Lanie’s Hope and God’s Plan
by Bea Goodwin
Successful businesswoman, entrepreneur, CEO, over-achiever and get ‘er done kind of gal: All terms I worked hard to ensure described Bea Goodwin… that is until January of 2010. It was then my life’s purpose was revealed as I unexpectedly revealed who I REALLY am… as I blurted out the words:
“ I am a recovering compulsive gambler; I know about this disease and I can help.”
This utterance escaped my lips during an emergency session of the Board of Directors of a local business owners association.
In a penthouse-level boardroom full of stunned silent executives and one sobbing, soon-to-be-ex board member, I shocked myself and broke my well-guarded anonymity. I COULD NOT believe I had said that OUT LOUD! I had spent years vigilantly hiding the “recovering compulsive gambler” moniker.
The sobbing member of the committee had just confessed to embezzling our treasury due to her gambling addiction. My bewildered colleagues sat in frozen silence. Having heard similar stories for 14 years in the rooms of Gamblers Anonymous, I knew that this behavior was characteristic of gamblers in the throes of the DISEASE of compulsive gambling. We cheat, lie and steal to keep the money flowing so we can stay “in action” to achieve the mind-numbing high that gambling provides.
This was my tipping point.
My life’s mission “to illuminate and humanize the DISEASE of compulsive gambling “ had been revealed 16 months prior, with the death of my beloved sister Lanie. My sister and I both struggled with gambling addiction. Her struggle ended in death after an overdose of anti-depressants due to her compulsive gambling. My mission was revealed to me with Lanie’s last breath.
Still… until that fateful day in the boardroom, I told myself that I would wait to speak publicly about this insidious disease “until I retired.” Now the genie was let out of the bottle, and there was no turning back. As I muddled through various business enterprises, at the helm of a sales organization, ownership interest in a trust company and real estate sales ventures, I realized that these projects no longer held my interest.
My true passion now lay in serving the compulsive gambler who still suffers and, on a larger scale, making a difference by swaying public perception of the DISEASE of compulsive gambling.
Prior to this pivotal moment, my interest was focused on maintaining my own abstinence and helping others one soul at a time through the fellowship of Gamblers Anonymous. The doctors who attended my sister had NO understanding of the connection between Lanie’s overdose and her gambling addiction; nor did they know that compulsive gamblers have the highest suicide rate of any addiction group. The Board of Directors of the business owners group likewise had no understanding of the disease nature of compulsive gambling. They were, understandably, angry and felt betrayed. They couldn’t begin to wrap their minds around the fact that compulsive gambling is a “process addiction” that drives the afflicted to commit unspeakable acts. I have a voice and life experience that I am certain God has given me as a gift to share with others.
In one short year, I divested myself of all previous business pursuits and now dedicate my time, talent and treasure fully to the mission of illuminating and humanizing the disease of compulsive gambling. Where I used to sometimes feel as if I was “swimming upstream” in an unfavorable business climate, today the rewards of pursuing my passion come naturally and effortlessly; confirming the Gambler’s Anonymous creed that “God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.” I have been honored to address Rotarians, the Nevada Council on Family Practitioners, and will serve as the Keynote Speaker at the 2011 Nevada Conference on Problem Gambling. I collaborate with Algamus, one of the few gambling-specific in-patient treatment centers in the country and GamBlock, the innovator of online gambling blocking software.
I have also been humbled to be of service to those who would not have known where to look for help had I NOT “come out” and shared my own experience, strength and hope. Facebook friends have reached out for help, as well as the president of a Rotarian group and numerous friends who previously hid their own addiction in shame and isolation. Recently, I heard from one of Lanie’s long-time friends who, sadly, found out about Lanie’s addiction and death through the Lanie’s Hope website. As fate would have it, this woman is a mental health clinician and, prior to reading Lanie’s story, had no true knowledge of the disease of compulsive gambling. She is now paying it forward and creating a study of compulsive gambling disorders.
Today I no longer care about anonymity, image or titles. I gratefully spend each day serving the compulsive gambler who still suffers, raising funds for treatment and awareness programs through the advocacy group Lanie’s Hope. Passion, purpose and meaningful work are the reward of following the path God has illuminated for me. Today I joyfully proclaim, “My name is Bea Goodwin. I am a grateful recovering compulsive gambler, and I can help!”
Bea Goodwin has been passionately committed to “helping the compulsive gambler who still suffers,” since her own recovery journey began in 1996. In 2008 the loss of her beloved sister Lanie to the disease of Pathological Gambling, changed Bea’s life forever. She now dedicates herself fully to her mission of illuminating and humanizing the disease of pathological gambling; bridging the vast gap between the legal, medical and private sectors and the pathological gambler who still suffers.
She is the founder of the community advocacy group Lanie’s Hope, dedicated to serving the needs of the pathological gambler and their families; providing education, resources, hope and treatment funds for the disease of pathological gambling.
Bea has been a featured presenter at local and national conferences for those in recovery from the disease of pathological gambling, as well as civic, and community groups. She has also been featured on “Steppin’ Out Radio.”
Her personal story “Twelve Dollars” was featured in the book “Life Choices: Putting the Pieces Together” and her story “The Chapter that Shouldn’t Have Been Written” chronicling her sister Lanie’s story will be featured in “Life Choices: Igniting Your Passion” (Turning Point International, copyright 2010.) In support of her mission to illuminate the disease of pathological gambling, especially to the medical field, she recently presented to the 43rd NV Association of Family Practitioners Annual conference and she is scheduled as the Keynote Speaker for the Nevada Conference on Problem Gambling, April 15, 2011.
Bea is available for speaking engagements and workshops on the topic of Compulsive Gambling and Recovery.
Bea Goodwin can be reached at:
(702) 812-1922
Thank God for people like Bea who have such passion and understanding for those afflicted with this horrible and debilitating illness. Bea and others like her offer hope to a world greatly in need of it.
Wow Bea, I had no idea you had struggled with this. You are such a positive and light person. So friendly and kind. I am happy to hear you have come full circle, are dealing with your addiction, and feel like you are doing what your purpose in life was meant to be. Good for you!! I wish you much continued success and happiness in this. Even if we are very successful in our professional lives, we are all human at the end of the day. And we all have our own personal struggles. There is nothing like the feeling of victory when we overcome them. :-)