Problem gambling in Ohio has skyrocketed, and what many may not know is that it’s the addiction with the highest suicide rate.
“I tried to take my life twice — and I didn’t want to die — but had I died accidentally, what would my family have thought?” said Marilyn Bodi Reed, who has suffered from disordered gambling.
For Mrs. Reed, what started as a fun pastime with her husband, spiraled into a consuming and expensive addiction.
“Over the years, roughly, wins, losses, the whole package, it was well over $200,000,” she said.
Gambling is known as the silent addiction.
“Gambling can go under the radar for a really long time,” said Derek Longmeier, the executive director of Problem Gambling Network of Ohio. “Many loved ones and even spouses may not have any idea of the problem until they get to pretty dire financial straits.”
“And that’s one of the reasons as to why there’s such a strong link to suicide, because individuals get down a deep hole and they don’t see a way out, and they look at suicide as their only way out,” he said, adding that nearly 40 percent of those experiencing gambling disorders consider suicide.