Dear Dr. Happy, I am a 60-year-old widow of modest means. Over the past 3 years I have been buying lottery tickets on a weekly basis. Well, last year I actually won more than $100,000. I was overjoyed. But since winning, I’ve been inundated by people, my family included, wanting handouts or insisting I give them my money for all sorts of cockamamie schemes. Dr. Happy, why won’t they let me alone? It’s gotten to where I’m almost sorry I won the money. All I want is to be left alone to enjoy my winnings, but they just won’t let me alone.
At wit´s end
Dear Wit´s End What you are experiencing is pretty common for lottery winners. You think: “Oh, great! I won, now I’ll be happy.” But that happiness is short-lived, and soon your life and its problems return, plus those related to everyone trying to get at your new-found money. There are many, many studies that show that the happiness that comes from suddenly coming into lots of money doesn’t last, as you’ve discovered. You are going to have to learn to give a firm and clear “No!” to those trying to separate you from your money. Once you develop the ability to do this, you will have a much easier time of it, and you’ll finally be able to enjoy your winnings.