In 2017, she received the Dr. Joseph P. Galleta Spirit of Recovery Award and the DB Resources in London Journalism Award. In 2018, she was honored by the Forgiving Foundation and spoke in London on World Drug Day in June. She also received the 2018 Friendly House Excellence In Service Award.


Presented and Shared By Advocate/Author Catherine Townsend- Lyon – Let’s Raise Awareness!

Bet Free Recovery Now…

Sharing Awareness of Problem Gambling During March 2020 Awareness Month. Teens Are Gambling Online & It Is On The Rise. Parents Beware and Need Be Informed. . .

Internet Gambling Among Teens and College Students

Gambling is a popular pastime for adults, whether it is purchasing lotto tickets, betting on sports games, or casino-style gambling. Unsurprisingly, internet gambling has also become popular; it is so popular that in the fall of 2011, comScore found that online gambling was the fastest growing online category, with almost 10 million U.S. users.

Global online gambling is now worth an estimated $30 billion and rising. And online poker is estimated to be worth $6 billion annually in the US alone, as the Justice Department has apparently opened the door to internet gambling by reversing their longtime position that online poker and betting was illegal.

Just how open online gambling will become with this change of ruling has yet to be seen, but it is interesting to note that Sheldon Adelson, owner of the Las Vegas Sands Casino and one of the world’s richest men, responded to the ruling with concern, saying that:

“loosening the reins on online gambling will take a heavy toll on young people, especially because current technology isn’t robust enough to keep children from betting real money using computers .”

He’s right. Internet gambling takes little more than acquiring or “borrowing” a credit card.

Image Courtesy of Edge Rehab

Internet gambling sites already have teens and young adult users on their sites. A whopping 20% of college students play online poker at least once a month according to the Annenberg Public Policy Center, an organization that has tracked young people’s use of gambling sites for over 10 years.

In 2010 the Annenberg Public Policy Center surveyed students and compared the results to their 2008 survey. They found that monthly use of internet gambling sites among college-age males shot up from 4.4% in 2008 to 16.0% in 2010. In spite of the sharp increase in participants, their frequency of use did not increase, remaining at about 3% on a weekly basis.

“The dramatic increase in the use of online gambling by college-age male youth indicates that payment restrictions on such sites are no longer a barrier to young people,” said Dan Romer, director of the Annenberg Adolescent Communication Institute, which conducts the annual survey. Projected on a national basis, more than 400,000 male youth in the college-age range (18 to 22) gamble for money at least once a week on the Internet, and over 1.7 million do so at least once a month.

The researchers noted that high school-aged males showed only a small and statistically insignificant increase in monthly use of Internet gambling sites between 2008 and 2010 (from 2.7% to 6.2%), but this still represents over 530,000 high school-aged male students visiting gambling sites per month.

Among high school females, the study found that females continue to gamble less than males, but the latest survey shows a sharp rise in some types of offline gambling, primarily related to sports.

While only 9.5% of high school girls reported engaging in sports betting on a monthly basis in 2008, fully 22% reported doing so in 2010. Sports betting was the main reason for the overall increase in total gambling for high school-aged females, going from 18.9% in 2008 to 28.2% in 2011.

The frequency of betting also showed a dramatic increase, from less than 1% in 2008 to 8.3% in 2021. Contributing to this trend are the availability of online venues and the expansion and acceptance of offline gambling.

Why youth gamble

Today’s teens are living in a society where legalized gambling is not only socially acceptable; it is widely promoted and highly visible. 48 states now allow some form of gambling. Casinos advertise heavily on TV, radio, online, and billboard ads. Poker tournaments complete with expert commentary, interesting filming angles, and million-dollar prizes have become “hot ticket” reality TV on cable & broadband networks.

Given the prevalence, visibility, and glamour now afforded to gambling, it is not surprising that many teens are drawn to the instant gratification, thrill, and hope of fast money. The three predominant reasons reported by teens for gambling are (a) the excitement it brings, (b) enjoyment, and (c) to win money. Other reasons adolescents gamble include peer pressure, to relieve boredom, and to relieve feelings of depression. This is particularly the case on college campuses where students play poker in dorm rooms and local bars.

Columbia University Medical Center’s research indicates that teenagers make up half of the 16 million people in the United States with gambling addictions. At a time when youth are struggling and searching for their identity, gambling can appeal both because of its excitement, fun, and entertaining value and its ability to rapidly boost a youth’s self-image. This can dramatically switch, however, when losses inevitably increase and trigger a drop in self-esteem, financial anxiety, and depression. Youth may begin stealing or selling possessions to pay off debts, or to continue gambling in the hopes of winning big.

Columbia’s research also indicates that youth who begin gambling at an early age are at increased risk of addiction and that gambling-addicted youths’ perceptions become altered into believing they have a higher than 50% chance of winning. Parents that gamble, give lottery tickets to youth or show approval of gambling are often a key contributing factor in teens with problem gambling. Teens succumb to gambling addiction at rates between two and four times the rate of adults.

Complicating efforts to protect minors from online gambling is the ever-present access to computers and mobile phones (several online casinos and card rooms offer mobile options) that make gambling just a click away. Another factor is the anonymity of online interactions: ID verification checks that serve as barriers to underage gambling in brick-and-mortar casinos are practically non-existent in the world of online gambling.

Identifying gambling addiction

If you suspect that you or your child has a gambling problem, review the following list of questions created by the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling that helps identify if gambling has become an addiction:

Problem Gambling Warning Signs:

• Is gambling the most exciting activity in your life?
• Do you miss school, activities, or other events due to gambling?
• Has anyone expressed concern about your gambling?
• Do you lie to your friends or family about your gambling?
• Do you borrow money to gamble?
• Have you sold personal belongings to get money to gamble?
• Have you stolen from your family, friends, or employer to gamble or to pay back gambling debts?
• After losing, do you try to win your money back by gambling?
• Are you preoccupied with thoughts of gambling?
• Have you tried to stop gambling but can’t?

Recovery from online gambling addictions is particularly challenging because in a moment of weakness a relapse is still only one click away.

Several states and organizations offer assistance for people struggling with gambling addictions and can provide referral services to counselors and programs in your area. To find help in your area, ask your doctor, or search online for “Internet Gambling addiction help” (plus the name of your state or city). You may also choose to contact Gamblers Anonymous and see their local listings for your area.

Talk about online gambling

Given the ease of access and the allure that online gambling (and real-world gambling) has on teens and college-age students, it is critical that youth (particularly males) and parents understand and discuss the risks to minors surrounding this activity.

After gaining a basic understanding of the issues around internet gambling through this article, you may be prepared for this discussion. If you believe the problems you are facing require more assistance you may want to contact your primary care physician or review additional online material through the links embedded within this document and in the additional links below.

More resources on online gambling:

• Lane County 2007 College Gambling Survey
• Online Gambling Resources
• Statistics address the who, what and why not of gambling
• Caught in the gambling Web

Article Courtesy of https://www.webroot.com/us/en/resources/tips-articles/internet-gambling-among-teens-and-college-students …

CHANGE…who you were deep in addiction TO who you want to be within RECOVERY. Now, that? THAT’S A Life Changer!

Albert Einstein once said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created those problems,” and Earl Nightingale also said, “Don’t wait for change, you change!” This is great advice for those in early recovery. It has been solid advice I continue to follow to this day.

Some of this post may sound like rambling recovery thoughts, but they are my thoughts, and I want to share them with you.

Change. I remember how resentful and angry I felt in my early recovery journey. I would get pissed off when I was being told to change, and it seemed I was hounded about change all the time!

When I got told, I had to make changes within my inner-self to get better and begin the healing process. It was always like a song in my head saying, “keep making those changes, or change your thinking, change your life!”

OMG! Whatever!…lol.

But you know what?
It worked.

For example, I would hear others at GA meetings during our smoke break. They would chat about moving to a new location or a new state because they felt they would not have the problems with addicted gambling if only they lived somewhere else. HA!

I learned pretty quickly that is NOT the case, and you can change wherever you want to live, but your problems will go with you. If only beating addicted gambling was that easy.

You have to change your thinking and do the workaround CHANGE to change your life.

Believe it or not, most people never do much about changing their lives. Most people wish their lives away and talk boringly about things they will do, but lack of change and doing the work within recovery seems too much of a burden. That is also why relapse happens.

They feel doing the recovery work is too complex and much easier to continue down the same road with addiction and gambling.

 Again, this happens a lot in early recovery. I did this myself. Maybe I had not hit my “rock bottom.” Most times, it was several things that kept me gambling. Like stress, triggers, and those darn constant urges to gamble.

My poor husband got so tired of hearing me say, “why is it me that has to do all the changing? These people aren’t perfect!” (I was referring to my counselor and my treatment therapists.) And I had a group night, and all of them gave out homework.

Look, I’m not going to lie! All of this in the first few years into my recovery was hard work. As I began each night, I would journal. Then, I would make a list to help me be honest with myself, learning what I did right and what thinking or old behaviors I fell back on that day. While doing this, it aided me to be accountable and honest with myself and to change those areas that needed correcting. It helped me to accept those things I have no control over.

Soon, I began to change my negative thoughts and thinking…but I was learning self-validation instead of looking for it from others. When we practice these changes and work The Steps in our early years of maintaining recovery while doing the work, we begin to make healthier choices that will automatically come.

AND?
With all of the above?

That is what helps; you let go of the anger and resentments and know you are not the only one making CHANGES. Anyone who begins recovery will need to do the same work I have done, you will do, and it WILL be worth it. I have learned it was necessary while looking for true happiness, peace, and serenity while on this journey within recovery. Along the way, I found my worth and value in this LIFE.


It seemed the only way for me to CHANGE MY LIFE WITHIN RECOVERY was to CHANGE ME.

Recovery Ramblings of Family, Loss, Childhood, Choices, and Some Other Stuff. By Advocate Catherine Townsend-Lyon.

It has been quite some time since my last honest personal share about my recovery journey. It has been too long since sharing my thoughts, feelings, and what has been lying in my heart. What I mean is some real random recovery ramblings of living life while maintaining my recovery. 

Maybe it is because the holiday season and a new year are approaching, and looking back over this last year, not realizing what and how much I dealt with some life events that I felt I handled ok, but there always seems to be some lingering feelings left. Thoughts constantly swirl in my mind and tug on my heart. Just when I think I have processed them and tried to move forward, here they come. 

See, I lost my father on Jan. 29th, 2021, as COVID took his life, and many who know me or my story had a very up-and-down relationship. He had not spoken to me in almost 15 1/2-years. My nephew informed me of his passing and told me that he died alone at the hospital in Southern Calif., where he had been amitted. Kaiser Hospital would not let anyone go in his room to be with him due to COVID rules, nor they didn’t bother to tell me until five weeks after his passing.

Then more drama over who was getting what that I didn’t care about any of that. I wasn’t going to get stuck in all the drama, especially since I had not talked to any of my family for years. I knew this day would come soon. Was this cruel or Karma that my father ended up passing away all alone? Just because he chose not to speak to me or have a relationship with one of his daughters? I hope not. Family, we don’t get to choose them. And my siblings?

Well, that’s my siblings for you. Need I say more?

My feelings were/are that they were the ones missing out. All the years I and my husband had lived in Oregon and through the years’ most of the family would come to visit, spend time with us, we’d have so much fun. Even after my mom passed in 2003, my dad came the following summer and we had a blast! We would also take my dad and nephews rafting, many 4th of July’s and Labor days, trips to the coast, Jetboat dinner rides on the Rogue River, and again many fantastic rafting trips. So many good memories.

And for all of it to end up like this?
 
It still breaks my heart today…
I choose to remember ALL the good memories!

Also, after my mom passed in 2003, we all could have stayed together and in each other’s lives. That didn’t last very long. There are four of us—my only older brother, my older sister, then me, and then my younger sister. So when we laid my mom to eternal rest, that was the last time all four of us siblings had been together. I have often said we don’t get to pick or choose the family we are born into; however, we can choose to have healthy boundaries and have done so when I began my recovery journey.

So those are some of the points I wanted to share. Recovery makes that possible. It gives us the freedom to start making better choices in our lives. I will add in their defense, when I was young, I became very hyper-sensitive to teasing and ridicule, but they had no clue what I had been through from the sexual trauma until I finally disclosed it to my parents at age 32. Then, the teasing got worse in adulthood when they learned I had been diagnosed with PTSD and a few other mental health disorders.

When we get to a point where we try to make amends with those, we may have hurt while being sick and deep within addiction; not everyone may be willing to accept it or willing to forgive. They might even take it, forgive you, but still not want a relationship. And that is truly their choice. We, then, need to accept that choice, as I had to take and honor my father’s choice some 15-years ago. So yes, it stung, but I moved on from it. 

There are times when we need to look back to connect what was to see how far we have grown within our recovery. For example, when I spent a year or so writing and journaling in early recovery, that was what ended up as a book—my memoirs of what gambling had taken from me. My fault for becoming an addict? YES, but more critical is the WHY and HOW I became addicted. (Available on Amazon Kindle)

Addicted to Dimes (Confessions of a LIAR & a CHEAT)

by Catherine Townsend-Lyon
“A heart-wrenching read that ends with a great light of hope. Read “Addicted to Dimes” now.” 

Written By Advocate Catherine Lyon

That is some of what those memoirs are and what my book truly is. It is not how to recover. That is what I’m working on now. The writing was healing for me, but it also helped me start to connect different events, the childhood trauma and abuse that happened as a little girl, and how it affected me going into adulthood. So I began to question my worth, my self-sabotage as if I wasn’t worth being loved, others being kind or treated well by others, including men. 

Today I chose life. I live each day to the best of my abilities. I use self-care and self-love. I continue to mentor others who reach out needing support, help, and some hope from this insidious addiction. It is my passion and honor to do so. I’ll close by saying to those who never give gambling a thought, but those who have a problem with it will understand this. Gambling is all about Risk and Chance. And those who gamble a lot as I did or become addicted and gamble all the time will know what I mean. So the more you bet, the higher your odds are of losing.

So, where do you think the catchphrase came from of “The House Always Wins?” 

And is why gambling addiction is so devastating…  

********** *** ************

Writers Note –This year, I have signed up with ‘The National Council on Problem Gambling’ for the new ‘Gift Responsible’ Lottery Campaign as a social media assistant and blogger for the council through the holiday season and share Awareness of Not Gifting Lottery Products to Children and Minors. I hope you will join me by using this image on all your social media platforms in support!

Lottery Campaign Image 2021 ~ National Council on Problem Gambling

Our Special Guest Post is by Author/Advocate Marilyn Davis of ‘From Addict 2 Advocate.’ Reading Gives Us Our Power Back. . .

Recovery Books: Just When You Need Them

 POSTED ON NOVEMBER 3, 2021 BY MARILYNLDAVIS

Post Courtesy of Marilyn Davis, Advocate, Author, & Writer

Books: The Way We’ve Always Learned

“I think books are like people, in the sense that they’ll turn up in your life when you most need them.” – Emma Thompson

I’m old enough to remember when books, either from a library or book store, and where how we escaped, found comfort, got an education, or discovered ways to improve our lives. Books bring the world to us. 

Today, that world is smaller with online booksellers, reviewers, and sites dedicated to types of books. One of these is Shepherd.com. I enjoyed writing reviews on five books about addiction and recovery.  Each of those books helped me see that addiction has common themes. Yet, each of the authors admitted their addictions and found recovery in different ways. 

Easy Access to Information

It may just be me, but the first time I read Alcoholics Anonymous, or as we call it, The Big Book, I cried. There were so many passages that I could relate to in that first reading. I felt that the writers in 1939 were doing a “Letter to your future self – me.” 

When we find a book that resonates with us, we cherish it. The second, third, fourth, and fifth times I read the book while in treatment, I was shocked at how much I’d missed in a previous reading. I got out my trusty highlighter and started marking practically every page. I realized that meant that eventually, I would highlight every passage, so I stopped that practice. That was 33 years ago. 

Cherished Writing

I still have my original Big Book, tattered and worn with margin notes, highlighted passages, and phone numbers from people in treatment. It needs rebinding, but I’d lose those notes and numbers, and I don’t want to do that, so it stays together in its case when I’m not reading it. 

I still read it; antiquated and stilted language doesn’t matter. That’s why there’s another book, a dictionary for the seldom-used words. These 100 men and women who wrote The Big Book were the founders and pioneers who admitted their problems and gave us solutions. We can’t ask for more than that in any book. 

Inclusive Writing 

When we read a book and see ourselves on the pages, we pay attention. Sure, the names, places, ages, or genders might differ, but it’s us. How does an author do that – by relating feelings and thoughts, which transcend ages, genders, races, and places. 

I’ve gotten emails and messages from men who’ve read my book, Finding North: A Journey from Addict to Advocate, who’ve asked if we’re twins. Or the email from a twenty-year-old who could relate. Believe me, those are the best validation an author can get. To know that you’ve written an inclusive book. 

Books Help Us Understand Ourselves 

When I first got into recovery, I went weekly to the Unity Bookstore in Gainesville, GA. They had the largest selection on recovery, codependency, spirituality, and Native American beliefs. I’d “sacrifice” a steak to get a new book. 

Some of my earliest books were: 

The Recovery Book: Answers to All Your Questions About Addiction and Alcoholism and Finding Health and Happiness in Sobriety

 Healing The Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children…

Stage II Recovery: Life Beyond Addiction

The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations for Codependents 

Each Day a New Beginning: Daily Meditations for Women 

Broken Toys Broken Dreams: Understanding and Healing Codependency, Compulsive Behaviors and Family

No, I’m not their spokesperson, nor do I get a commission for anything I’ve listed or from Thriftbooks; it’s about following through on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s second bit of advice, “For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You’d be surprised how far that gets you.”

Any of these will help you in your recovery and perhaps lessen your suffering. Plus buying a used book makes economic sense. 

Reflections: Guideposts and Images for the Journey: 

Around the Year with Emmet Fox: A Book of Daily Readings

Narcotics Anonymous book by Narcotics Anonymous

Rehab Works 

Healing the Shame that Binds You

The Road Less Traveled and Beyond

Facing Codependence

Now That You’re Sober

Addicted to Dimes ~ THIS ONE IS MY BOOK!

Famous Authors

Today’s books differ only slightly from my original listing. Today, we’ve got more people writing about addiction and recovery who don’t necessarily work in the field. Some are famous, and coming out and stating that they are addicts and alcoholics is commendable.  

Here’s a list of three I’ve read because I was a concert promotor and managed bands and maybe understand some of the temptations and availability of drugs backstage.  

Recovery book by Russell Brand 

Robert Downey Jr.: The Fall and Rise 

Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood


When You’re Ready to Write About Your Recovery

I believe in diaries and journals. They help us record our thoughts and feelings and can be a way to discover patterns in our lives. Here are two journals that work: 

My Walk, My Journey, My Recovery: Drugs… book by Mama Cotton (thriftbooks.com)

The 12 Step Journal

And when you’re ready to write your story, consider getting Memories into Memoir: The Mindsets and Mechanics Workbook to help you remember, reflect, and write an excellent memoir about addiction and recovery to help someone else. 

Are you ready to lessen someone else’s suffering? Then consider a guest post. 

Marilyn Loves Guest Post Submissions For Her Website!

About Marilyn L. Davis

Advocate, Marilyn L. Davis

Marilyn Davis is a Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist who opened and operated an award-winning residential facility between 1990 and 2011, called North House. She also facilitated men’s, women’s, and HIV-positive groups. 

She recently celebrated 32+ years of abstinence-based recovery.

Davis is the author of “Therapeutic Integrated Educational Recovery System.” In 2008, Brenau University created the Marilyn Davis Community Service Learning Award. This ongoing award honors individuals working in recovery and mental health. In 2010, Marilyn received the Liberty Bell award. This award is given to non-judges and attorneys for contributions to the criminal justice system and communities.

Before the Blogs and Book

Before finding recovery in 1988, Davis was a desperate woman on drugs, managing bands at night, giving up her children, having her house foreclosed, and running to Georgia. After an intervention by Brenau University, she attended two 12-Step meetings a day. A chance encounter with a 74-year old Native American named Gray Hawk showed her that healing would include meetings and Steps. He had searched for her and wanted her to open a house of healing for other women. This encounter with Gray Hawk helped her realize that opening North House was her purpose.

She recently published her memoir, Finding North: A Journey from Addict to Advocate.

Writing and Recovery Heals the Heart

Davis is also Editor-in-Chief at twodropsofink.com, a literary blog, where she continues to encourage collaborative writing.

The site’s writers are poets, problem-solvers for writers, and bloggers. Prose and essays educate, entertain, and enchant readers with the written word. The writers represent different countries, viewpoints, and opinions from around the world.

Visit Marilyn Today!

Visit the author: Website, Join Author’s Newsletter, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Linkedin…

Our Friends of ‘Stop Predatory Gambling’ Shares Important Articles From The Nation’s Top Law Schools About Gambling Operators, Tactics Used & Much More. . .

Welcome Recovery Friends,

I am urgently sharing this emailed message from Les Bernal, the Founder and National Director of Stop Predatory Gambling.

One of the nation’s top law schools has issued a series of articles exposing the truth behind gambling operators, including a spotlight on the issue of commercialized sports gambling.

The current issue of the University of Illinois Law Review has nine must-read articles by highly-respected scholars and attorneys.

The full list is here. They include:

– “Casinos- An Addiction Industry in the Mold of Tobacco and Opioid Drugs” authored by Northeastern Law Professor Richard Daynard, considered by many as the key legal architect behind the tobacco litigation movement,  and his colleagues at the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University School of Law;

– “Black Youths Lost, White Fortunes Found: Sports Betting and the Commodification and Criminalization of Black Collegiate Athletes” authored by Frank Vandalla and Tallulah Lanier of Emory University School of Law;

– “Bans on Sports Gambling and Lotteries Would Pump-Prime the U.S. Economic System in the New Age of Covid” authored by John Kindt, Professor Emeritus of Business and Legal Policy at the University of Illinois and one of the nation’s most distinguished scholars on the economic consequences of commercialized gambling.

Please read the entire series of articles to expand your own knowledge about the truth behind gambling operators. The series is one of the few examples of independent scholarship being done on commercialized gambling because nearly all the research is presently funded by gambling operators. 

Please stop by the website of Stop Predatory Gambling https://www.stoppredatorygambling.org/what-is-predatory-gambling/ to see what is happening in your state with Problem Gambling and check out all their helpful Resources.


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FOR MANY, GAMBLING WAS NOT ALL FUN AND GAMES. IT BECAME OUR WORST NIGHTMARE. . .

Some Recovery & Mental Health Humor to Lighten Up Your Day. And Some News Around The Recovery Community. . .

Welcome Recovery Posse and Warriors,

WHO SAYS We Can’t Have Some Humor While Maintaining Recovery Being Dually Diagnosed?

Well, I have a share from my buddy and dear friend Tony Roberts! I had visited his website and just had to laugh a little when I seen him share this on his website of “Delight in Disorder”>>>> https://delightindisorder.org/ . . .

10 Reasons to Leave Your Psychiatrist

It’s time to leave your psychiatrist when s/he says…

     1)   Enough about your mother, let’s talk about mine.

     2)   Sure, the blue meds are working, but the pink pills are so much cuter.

     3)    In my professional opinion, you’re crazier than a loon.

     4)     Suicide, smooicide.

     5)     If you want a taste of E.C.T.  just stick your tongue to this car battery here.

     6)     What was that you said?  I was too busy picturing you in the nude.

     7)     Before we treat your O.C.D. I’d like you to clean out my garage.

     8)     You think you’ve got problems!  My Porsche has a flat tire.

     9)     I can see now why your wife wants to leave you.

     10)   You think, you’re fat because you are fat.

Shared By Pastor and Advocate Tony Roberts

Now Some Gambling Recovery News, Announcements, and Events Coming Soon.

News From FCCG

Please Visit Them At>>> https://gamblinghelp.org/about/history

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NCPG Announces Dates for 2022 National Conference

09.15.21JOHN NORTON

Dual Model Maximizes Options for Attendees

Washington, DC – The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) today announced dates and format for the 2022 National Conference on Gambling Addiction and Responsible Gambling. It will utilize a dual format, with an online Digital Symposium June 8-9 and in-person sessions July 20-23, 2022, at the Westin Seaport in downtown Boston, MA. The conference will be hosted by the Massachusetts Council on Gaming & Health (MACGH), NCPG’s local state affiliate chapter.

“We know well from experience that virtual training makes it easy for people across the country to attend,” said NCPG Board President Maureen Greeley. “We also clearly understand that the value of coming together in-person has not been lost—it is still a hallmark of our National Conference. Coming together offers another level of engagement, connection, and positive energy. NCPG’s 2022 national conference offers the best of both worlds. We look forward to seeing you — virtually and in person in Boston next year.”

MACGH returns as conference host after the highly successful event in Boston.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome our friends and colleagues back to Boston for the first in-person conference in two years,” said Marlene Warner, Executive Director, MACGH.  “Massachusetts boasts some of the best and most innovative approaches to safer gaming and player health programs in the world.  Since we last hosted ten years ago, a new gaming industry has emerged, as well as evidence-based and award-winning approaches to research, community outreach, self-exclusion, technological interventions, and recovery support. We invite everyone to join us in one of America’s most beautiful and historical cities, perfect for a family vacation before or after the conference.  We look forward to sharing how the field of responsible gambling and problem gambling has grown and evolved.”

The event is the oldest and largest annual conference on gambling addiction and responsible gambling in the world. Now in its 36th year, the event brings together individuals and organizations working on prevention, education, treatment, responsible gambling, regulation, research, and recovery. With nationally and internationally known speakers, hundreds of diverse attendees will take part in a wide-ranging blend of sessions and topics that are unique to NCPG’s ‘special blend’ of curated content for this conference. More details about the program will be added as it becomes available to the conference web page at www.ncpgambling.org/conference. Sponsorship and registration information will be forthcoming later in the fall, as will the call for presentations.

About the National Council on Problem Gambling
Based in Washington DC, the National Council on Problem Gambling is the only national nonprofit organization that seeks to minimize the economic and social costs associated with gambling addiction by working with all stakeholders. NCPG is neutral on legalized gambling. If gambling becomes a problem, NCPG urges people who gamble, as well as their loved ones, to contact the National Problem Gambling Helpline, which offers hope and help without judgment or shame. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call or text 1-800-522-4700 or visit www.ncpgambling.org/chat. Help is available 24/7 – it is free, anonymous and confidential.

About MAGCH: The Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health (MACGH) is a statewide non-profit agency that promotes public health by mitigating the negative personal and community impacts of gambling and gaming. They accomplish their mission through training and education, federal and state advocacy, research and gaming play information, and prevention and recovery programs. They serve individuals who game and gamble and their loved ones. Since its inception in 1983, the MACGH has taken a neutral stance on legal gambling and gaming. MACGH works with key stakeholders such as gaming operators, vendors, regulators, clinicians, people in recovery, and other community-based agencies to help protect individuals from the potential public health impacts of gaming.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2021

CONTACT:
John Norton
johnn@ncpgambling.org
202-360-4560

Honoring My Dear Friend I Miss & She Has Left Us a Legacy of Recovery Self-Help Advice, Ms. Marilyn Fowler. . .

Three years ago I lost a very dear friend who was an avid advocate and a big support to me. She was an advocate of mental health, addiction, a fellow author, and had spent many years in the Jacksonville, FL., men and women’s jails & correctional system as a “Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Psychotherapist.” Her name was Marilyn Fowler. She was an amazing woman, strong, smart as a whip, and bursting with caring for others.

Marilyn and I worked together since 2014 as I helped her promote her books. I learned so much from her and she always would tell me; “when I leave earth, just know you will have a powerful angel in heaven watching over you, that’s me!” I loved her to pieces! I had started a new blog here on WordPress for her to share many self-help posts and has left us a beautiful legacy of life advice.

This post https://selfhelpbymarilyn.wordpress.com/2017/09/23/how-to-use-difficult-situations-to-enrich-your-life-journey/ I’ll be sharing is informative, and can help everyone maintaining recovery or may have mental health challenges like I do. I hope you will stop by her blog as we decided to leave it LIVE to continue to help others who happen to be lucky enough to stumble upon it.

I Miss You Marilyn, Mucho Mucho! ✨💝✝💖😇😇
*Cat*



About Marilyn Fowler Author & Advocate

“I’m a retired Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Psychotherapist. My professional experience includes Mental Health Team Leader, then Director of Mental Health Services in the Duval County Jail in Jacksonville, Florida; coordinating Mental Health Services in nursing homes, working on inpatient units, and in private practice for a number of years. I teach a class at the University of North Florida on The Influence of Childhood Messages on Adult Life, I belong to Chat Noir Writers Circle, and I write a self-help blog posts to help others live a better well balanced life!

My memoir, Silent Echoes, was published in 2010. My stories have appeared in several magazines and a book entitled When God Spoke To Me. I’m active in my church, and I believe that a sense of humor is a blessing to be used often. Life should be”…



How To Use Difficult Situations To Enrich Your Life Journey ~ By Marilyn Fowler

Imagine that when you wake up each morning a familiar feeling of dread reaches your mind, and your stomach immediately tightens with stress. You fold your hands over your chest and calm yourself enough to get up and go to a job where you have to face the monster who supervises you with criticism, insults, and anything his sick mind conjures up. You would have left long ago, but you love your work, and you keep thinking things will change. But they don’t. What would you do in such a situation?

On our journey through life, we each experience painful situations that hold us hostage with no visible way out. These situations can involve health, work, financial issues, damaging relationships, losses, various addictions, whatever causes us pain. We bring some on ourselves, and others invade our orderly world without explanation.

And we usually view each one as our all-powerful enemy. We may fight back, or leave the situation. Then another one is sure to come. And we move through life never really free to be who we are. Maybe we need to take a closer look and see what’s really happening.

“We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems.” ~Lee Iacocca

Obstacles in your life are not enemies. They’re opportunities to learn, overcome, and grow into more of the person you’re meant to be. Without these opportunities, you may never realize the depth of how wonderful you are.

At times, the road is painful, but if you meet each encounter with faith and determination, life can be rewarding and meaningful.

Years ago I worked as a Mental Health Therapist in a Psychiatrist’s office, and I suffered the same experience as in my opening example. I awoke each morning with dread about going to work. I went to my Minister for help, and she carefully listened, then said, “This man is probably one of the most important teachers you will ever have. Pay attention, learn and grow, and you will be guided to the next plateau in your life.” She was right. I saw myself and my situation with new vision, and I finally left for a new rewarding position, as a wiser and happier me.

“If you can learn from the worst times of your life, you’ll be ready to go into the best times of your life.”  ~Author Unknown

Methods For Change:

Meet each difficult situation as an opportunity with a willingness to learn and grow from it.

Analyze the situation and your response to it. You can learn a lot about yourself in the way you respond to a negative, even hurtful, situation in your life. The more you learn, the more powerful you become. And your situation’s power over you weakens.

“Keep asking yourself: What am I supposed to learn from this?” ~ Unknown

Go within and examine your attitude and feelings, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Do you feel stressed with worry, fear, anxiety, sadness, anger, forsaken, etc.? How immersed are you in your feelings?
How clear is your mind?
Where is your focus…on the situation, your inner response, or both?
Do you view the situation as more than you can handle?
Can you call on your Higher Power for help? Question and learn.
You’re stronger than you think. 
Uncover your strengths, and let them shine.
Use denials and affirmations ie: “I deny that this situation has any power over me. I am strong and unbeatable.” This process will reinforce your power.

Create a plan to deal with your situation. Then choose techniques that would work best for you…confronting, accepting, or getting away from it. As you go along, monitor your situation and your response, and know you have a right to the life you want. And make it so. Each time you pass a hurdle, you can look back with a grateful heart to where you were, compared to where you are now.

And what you learn now will lift you to a higher place for future encounters.

I wish you happy discoveries on your journey.

Marilyn Fowler, Author, and Writer of   “Silent Echoes” and Me and Granmama in the Hill Country Available on Amazon online…

A Message of Faith, Longing, and Healing. Special Guest Post By My Friend, Tony Roberts of “Delight In Disorder.” This, A Message We All Need Today. . .

Who was William Cowper? William was born 26 November 1731 (My Birthday Too) – and passed 25 April 1800) known as an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th-century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside. William was also considered one of the best letter writers in English, and some of his hymns, such as “God Moves in a Mysterious Way” and “Oh! For a Closer Walk with God,” have become part of the folk heritage of Protestant England.

A 1792 portrait by Lemuel Francis Abbott

GUEST POST BY Author Tony Roberts of Delight in Disorder Ministries

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalms 37:4)

The Longing of William Cowper in “Heal Us, Emmanuel”

“Heal Us, Emmanuel” by Will­iam Cow­per from Ol­ney Hymns

Heal us, Emmanuel, here we are
We wait to feel Thy touch;
Deep wounded souls to Thee repair,
And Savior, we are such.

Our faith is feeble, we confess
We faintly trust Thy Word;
But wilt Thou pity us the less?
Be that far from Thee, Lord!

Remember him who once applied
With trembling for relief
“Lord, I believe,” with tears he cried;
“O help my unbelief!”

She, too, who touched Thee in the press
And healing virtue stole,
Was answered, “Daughter, go in peace;
Thy faith has made thee whole.”

Concealed amid the gathering throng,
She would have shunned Thy view;
And if her faith was firm and strong,
Had strong misgivings too.

Like her, with hopes and fears we come
To touch Thee if we may;
O send us not despairing home;
Send none unhealed away.

Poet and hymn writer William Cowper (1731-1800) was a man of deep longing that greatly affected his mind as well as his spirit.  In his thirties, while battling some political factions in his work, he was afflicted with “madness” (as it was then called called) and admitted to Nathaniel Cotton’s Collegium Insanorum at St. Albans.  He recovered and moved to the town of Olney in 1768 where he co-authored a book of hymns with the well-respected pastor and hymn-writer John Newton (who wrote “Amazing Grace”).

But all was not well.  One biographic source tells it this way –

In 1773, Cowper became engaged to Mary Unwin, but he suffered another attack of madness. He had terrible nightmares, believing that God  [had] rejected him. Cowper would never again enter a church or say a prayer. When he recovered his health, he kept busy by gardening, carpentry, and keeping animals. In spite of periods of acute depression, Cowper’s twenty-six years in Olney and later at Weston Underwood were marked by great achievement as poet, hymn-writer, and letter-writer.

Certainly, Cowper continued to fight back despair and may well have stepped aside from public prayer and worship, but the depth of his prayer life and relationship to God in Christ is abundantly evident in hymns that live on through the ages.

Which brings me back to the theme of longing.  The longing expressed in this hymn, and also in Cowper’s life, is not evidence of a lack of faith.  In fact, faith prompts us to recognize that all is not right within us, among us, or around us.  Our faith, though feeble, keeps us crying out in prayer for our children who are hurting, for our bodies that need healing, for our world that is on the brink of collapse.

We come to God not only with “positive thoughts”, but with hopes and fears – hoping for the best, yet fearing the worst and humbly requesting that the Great Healer would touch us, would send not of us away unhealed.

(for an inspiring reflection on the life of William Cowper, link to “Insanity and Spiritual Songs in the Soul of a Saint” by John Piper)

About the Author: tonyroberts

Author, Tony Roberts

“I am a man with an unquiet mind who delights in the One who delights in me.”

Tony Roberts is a graduate of Hanover College (Bachelor of Arts; English and theology), and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity). He served as pastor for churches in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York, while battling bipolar disorder. He is the author of Delight in Disorder: Ministry, Madness, Mission and is the founder and Chief Shepherd of Delight in Disorder Ministries. These ministries include A Way With Words publishing, Revealing Voices podcast, and Faithful Friends mental health support group.

Tony is available to virtually consult ministry leaders on issues of faith and mental illness. You may reach out to him on the contact page or by email: tony@delightindisorder.org

Finally, We Are Coming Out COVID & That’s Great For My Mental Health. A Re-share Article That Is More Important Today. My Mental Health Matters & Yours Does Too…

The Mind Can Be a Scary Place 

Ever wonder what happens in the mind of Stephen King, or Stanley Kubrick? Or the thoughts in the mind of a serial killer? These are areas that most people would never venture into. It’s too scary. It’s too dangerous. But danger is in the eye of the beholder. It’s a reflection of our life experience, individual biases and perception. But as we all remain indoors, the confines of our own minds can be the greatest danger.

As people, our outward actions toward the world reflect our own mindset, individual biases, and our outlook on the world. If that outlook is positive, we tend to see the world in a positive light and consequently treat people and situations with that positivity. The converse is also true. If, because of our life experience or chemical imbalance, we have a negative or pessimistic world view, we view the world through that lens. It’s how we think, act, and speak. It attracts or detracts others to or from us. How do mental disorders alter that world view?

~Gravitate Online (Dot Com)

The Different Mental Disorders

For individuals dealing with depression or bipolar disorder, the mind can be a very scary place. Many people are undiagnosed with depression or anxiety. In the U.S. two-thirds of all cases of depression are undiagnosed. That means that they are not getting the proper help or medication to help them see the world without a dark shroud. Through their prism, they see the world in a dark, negative and suspicious way when in reality may not be the case.

Unfortunately, this mental strife can sometimes lead to drug abuse and addiction. Teenagers and young adults are especially susceptible to this unfortunate reality which is why proper mental health resources in their in-person or online education are imperative.

There are more types of depression than most people realize. According to https://www.healthline.com/, these are some of the different depressive disorders:

Persistent depressive disorder

This is chronic low-level depression less severe than major depression and lasts two years or longer. This is accompanied by constant feelings of deep and dark sadness and hopelessness, as well as symptoms like indecisiveness, low energy and fatigue.

At times, this depression is spurred by aging. When family is out of the house, and estate planning decisions are to be made, it can have an effect on an individual’s sense of longevity. This, of course, is all part of a mental disorder that can have quite an effect on an individual’s day-to-day.


Bipolar disorder

Another type of depression is bipolar disorder or manic-depressive disorder. It involves the episode of a manic, a heightened state of being or over-energized mood. These episodes may be followed by episodes of dark deep depression. Huge swings from high to low and sometimes back again. It is the very manic highs paired with the low depressive state that determines the type of bipolar disorder is diagnosed.


Postpartum depression

As much as 80% of new mothers experience the “baby blues” following delivery. Symptoms include sadness, mood swings, depression, withdrawal, lack of appetite, and negative thoughts. According to the American Psychological Association, about 10 to 15 percent of U.S. women have a depressive episode within three months of childbirth. and fatigue and typically pass within a week or two.

This is caused by the fluctuation of hormones following childbirth, combined with lack of sleep, and the stresses of caring for an infant. If these symptoms stay longer than a couple weeks and escalate in severity, it may be a hint of a deeper issue.

Seasonal depression

Many experience feelings of depression when seasons change. This is known as seasonal affective disorder. Up to 5% of the U.S. population (16,500,000) experience seasonal depression every year. Seasonal affective disorder is typically initiated at the beginning of autumn and lasts throughout the winter, during the dark and cold months of the year.

Psychotic depression

If any of these depressive situations are accompanied by paranoia, hallucinations or delusions, it is an indication of a major issue known as psychotic depression. This condition is rare. A quarter of patients admitted to a hospital due to depression actually have psychotic depression. The extreme cases are incapacitated and may need to be admitted to long-term hospitalization.


Natural treatments

Many depression diagnoses are tied to an actual chemical imbalance in the brain and must be managed with medication. Some less severe conditions may be managed, at least in part, through more natural means.


These include the following:
Physical exercise. The endorphins released in the brain during physical exercise can have long term positive benefits for depression.

Healthy diet. Eating fresh, clean, healthy food can boost positive vibes in the body and can be a helpful step in battling depression.

Good sleep. The power of good sleep is beneficial for all people, especially those with depression.
Supplements. Natural remedies like fish oils and folic acid have been known to help individuals with depression. However, when using natural supplements check with your physician.


Positive mental thoughts

Fighting depression can be hard work. A lot of the work is mental, challenging your negative self-talk and changing how you think. Individuals with depression leap to the worst possible conclusions in many scenarios. Challenging those conclusions and replacing them with positive ones can help make depression just a little brighter.

Positive self-thoughts maybe act as the light switch that transforms a person’s negative outlook from continuous darkness into a much brighter view of reality. This can lead to a happier and more rewarding life.

Medications
Many Americans that suffer some form of depression, live perfectly normal and healthy lives with the help from the advances in pharmaceuticals. Working with a doctor to find the proper medication and dosage can change the life of an individual with depression.

We all strive to make the world a better place. But for some, this is more difficult because of internal personal turmoil. For people to treat others in a way that makes the world a better place, they need to feel that way about themselves. Helping those with a chemical imbalance to see the world through a brighter prism has exponential benefits to society. So, never be afraid to explore all your options.

“By small means, great things are possible.” ~Catherine Lyon, Advocate


Visit my friends of SAMHSA for help and options for treatment, information, and much more!

Who We Are

Learn more about the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-treatment

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation and to improve the lives of individuals living with mental and substance use disorders, and their families.

Vision

To provide leadership and resources – programs, policies, information and data, funding, and personnel – advance mental and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services in order to improve individual, community, and public health.

Mission

SAMHSA’s mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America’s communities.

Last Updated

Last Updated: 05/05/2021

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Find Help and Treatment

The National Helpline provides 24-hour free and confidential referrals and information about mental and/or substance use disorders, prevention, treatment, and recovery in English and Spanish.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline
800-662-HELP (4357)
TTY: 800-487-4889

For additional information on finding help and treatment options, visit www.samhsa.gov/find-treatment.

General Questions

For general questions about SAMHSA, including information about mental and substance use disorders:

SAMHSAInfo@samhsa.hhs.gov
877-SAMHSA-7 (726-4727)
TTY: 800-487-4889

Honoring Our Veterans & The Brave Story of Problem Gambling, a New Beginning In Recovery. Courtesy of NorthStar Alliance.

Courtesy of NorthStar Alliance, MN

IN THEIR OWN WORDS

May 24, 2021 | PROBLEM GAMBLING


I’m a veteran of the navy and in the process of determining my future. Given what I’ve learned about myself and the relationship between trauma and the ways in which we deal with it, I’ve given thought to taking a smart recovery position outside of St. Cloud.

After my deployment was over, I was faced with the challenge of trying to somehow match that excitement and high-tempo routine.

It’s hard to replicate the adrenalin rush that one gets working in the military. For me, nothing can match the sense of doing something dangerous, and doing something dangerous for a purpose.

In my role with the Navy, I was among the boots on the ground in the Middle East. I saw the effects of war and came home with a darkness inside me that so many other veterans have experienced.

After my deployment was over, I was faced with the challenge of trying to somehow match that excitement and high-tempo routine. Of course there is no substitute in civilian life for what I did while with the Navy, but I tried to find it.

The closest I could come was gambling. It offered me some of the same aspects of life in the Navy: adrenalin, something to engage in, and a form of escapism. It’s only recently that I’ve begun to understand the connection and similarity between the highs of gambling and my life in the Navy.

My gambling started in a very casual way. I remember taking a long drive into the mountains when I was based in the Washington, DC, area. I ended up at a casino in West Virginia by complete accident. I enjoyed myself and it was simply fun recreation.

My gambling didn’t really become a problem until I left the Navy in 2006. I started going two to three times a week and it was my only real outlet. It became my social pastime.

I continued to gamble for much of the next ten years. But things really went off the rail in 2016, when I was a taxi driver and made frequent stops at a casino in the small town where I lived. Rather than wait for the phone to ring to transport passengers from the casino, I would end up inside the casino spending all the money I earned that day. Things got very bad and life felt hopeless.

Honoring Our Veterans Who Maintain Recovery

At this point, I knew I had a problem. But I wasn’t sure that anything could be done about it, nor did I know how I could actually get help.

Then an unexpected thing happened. While on Instagram, I was viewing photos from an old Navy colleague. I didn’t recognize the buildings in his photos and decided to message him to learn more. He told me they were from Minneapolis. When I asked, “Why Minneapolis?” he explained that he was in Minnesota after getting out of a VA rehab facility in St. Cloud.

When we eventually talked—for the first time in about 10 years—it all started making sense. I knew him personally and knew about his dangerous streak, so hearing that he was in rehab made sense. I also saw many parallels to my story. I asked him questions about the process and then obtained the link for the VA facility that could help me.

As soon as I got off the phone, I started packing my car. I drove three days to make it to St. Cloud from the west coast. I didn’t even call ahead of time and walked right to the urgent care desk and said, “I need help.” I was feeling suicidal and couldn’t take no for an answer.

When I got to St. Cloud, I told the doctor that in addition to a problem with drug and alcohol addiction I also had a gambling problem. I was placed in a residential treatment program on July 14 with a dual addiction diagnosis and stayed for 60 days. Until then, I didn’t know that treatment programs like this existed.

A part of the program involved cognitive behavioral therapy. During these sessions, I gained a better understanding of how my actions were related to the trauma I suffered in the Navy and how the things I did were efforts to try to deal with that trauma. When you get into a program like this, you see the bigger picture. More importantly, you see that this addiction can be managed and that it can be cured.

I’m trying to start anew in a place where I have no routine connected with gambling and where there is no casino in town. I’m living in the House of Charity in Minneapolis and am following through with my aftercare, including meeting with a therapist to keep me on my path.

. . . when I was a taxi driver and made frequent stops at a casino in the small town where I lived. . . I would end up inside the casino spending all the money I earned that day. Things got very bad and life felt hopeless.

I’m in the process of determining my future. Given what I’ve learned about myself and the relationship between trauma and the ways in which we deal with it, I’ve given thought to taking a smart recovery position outside of St. Cloud, something that would require a certification program. From past experience, I realize that I have to feel fulfilled in my occupation or it won’t work.

I’m prepared for this to be a long, slow process. But that’s OK. It’s taken me a long time to get to this point and I realize how important it was for me to get there.



OUR RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT on NORTHSTAR ALLIANCE

Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance (NPGA), Minnesota affiliate to the National Council on Problem Gambling, is a non-profit, gambling-neutral organization dedicated to improving the lives of Minnesotans affected by problem gambling. NPGA is a coalition of individuals and organizations sharing the belief that problem gambling is a serious public health problem that is both treatable and preventable.

NPGA works to raise public awareness about problem gambling and the stigma that’s often associated with it. We advocate for funding for treatment programs and provide professional training for those who work with problem gamblers. The collective impact of our efforts helps individuals, their families and their communities deal with the devastating effects of problem gambling.

As a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, NPGA is funded by membership fees, financial and in-kind donations, and state and private grants. A considerable portion of our funding comes from the state of Minnesota and from major corporate sponsorships from the Minnesota Lottery, Canterbury Park, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.

To learn more or to arrange a visit, contact NPGA Executive Director Susan Sheridan Tucker or call (612) 424-8695.

GAMBLING TOLL-FREE HOTLINE: National Problem Gambling Helpline on 1-800-522-4700

Wishing You All A Happy Memorial Day
~Catherine Lyon, Advocate

I Support My Recovery Friends. A Special Podcast Event With Guest Randy Grimes. Randy Shares His Recovery With Jason & Mikey, Hosts of Knockin’ Doorz Down & The Carlos Vieira Foundation.

Welcome Recovery Friends, Warriors, and Visitors,

I am so excited to be sharing an amazing new podcast episode from my friends of The Carlos Vieira Foundation and The Knockin’ Doorz Down Podcast: https://www.kddmediacompany.com/ with hosts Jason La Chance and Mikey Nawrocki and the crew. I am honored and blessed to know these guys who also support my recovery from gambling addiction. We know any addiction does not DISCRIMINATE on who it touches.

Even though KDD isn’t a podcast for addiction, it is a podcast that Celebrates people from all walks of life and celeb’s who have experienced challenging times in their lives and how they were able to break through and live a purposeful life inspiring others to be their best selves. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, mental health, or other areas of trauma, you’re not alone. Hear how those that have been there, broken through and started Knockin’ Doorz Down.

I had the chance to share my story with Jason and Mikey a month or so ago as part of my scheduled events for “March Problem Gambling Awareness Month.” I sure did appreciate their willingness and BALLS to do so since gambling addiction still has so much stigma around this disease.

Now, Randy and I have been friends for several years. He is not only an inspirer and mentor of mine, but he keeps CAT out of trouble! LOL. Look, sometimes your friends have to call you out on your SHIT, and Randy does and that’s a REAL Friend in my opinion.

Here is a little more of Randy Grimes backstory courtesy of KDD Media and I know you will all enjoy watching this episode! At the bottom I’ll share some links where you can show your support for the foundations of Randy Grimes and KDD Media!

~Advocate, Catherine Lyon

About Randy Grimes Former NFL Pro Tampa Bay Buc #60 ~ Pro Athletes In Recovery Foundation: https://proathletesinrecovery.org/who-we-are/
Want Randy To Speak At Your Recovery Event?
Visit: https://randygrimesspeaks.com/athletesinrecovery/

About Pro AIR

Pro Athletes in Recovery is the organization Randy founded to help other athletes like him who struggled to find the right resources.

Pro Athletes in Recovery strives to be a central place for athletes specifically, but reaches out to anyone who is struggling to overcome abuse of drugs, alcohol, or other substances. Helping athletes overcome addiction and supporting one another is their mission. 

Please contact Randy to learn more. 

JOIN RANDY’S MISSION

Help Tackle the Future

ADDICTION. MENTAL ILLNESS. SUICIDE PREVENTION. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.

“The last two years of my career, I played in a complete blackout. Throughout my NFL career I was taking so much medication to get through each game that most of the time I didn’t even remember being out on the field. 
We get injured. We get treated. We keep playing. We get addicted. And if we’re lucky, we live to tell the story.”

~Randy Grimes

April 22, 2021

Randy Grimes | From NFL Offensive and Lineman Opioid Addict to Motivational Speaker and Founder of Athletes in Recovery

As a kid, Randy Grimes grew up in Waco, Texas. Football was part of everyday life in his hometown, there was a lot of pride in local sports. Everything in his family focused around football, with loving parents and no addiction in his immediate family. It always came easy for Randy, getting a scholarship for basically anywhere he wanted to go.

Next was college, where he chose Baylor as his alma mater. They won the Southwest Conference, Peach Bowl & more.  He met his wife at college, at this point he was still playing football non-stop, but yet no drinking or any drugs at this time in his life.

In his professional career, football turned into a job. The skill level increased dramatically in the NFL.  He first signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a second-round draft pick. One of the main unspoken rules of the game was to do anything necessary to get back out on the field.  That turned into taking handfuls of pain pills at practice, eventually turning into a full-blown addiction.  He was also taking handfuls of Benzo’s at night, to make him sleep.

In the late 80’s he would be in the training gym and the doctor would come by each players’ spot, offer them whatever pills they wanted, followed up with 2 beers.  This was the norm, so “why rock the boat” was the mentality in the locker room.  He talked about “doctor shopping” as a professional athlete, basically giving him a blank check for whatever drugs he needed.  He would use multiple prescriptions from multiple doctors to feed his addiction.

His prescription medication use eventually started to get out of control.  No one would question why he was slurring his speech, showing up late, and nodding off during meetings.  He was still doing his job on the field, so no one thought anything was out of the ordinary. 

One day, after shoulder surgery in the off-season, Randy had a seizure while on a beach.  He was put in the hospital, and they couldn’t find the reason for it.  He did his own research, and it turned out it was linked to the Benzo’s he was taking to go to sleep.  He knew he had a problem, but didn’t know how to deal with it.  His professional career ended in ’92 and was an unexpected and abrupt end to what he thought was going to be a lifetime career.  This compounded his addiction dramatically throughout the next decade.

He didn’t really fully deal with this issue until 18 years later, in 2009.  His wife moved out, his kids couldn’t stand him and was barred from seeing his newly born grandchild, because of his addiction.  He was sleeping on the floor of his vacant house with no utilities, no job, no car, no money.  This was the rock bottom that he built back up from.  He got into 90-day treatment on September 22^nd, 2009.

Since then, he has focused on getting his story out there in hopes of changing other people’s lives for the better. Back when Randy was active in the NFL, there were no resources for addiction and treatment.   Because of this, Randy founded Athletes in Recovery, which focuses on other professional athletes that are struggling through the same things. Even through all the hardships, problems, and major championships during his stint in the NFL, tackling recovery was the toughest battle of his life….

And we wrap up with some NFL talk and random questions.

This is Randy Grimes in his own words on Knockin’ Doorz Down.

For 51FIFTY use the discount code KDD20 for 20% off here: https://www.kddmediacompany.com/shop

Please visit and support these amazing causes and foundations. They can not help others without support.


The Carlos Vieira Foundation and 51fifty Gives Back!

The Carlos Vieira Foundation was founded by local businessman and race car driver, Carlos Vieira. In 2007, several race teams were approached to participate in a coin drive to raise money for Valley Children’s Hospital. Carlos Vieira’s race team, Team 51FIFTY, raised the most money for the hospital. In doing so, they recognized their ability and desire to continue raising money for good causes and to make a difference in the local community.

The Carlos Vieira Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that focuses on the following three campaigns: Race for Autism, Race 2B Drug-Free, and Race to End the Stigma. CVF was built on one man’s dream of helping youth within our local communities. Through local support, CVF is able to assist youth across twenty-one counties within California’s central valley. Our vision is for all youth in our local communities to have the resources they need to succeed and live a happy, fulfilling life.

https://www.carlosvieirafoundation.org/

https://51fiftyltm.com/giving-back.html

https://51fiftyltm.com/giving-back/race-for-autism.html

Happy Easter Recovery Friends & Warriors. Topics of Recovery Ramblings on a Special Day. Learning My God-Given Purpose In Life Through Life Lessons…

He died for our sins so we can have eternal life with Him. Have you accepted His free Gift of salvation? He loves you unconditionally… Have a Blessed Easter!

~Lydia Brady Grimes

I have been sharing and writing for over 14+years as a form of advocacy but also as a healing process to share my past of how far I have come within my recovery journey thus far. And through my redemption of my HP (God), he continues to have me grow and overcome challenges too. It’s a view into a life and journey from a cunning disease and what addicted gambling looks like. There is the GOOD, the BAD, and the very UGLY when deep in our addictions.


Today, I enjoy sharing all the GOOD and within the present, in the moment, and have built a new beautiful life with my amazing husband who, BTW, stuck with me all these years of CHAOS. I think he would agree that the past 14+years have been the best thus far! I have the blessings and honor of helping others, being of recovery service, speaking about the pitfalls of problem gambling, and I am proof recovery works.


I enjoy sharing my experiences, strength, and HOPE to others so they know they are not alone with addicted gambling problems and they can recover. It wasn’t always this way. Even though my past doesn’t define who I am, those years were rough and heart-breaking when I look back to this past addicted woman I was.


Many who have never been touched by any addictions or lived with an addict may not comprehend how much chaos and devastation that goes on with an addict and the people around them become caught in the cross hairs. It’s why we share are stories of addiction and what it takes to recover. It can be tools to help those reaching out for help.


When it comes to my side of the family, I had not hurt anyone when I was gambling addict. I lived in a different state at the time. And we had many beautiful memories of the years when my family came to visit us, we made sure we did lots of fun things and take my parents to many places in Oregon and have experiences they other wise may never had. And healing I have learned that full healing will most likely take a lifetime for me. That is the roots and the issues that sometimes I feel I still have more work to do around the old pain and hurt.

And it is why I hold firm to my faith and belief in GOD.

See, my father recently passed away on Jan. 29th, 2021, of COVID, which was the same day I made 14th-years celebrating my recovery. He lived in Southern California in the home I was raised and where horrible memories of my past childhood still lay. When I first began my recovery journey, I wasn’t ready to dive into my past childhood trauma, abuse, and haunting memories. Most this began and resurfaced when I turned 30, I lost my brother-in-law to cancer. He was the real brother I never had, and I would tell him everything.


After Mike’s passing, it took me a few years to get over his death with a lot of therapy to even begin to process it. Shortly after, is when all the haunting pain and memories flooded back. I had to learn to process them and forgive and lay those haunting memories away. It was some of the roots and underlying issues of how I got sucked into gambling addiction. I was using gambling as a coping skill, an escape, and numbing the pain of my childhood trauma and abuse until I finally could not stuff away any longer.


Then in 2003, my mom passed away. By then, I had about nine months of recovery when I began writing and journaling. The next few years were pretty rough. We seem to think our parents will always be with us. Still, more painful memories, and I was not ready to share that part of my past. Now that my mom and dad have passed on, here I go again; it has again begun to surface slightly. Even when I started to write my book all of 2010 into early 2011 to see all that gambling addiction had taken from me, was when I began a deep dive into all the sexual trauma and abuse I’d endured.


One of the many amazing things about truly working through my childhood was the act of taking every single thought and terrible memory that held me captive; I began to watch Christ redeem them, helping me face them, and feel them. Without making excuses. Without placing or taking the blame. Finally, today the abuse and abuser no longer linger in the darkest parts of your mind controlling or tainting the memories. That is how God works in your life!


So, now with the passing of my dad, even though we had not spoken in almost 15-years, I was able to still forgive him for it, accept and respect his choice. It still stung, but I have the comfort of knowing God and (my mom) has told him the truth about all that I went through as a little girl, was telling the truth, and that if he knew? I’m pretty sure he would have protected me. He would have understood the WHY I also sought his unconditional love and validation. I have the comfort of knowing he is now with our father above and at peace with my mom.


I will continue to live and build a beautiful and amazing life within my recovery!

ME and my HUBBY, Tom xoxo