What They Aren’t Telling You: The Downsides Reported by Lottery Winners
You hit the jackpot, you’re rich beyond your wildest dreams, life is good, right?
Well, of course it is, and for a time you will feel probably the happiest you’ve ever felt, but like anything in life, reality hits in the end, and you only have to speak to past lottery winners to understand that there are certainly large downsides to realising your so-called dream.
I’m not going to lie and make out this is a huge problem, because let’s face it, money certainly makes life easier, but these few downsides might just make you think a little more.
The Press will suddenly Love You, Are You Ready to be a Celebrity?
Lottery winners are certainly media fodder, especially those who rose from nothing. If you win the jackpot then you will suddenly find the press want to interview you, photograph you, and throw your face out there into the public forum, where all and sundry are able to judge. Do you really want that?
You Will suddenly be Loved by Everyone, And Whilst That’s Great, How Do You Know Who Is Real and Who Is as Fake as Plastic?
When you’re riding on a wave of euphoria, you’re not going to make your best decisions in life. Some of the worst things will seem like the best idea ever, and you’ll be carried through life on adrenaline for a while. Now, during this time you will probably notice that a lot more people want to be your friend, how that girl who always sneered at you as you walked down the street is suddenly smiling and suggesting you go for coffee, and how that great auntie who you never spoke to is suddenly talking about how it’s terrible that you don’t have regular family catch ups. Sorting out the fake from the real can be a difficult and painful process, and the actual realisation that people can be that shallow is also a hard lesson to learn.
You Might Think This Is a Ridiculous Suggestion, but There Is a Chance (Tiny or Otherwise) That You Might Miss Your Old Life
Okay, so you might not miss your job that much, but you might come to realise that even though you didn’t know it at the time, you actually enjoyed simplicity and normality, which there isn’t a lot of when you hit the lottery big time. Many lottery winners miss their old 9-5 some of the time, and often end up going back to a job in some way or form.
A Change as Sudden as a Lottery Win Might Affect the Relationships in Your Life
It really depends on what stage you’re at in your relationship, and if you’ve been together years then this might not be so much of an issue, but if you’re in a new, or new-ish, relationship, then you might find yourself asking questions about your relationship, and your partner’s motives. This is all natural and part of wising up to the fact that there are some unscrupulous people out there who are happy to take advantage of lottery winners and their good fortune, and a lot of the time you could be worrying needlessly. The problem? Well, what if you find yourself arguing because of your possibly unfounded suspicion?
You’re basically a Target with a Huge Sign on Your Back
Unless you donate all your winnings to charity then you’re not really going to be able to hide the fact that you’ve had a bit of a windfall. A new car, a new house, holidays, shopping trips, these are all things which get the neighbours’ curtains twitching, so it’s borderline impossible to keep your lottery win a total secret. What does this mean? You’re a target for possible scams and possible theft.
Believe It or not, Statistics Show That Lottery Winners are at an Increased Risk of Bankruptcy
No, I’ve not lost the plot, this is a truth; basically when you come into money, especially when that money has come from a lottery win, then you have a huge amount of credit options available to you, and many people will choose to take advantage of them, regardless of the fact they have millions in the bank. Now, money, large amounts or not, doesn’t last forever, and when the cash has gone, you’re left with credit bills to pay. Can’t pay them? Well, bankruptcy looms, and this is something which has actually happened to many lottery winners in the past. It’s all about making bad decisions because you’re riding on that happy wave.
As you can see, it’s not all roses in the garden, and there is a negative to every single positive you can come up with. Maybe winning the jackpot isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?
