Growing up, I remember looking at adults and teenagers and noticing their bad habits. At the time I didn't realize they were bad habits. I believed it was just somethng that some people did when they were bored....Such as drink alcohol, gamble and smoke cigarettes. I didn't understand why people would choose to do unhealthy things, such as: get drunk to have fun. I believed that everyone needed some sort of activity in their lives to represent themselves.  After seeing several alcoholics and drug users, I told myself right before high school graduation that "I was not going to drink and I was for sure not going to make drugs "my thing". I did however tell myself that I was going to gamble and drink "Mountain Dew".  In my eyes, these two activities were 100% better than drugs and alcohol. I thought that gambling would be completely harmless and heck, what can soda do to you? (continue reading to see what it did to me!)
So to keep myself out of trouble and to still have fun, in the year 2002 I turned to drinking mountain dew every break I got and after work I would either buy myself a crap load of scratch off lottery tickets and go home to scratch them or I would head to the local bar and get started with video poker. It started out with just $5 being put in the machine and win or lose that kept me satisfied for the night. I believed at the time that it was fair because I was such a hard worker, I was taking care of my child, paying the bills on time and working to support the two of us all by myself. I was a honor roll student in school and I had many dreams and goals. I was considered the good child growing up and many of my family members and friends were very proud of me for being so responsible. In my eyes, my life was just going to get better. Unfortunately, my gambling and soda addiction took over my life. I turned to online gambling shortly after my video poker addiction and now in 2009, I haven't went more than 2 days without my mountain dew ever since 2002.  Also more importantly, I am still recovering from my online gambling addiction after losing thousands of dollars playing poker. These last several years have been the worse years of my life. I am not the same person anymore due to the addictions I have fed. I have gained weight due to the lack of exercise and consumption of soda and the constant gambling, I have made myself to become a hermit and hide from most of my family and friends.  I have lost time that I could of had...to spend with my loved ones. I have been hospitalized from not taking the time to care for my body like I should. Also, I have lost several of my teeth from all the soda that I have drank. I have realized that most addictions need to be controled and most of them are just mind games that people play on their selves. It is time to take control and quit making excuses to gamble and ruin your lives.

I am not happy as a problem gambler and I have been told that I look ten years older than I am.

I am ready to take the hand cuffs off and live life as myself again. No More gambling!  I want to be athletic, beautiful and happy again.

I have built this website in hopes for a brighter and healthier future plus a higher self esteem. I have shared my personal problems with you,  just to let every problem gambler out there know that you are not alone when it comes to the miserable feelings you feel as a problem gambler. There is hope for all of us, and I hope this website educates, motivates and encourages you as much as it has me! .