Dreaming of a 1.3 Billion Dollars Jackpot Makes Recovery Difficult…
Dreaming of a 1.3 Billion Dollars Jackpot Makes Recovery Difficult…
January 11, 2015
The Powerball has made real headlines of late.
As the record setting jackpot eclipses 1.3 billion dollars, Americans everywhere dream about what they would do with a lifetime of money. But before you go ahead and blow your next paycheck trying to become the country’s next Powerball winner, first consider the odds of winning. The odds of hitting the jackpot are roughly 1 in 293 million. Here are some things that are slightly more likely to happen:
- Have an IQ of 190 or greater (1 out of 107 million)
- Give birth to quadruplets, even without the help of fertility treatments – (1 in 729,000)
- Be killed by an asteroid strike (1 in 700,000)
- Being an American billionaire (1 in 575,097)
- Be killed by a lightning strike – (1 in 164,968)
- Die by drowning (1 in 1,113)
- Be struck by lightning, while drowning (1 in 183 million)
We advocate responsible gaming. So if you are to play the lottery, please exercise good judgement!
And as fun as the lottery can be (who doesn’t love dreaming about what they would do with hundreds of millions of dollars?) the lottery poses problems for some…All the buzz surrounding the Powerball has the potential to make it difficult for problem gamblers in recovery. Part of the allure of gambling is the ability to make massive amounts of money is a short period of time. The anticipation, the rush, and the dream of financial stability are just some of the elements that make gambling addictive. For those in recovery, avoiding temptation is part of their recovery plan. Avoiding temptation is harder to do when temptation is everywhere.
For all those who are in recovery, please use whatever tools and coping mechanisms at your disposal to keep from derailing your progress. Whether it’s going to extra support group meetings, calling your sponsor, scheduling a session with your counselor, or linking up with supportive friends, we hope you are empowered to stay strong!
And our hotline number is 888-ADMIT-IT should you need to talk.
