I also worked at a strip club for a while as a waitress then "shot girl." It can be a very fun environment, but I watched so many girls get sucked into a bad lifestyle... getting drunk daily, doing drugs, even prostitution. I think the men there give you a false sense of worth. They say you're so beautiful, you have a great body, etc. But really, these are (mostly) drunk men trying to get laid. Its sad.
But, it was GREAT money. I can definately see why some women would turn to stripping to pay the bills. Its not easy money, but its often a great "paycheck." (Though depending on where you are, I knew some girls who, on a bad night, made NOTHING after they paid the house fee, DJ fee, bouncer fee, and cab ride to and from work.)