The Importance of the Betty White Story

The Importance of the Betty White Story

August 10, 2016

A little over a year ago, we produced a video detailing one woman’s account of living with a gambling addict. Betty White, a native of Tennessee, survived a deadly attack from her husband, who was suffering from a gambling addiction. In just one year, our video has garnered over 20,000 views, and while we are very proud of our reach, more people have to tune in and take in Betty’s story. It’s stories like that of Betty White that remind us about the human side of an addiction that can get scary.

All too often, people hear about addiction in the form of statistics and sound bites.

The average debt of a FCCG helpline caller is $50,000

• Three to five gamblers out of every hundred struggles with a gambling problem
• The risk of developing a gambling addiction more than doubles for young adults in college settings
• 34 percent of those who seek treatment for gambling addiction exhibit symptoms of PTSD

As you read through those statistics, you probably reflect on the gravity of the information and try to relate the information into terms you can understand. If I were to tell you that medical malpractice is the third leading cause of unexpected death in the United States, you’d likely consider the information, find it shocking, and then emotionally transition to your next thought.

And while learning about statistics is helpful in understanding the scope of a problem, it is more important to learn how addiction affects individuals and families on a personal level. To listen to Betty’s first hand account of her brutal attack, watch the video below.

Addiction is a serious disease that affects millions of Americans. It is easy to make people a statistic. However, in doing so, you also dehumanize the public health crisis that is sweeping our country. You can read a whole report of statistics, but I challenge you to listen to one person’s story and we can almost guarantee you that in 3 years, you’ll remember the story in greater detail than the statistics.

Addiction, especially problem gambling is a real problem that devastates the lives of millions of people each year. Do you part and share videos like Betty’s story. Put a face to the damage that problem gambling does to our loved ones, neighbors, and friends.