My grandma has a gambling problem

[jeanne71350]

Hi everyone,

We are having a family issue. My grandmother has a gambling problem. She is hitting the casinos every week. And not even the nicer ones all the time, she goes to the stinky truck stop casinos downtown where all the shady characters hang out. It’s gotten to a point where she was angry that she had to miss her bus trip to the casino because her sister died, and getting extremely mad at my cousin because her graduation caused her to miss her trip. She had a free hotel room, so my mom and I went spend a few days with her. It was out of control. She was staying in the casinos until 2-3 am, and she would just eat the buffet for lunch, no other meals. She only goes to Church on Sundays when it’s convient for her on the trip. I remember her telling me there was a priest there on Ash Wednesday giving out ashes to the people at the slots. And she spent Good Friday gambling at the casino. And she gets my name and the name of one of her casino buddies confused. My name is Katie, and she calls me Kathy all the time. It’s not just once or twice, it’s every time I see her. And she has no Alzheimer’s or any memory problems at all.

This has been going on. My parents, aunts, and uncles acknowledge that she has a problem, but they keep saying it’s not that bad, and don’t do anything. She recently was in the hospital for a leg problem, and she has been telling everyone her leg hurts so she can’t go to her little great granddaughter’s first birthday party, to Church or anywhere, but she still goes to the casino.

I know it’s not in my place to tell her something. But this has been causing a lot of tension in my family. My mom, as the oldest daughter, feels she’s responsible for her. And she’s stressed out and taking it out on me. Nobody likes visiting her anymore because she’s so on edge. It’s hurtful and tearing the family apart.

Can someone help me?

-Jeanne

 

[Rascalking]

Try entering “Gambling addiction” in a search engine (Google.com, Yahoo.com) and it will come up with several websites.

A gambling addiction is a serious and seldom talked about sickness. Like anyone else with an addiction (I speak from experience, but not with gambling) they are blind to reason, begs, and pleading. They have lost control. Nothing you say to them can change them, if it is a true addiction. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING can get them to change their action-and it’s not a show on your persuasion skills, it’s just a sickness they have.

Pray for them, contact a Gambler’s Anyomous type group, and go from there.

Keep us posted.

 

[Julian0404]

Time for a good ole, all in , family intervention. Everyone participates. Get some instruction from a counseler on the “how to”. At the end she will either be very mad, which is ok, because she will be mad at everyone, or she will recognize her problem and committ to treatment.
It is an illness. You wouldn’t ignore her if she had cancer, so don’t ignore her now. But this is a family matter, not a big sister (your mom) problem.
Get some guidance from a professional in this illness so you do it right and are prepared to immediately provide her with professional help. Check with Medicare on how they address treatment for gambling addiction.
But at the end of the day, she will not stop until she chooses. The family, and the counseler will advise them of this, CANNOT enable her with car rides, or any activity that will allow her to continue. TOUGH LOVE hurts those who are helping as much as the person they are helping, but it can work.
I would also suggest the entire family participate in the Novena for the Holy Infant of Prague, before the intervention. This Novena is recognized as a source of healing for illnesses.