Confessions of an Addict

I recently confessed to an AC Content Producer that I have a terrible addiction. Before the tabloids pick this story up and mar my otherwise impeccable reputation, I have made the decision to come clean to all of the readers out there about this. It's not an easy thing to share, but I hope to shed light on a growing problem in today's society by telling my story.

I don't know exactly when or how I developed this addiction. I've always experimented, but thought I had things under control. Until recently. I used to sleep through the night. Now I am awakened by this overpowering urge that I cannot shake. I used to share. Now I hoard the one thing that I cannot seem to live without.

The first sign that my life was spiraling out of control was my sudden need to purchase several bags at a time - and hide them as soon as I got home. Not wanting to be found out or lose my stash to greedy little hands, I did my best to conceal the evidence. I can no longer keep this a secret. It's time to admit that I have a problem.

I am a gummy bear addict .Yes, it's true.

I dream of gummy bears all day and all night. I compare prices on gummy bears in order to get the most for the money. I make late-night trips to Wal-Mart - only to leave with nothing but a plastic bag overflowing with gummies. I can never eat just one. In fact, I would rather eat a bag of gummy bears than a four-course meal.

And I have been known to tussle with small children who try to take my gummies from me.

You may wonder how an educated, God-fearing woman could go down this path. I can only ask for your empathy and your forgiveness. After all, I am human, and all humans have their flaws.

There is still much research left to be done on gummy bear addictions, how they develop in individuals and how they can be treated. In the meantime, I am coping day by day. I have reduced my gummy bear intake from 14 bags a week to 7. I keep a journal of how many gummy bears I eat in one sitting, which colors, and what events were taking place in my life at the time that I felt a need to gorge.

I hope that you will keep me in your prayers. I am getting stronger as time passes, but full recovery does not happen overnight. I realize that there are other people who have this problem, though cashiers in crowded stores tend to treat us as though we are the only ones in the world with this problem. "Seven bags?" a Blockbuster employee once asked me quite loudly at the checkout counter, where I purchased gummy bears and no movies. "I'll bet these aren't for your kids either!" he joked.

But it wasn't funny.

It is important not to judge people with such addictions, but to reach out to them as they take tiny steps toward rehabilitation. I am confident that in the months to come I will conquer my addiction, and I am thankful for my loved ones who have stood by me in my hour of madness.