Is it possible to stop gambling?

This is a serious question and not meant to be taken lightly. Gambling is an insidious disease. It robs you of common sense and when you are in the grip of the disease it can be very hard to stop. If you are really prepared to change, go to Gamblers Anonymous (G.A.) and join the group. If you fear a backlash by friends, don’t concern yourself about it and stick to your guns. We all have carbuncles in our closet; some of us need help.


Why you should attend Gamblers Anonymous if you want to stop

They have regular weekly meetings which you can attend, at different locations, on a Tuesday night. Get a counselor who can support you and on whom you can call if you are struggling. The group works with a twelve-step program and you should join so that you are with people who meet on a regular basis and have the same objective in mind. You will receive a booklet and regular attendance and a strong will are necessary to be successful. Remember, stopping the addiction starts in the head. Don't put it off any longer.


Observe the following:

• Do not hang around with the people you have gambled with before. They are toxic and will entice you to gamble on and on until you have lost all your money.
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• Gamblers are liars and will do anything to continue their habit. Go to all the G.A. meetings in your neighborhood.
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• Take a family member who is reliable and trustworthy into your confidence and let that person keep your money until all your bills are paid.
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• If you are traveling by car to drop someone off at the airport, don’t let it be an excuse for you to go gambling and take a detour and travel a different route so you are not tempted to pop in at the casino.
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• Take care of your spiritual life and keep God in your prayers. You need all the help you can get.
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• Stop all forms of gambling, even going to the races or buying lottery tickets.
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• Don’t be tempted to stray from your objective and tell people who are looking for someone to go gambling with that you are not in the game anymore and stay away from them.
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• Instead of wasting your money on raffle tickets or gambling, take your family out to the skating rink or the movies and encourage family outings.
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• If nothing works, step up your progress with the twelve steps and tell your counselor that you are about to relapse and you need help. Remember misery likes company and you don’t want your life to be a life of misery.

http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com

Preparing for the wrath of an earthquake

Do you live in California or an earthquake area and are not fully prepared in the event of a seismic disturbance? California has the worst seismic disturbances and the worst earthquakes. With the damage that can be caused by an earthquake it makes sense to be well prepared by doing the following before an earthquake starts:


• Move your pets to a safe area or take them to an animal shelter. Ensure they have a three day supply of dried dog food and enough water.

• Turn off the power, the electricity and the water. Also make sure the kids know how to dial 911.

• Put all glass items on the bottom shelves of cupboards and cabinets and keep mirrors under the bed on the floor.

• Put poisonous items such as pesticides and herbicides on bottom shelves of cupboards which have locks.

• Make sure there is no loose wiring and nothing in the way of small items that can fly around the room.

• Hide under heavy furniture or desks.

• Have a flashlight and batteries, food supplies and a first aid kit at hand.

• Draw up an emergency plan in the event the family is separated.

• Stay inside the house. The worst thing you can do is try to leave the house.

• If you find yourself outdoors, move into the open space and stay where you are until the shaking stops.

• If you are driving when the earthquake starts, stop the vehicle and stay in the car. Stay there until you are told you can get out.

• When the earthquake stops, get the animals where you have left them and give them water to settle down.

• There can be after shocks for as little as a few hours or for months, so be cautious and take care of the elderly and the children.

• Do not use the land line except for emergencies.

• When you open the doors to a cupboard or cabinet do it cautiously as things can come tumbling out.

• Check your chimney before lighting a fire.

• Listen to a battery operated radio for news.

• Do not switch on or use electrical appliances until it has been checked; this includes telephones and electrical devices.


For those who have never experienced an earthquake, don’t panic. When you get the command, hide under heavy furniture and do not move until you are told to do so. Listen to the radio for up to date news.


http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com

Are dreams insignificant?

Are dreams meaningless? Do they count for nothing? Have we just had too much food to eat before falling asleep and suffering a bout of indigestion? I have discussed this at length in some forums, with friends and other writers and have come to the conclusion that while I don’t have the answers, I believe there is significance as it can tell us things about our lives.


The first time I knew I was talking in my sleep was when my son told me one morning that I was talking and screaming in my sleep the whole night. I knew it to be true as my body which usually feels rested in the morning was tense and tight and my breathing was a little shallow. A few days later he woke me up in the midst of my sleep because I was shouting profanities at someone and kept saying, Get away! Get away! I used the eff word and was screaming at the top of my lungs. This was nothing, however, to other extreme experiences I had.


The first real bad experience I had was when I was standing on my bed and stepped off it in the dark, bumped the front of my head against the cement wall, and had a big knob on my forehead. I could not believe that I was on the floor holding my head and woke my son up to see if there was blood on the top of my head. I put on an ice compress and went back to bed, sitting up, too afraid to go back to sleep. I went to the doctor and was told I had night terrors and was talking and acting out and fighting in my sleep.


Another occurrence I had one night was dreaming that four men pulled me off the bed and rolled me in a carpet to take me away. I woke up and I was lying next to the bed on the floor, wrapped up in the duvet. I was in a daze. I did not know how I got there. A somewhat embarrassing incident that also took place was when both my kids were laughing when they told me that I was talking again in my sleep and that I was flirting with a man in my dreams and was laughing. So far I do not want to participate in tests as some of them involve sleeping in a clinic overnight and being recorded. How do I know when I am sleeping what I am going to do next? I am fully responsible for my behavior when I am awake, but not when I am asleep.


Here is my response then to whether dreams are insignificant. In my case do you think they are? I believe that these dreams and night terrors were an indication that something was wrong. I have since learned I have Parkinson’s, which is a degenerative brain disease. Don’t you think there is a connection? I do.


http://www.raydajacobs.blogspot.com