If you're recovering from a gambling addiction, you might want to turn your phone and e-mail off.

I got a phone call last week from the place where I used to get Payday Loans telling me how much they appreciated my business, and had noticed that I was no longer using their services. They just wanted to touch base.

Oh My God! How BAD was I?!

The fact is, bad. REALLY bad. I suppose the iPod Touch I got in the mail as a gift from one online gambling site should have been a tip off, but of course, it wasn't. I convinced myself I was a 'good customer' rather than a complete rube. I never took the time to calculate how many iPods I could have bought by simply not gambling at the site that sent me ONE. They played into my ego. That's why so many gambling places use the term 'VIP' like it's going out of style. It isn't. It IS, however, a failure. I was a VIP alright, a Very Imminent Pauper.

But the great part is I'm on the last day of my 2nd month (calendar month - I'm actually further ahead, if you count 4 weeks = a month), and NOW I'm able to laugh at the absurdity of it all. And it WAS absurd. I honestly thought I came across as a bigwig to these people. A 'serious player'. A VIP.

Now, I realize they knew a sucker when they saw one. They made a FORTUNE off of me and all they had to do was offer me little 'bonuses' to stroke my dysfunctional ego. Imagine if street dealers did that to crack addicts? "I got an iPod from my dealer for being a VIP customer! I TOLD you I wasn't an addict. I'm a VALUED CUSTOMER! Woo!"

I don't blame me, really. I blame them. They USED my addiction to suck me dry - knowingly. I didn't e-mail them asking for stuff, THEY e-mail ME - constantly. And the Payday Loan place. THEY used ME far more than I used THEM. They should be held accountable too. Charging poor people (many with addictions) a criminal amount to 'lend' them money. They CLAIM to be a 'short term solution' but they know their best customers are desperate. By providing their 'service' for an outrageous amount, they make sure that desperation is LONG term. Why aren't these bastards in jail?!

I'm a resource to them. Nothing more.

That's why they phoned. So did an online site I used to use. For that call, I didn't even let him finish his speech. I told him I didn't wish to receive any more calls, thank you and hung up. That's the only thing you CAN do with these businesses that are the scum of the earth. If you're in recovery and get any phone calls like these, my advice is DON'T engage in a conversation. Simply say, "I don't wish to receive any more calls from you. Thanks (if you're polite like me ) and HANG UP. They are NOT your friend, they are your enemy.

I'm at another Milestone today (and tomorrow), so I'm going to be on guard for 'surprise' urges. But I'm also going to be on guard for surprise phone calls. I suspect these people know recovery timetables. Probably better than anyone else. They don't know my exact time of recovery, but they DO know when I last gambled, and I wouldn't put it past these sites to have a schedule of when to call people who stopped gambling with them.

Am I paranoid? Yeah, maybe. But I've got a way around that. I just plug in to my iPod and let the music calm me down. (Thanks gambling site! )

Today I will not gamble. Never again. You hear that, blood sucking companies? NEVER again. Put that in your 'VIP' list. No, no, the REAL one, of those who finally got wise to you and walked away. The Very Intelligent People list.