By Hugh C. McBride
There’s no such thing as a “national sports holiday” in the United States – but if one is ever declared, there’s a great likelihood that it will occur on a Sunday in late January.
Super Bowl Sunday, when the National Football League crowns its champion, has become a true cultural phenomenon. But for compulsive gamblers, the day can be as difficult to endure as New Year’s Eve is to those who struggle with drug addiction or alcoholism.
A Barrage of Bets
In the decades since the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs squared off in Super Bowl I, the annual NFL championship contest has morphed from a curiosity into a colossus.
The first Super Bowl (Jan. 15, 1967) wasn’t even a sellout, as many fans apparently balked at forking over the princely sum of $12 for a ticket. When this year’s contest kicks off, it will do so in front of a capacity crowd – many of whom paid ticket reselling services thousands of dollars more than the $500 – $1,000 face value for their entry into the game – and a worldwide television audience that will exceed 100 million.
The game will also generate untold billions in legal and illegal gambling, with wagers offered on a laundry list of outcomes, including whether any players will be arrested in the week before the game and if Bruce Springsteen will have a “wardrobe malfunction” during his halftime set.
Point spreads, silly “prop bets” like the ones in the previous paragraph, and profiles of Vegas oddsmakers are standard media fare in the weeks leading up to the big game, and even casual observers are enticed to put a few dollars on the game “just to make it interesting.”
Some see this game as a “gambler’s paradise,” but those who are struggling to keep their compulsions under control will likely see the day as far from heavenly.
Avoiding the Enticements
Anyone who has overcome an addiction or compulsion knows that relapse is an ongoing concern. And, in one sense, just as New Year’s Eve is “just another night” for a recovering alcoholic, so, too, is Super Bowl Sunday no different than any other day in the life of a recovering compulsive gambler.
But the reality is that the media attention, memories of previous Super Bowl gambling experiences, and the feeling that everyone is placing a bet on the game can make this day (and the days leading up to it) rife with triggers and enticements. The following are a few tips to help you survive the day with your recovery intact:
• Find something else to do – Believe it or not, no matter what the advertisements might lead you to believe, you’re not required by law to watch the Super Bowl. Instead of sitting home and staring at the game, plan to spend the day with a friend – and away from the television. Take in a good film, head into the woods for a hike, go for a long bike ride, or do whatever else you would normally do to fill in a few otherwise empty hours.
• Surround yourself with support – If you feel like a relapse might be coming on, confide in a friend or family member, or get in touch with a member of your recovery support group. If you don’t trust yourself with cash, credit cards, or your cell phone, give these items to someone you do trust, and let them help you get through the tough times.
• Help someone else – One great way to take your mind off your problems is to help someone else. Lend a hand at a homeless shelter, help a friend with a renovation project, or volunteer your time to a charity with a cause that you support. There are a lot of people who need your help and can benefit from your talents, and helping others is a great way to enhance your own self-esteem and remind you that you’re worth the effort it takes to keep your compulsions at bay.
• Attend a meeting – If you’re in Gamblers Anonymous, find a meeting and go. If you’re not in a support group, this might be a good time to join one or just attend a meeting or two to get a feel for how the program works and if it’s a good fit for you.
Do You Have a Problem?
The previous tips are designed to help people who already know they have a gambling problem. But if you’re still not sure if this description applies to you (or to someone you care about), the following few paragraphs may answer your questions.
Keystone Treatment Center, one of the nation’s leading providers of treatment services to individuals who are struggling with addictions and behavioral disorders, describes the compulsion to gamble as a progressive disorder that robs afflicted individuals of their ability to control their behavior and make logical and healthy decisions:
A compulsive gambler is defined as an individual who suffers from a disorder in which he/she has a psychologically uncontrollable preoccupation or urge to gamble. As in other compulsive behavioral disorders, tolerance develops, and greater and more frequent gambling risks are required to maintain mood elevation. As the compulsion progresses, the urge to gamble intensifies, making it more difficult to resist.
According to the website of the Keystone Treatment Center, answering “yes” to seven or more of the following questions from Gamblers Anonymous indicates that your gambling has reached the level of unhealthy compulsion:
2. Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy?
3. Did gambling affect your reputation?
4. Have you ever felt remorse after gambling?
5. Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?
6. Did gambling cause a decrease in your ambition or efficiency?
7. After losing did you feel you must return as soon as possible and win back your losses?
8. After a win did you have a strong urge to return and win more?
9. Did you often gamble until your last dollar was gone?
10. Did you ever borrow to finance your gambling?
11. Have you ever sold anything to finance gambling?
12. Were you reluctant to use “gambling money” for normal expenditures?
13. Did gambling make you careless of the welfare of yourself or your family?
14. Did you ever gamble longer than you had planned?
15. Have you ever gambled to escape worry, trouble, boredom, or loneliness?
16. Have you ever committed, or considered committing, an illegal act to finance gambling?
17. Did gambling cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?
18. Do arguments, disappointments, or frustrations create within you an urge to gamble?
19. Did you ever have an urge to celebrate any good fortune by a few hours of gambling?
20. Have you ever considered self-destruction or suicide as a result of your gambling?
If you or someone you care about is showing signs of compulsive gambling, know that this problem can be overcome with effective professional intervention. Talk to your family physician, contact a local mental health resource center, or educate yourself online about the help that is available for compulsive or pathological gamblers .
