getr345

Just a heads up for anyone who might be interested. I don't really hear a lot about compulsive gambling or recovery from gambling addiction here on this forum and I was pleasantly surprised to see that as the topic on Intervention tonight. It seems they're really branching out to all types of addictions and compulsions.

Thoughts, opinions?

justanothrdrunk

This won't be the first time the show Intervention has hit gambling. I can think of at least two past shows specifically that had gambling addicts on.

The first two seasons, I watched that show all the time. Now, hardly ever. I've learned that no matter what's on TV - "news" included, there's so much taken out of context, sensationalizing, etc. Not trying to pick on Intervention here, TV in general. When it gets right down to it, it's all about one thing - money.

TV shows are intended to be as profitable for the networks as possible. And when a show is no longer profitable, it's cancelled. Even a show like Intervention isn't immune from this. The truth is stretched in order to gain more viewers.

At its heart, the show has merits. But which is the bigger lie? The show that is total fiction (and everyone knows this), or the show where you're told is a "true story," but is altered subtlely to make it more interesting?

I know, call me a cynic...

getr345

Oh, I had no idea.

I thought it was a first for the show.

Do you know if they have ever done a show on nicotine/cigarette/smoking addiction?

justanothrdrunk

Of the shows I've seen, I've never seen anything about quitting smoking.

tellus

A quick wordsearch of the Intervention episode list didn't turn up anything for "cigarettes" or "nicotine," so my guess is they haven't. My guess is it's not dramatic enough.

BackToSquareOne

I find it's interesting that you probably have a lot more people who lose tons of money in the stock, commodities, FOREX etc. etc. markets and other risky investments like starting a business or real estate investments but these things are not really looked at as gambeling. Any feelings on this?

Sara9009

I tried to watch it last night but the format was really jumpy and irritating (different than the usual format) so I ended up shutting it off.

getr345

I think it has more to do with The Tobacco Lobby.

And the power of the Tobacco companies to influence media outlets such as A&E. The last thing the cigarette manufacturers want is to have their product exposed on Intervention for what it is, A DRUG...a destroyer of lives; worthy of such drastic measures as an intervention. My siblings & I have discussed contacting that show and seeing if they'd do a show on our mother. She is a very bad nicotine addict and it affects her life and the lives around her in much the same way drugs and alcohol do for others. As an example of what I mean, her first grandson (18 months old) recently visited her with his mother and he was left alone to play in the family room of a very small condo only for a minute or two before he was found chewing on a cigarette butt he found. He then puked all the way home...

justanothrdrunk

Yeah but the US Gov't doesn't classify it as a drug, so it must not be one.

getr345

I assume you're being facetious.

Nicotine is obviously a drug, no matter what the US Gov't says.

sfgirl

I watched intervention last night although agree that the format was a little uninteresting so found myself half-listening. The issue with gambling isn't so much one of money and losing it but how it becomes addictive. They were saying that the gambler-addict actually has dopamine released while gambling. One lady would always stop at a stop sign and ponder left for the casino and right for home, hoping she would choose home but feeling pulled to the casino. It is the chemical reaction that the act of gambling creates, I think it is the instant win or always having that possibility of the big win that actually changes the brain chemistry in the same way that brain chemistry is changed in a drug addict or alcoholic. This pace and/or risk and hence drastic brain chemistry change is not the same in most other business deals. The only thing I can think of is day trading maybe which I think probably can be addictive.