opiate use triples after becoming a professional gambler now its to late

[poker-faced-junkie]

The following is a story told in first person by a person named SWIM who handed me this note and asked me to put it up. I want to make it clear that I, the poster, am NOT this "SWIM" character who is telling the story. Maybe you can help him out? Here goes:

"First off, this is my very first post on these great forums! A buddy of mine showed me this site and immediately I was sunk into my computer chair reading all this great information and stories of people just like me all over the world. Fascinating how the internet can bring users together from all over the planet! I just want to say thanks to everyone that shares in these forums because every little bit helps.

Okay, now for a little about me. I started out smoking pot when I was roughly 13 years old and of course drinking was right in the mix. Then around 16 or so i started experimenting with cocaine. That led me to trying all sorts of different things ranging from; stimulants, anti-depressants, halluicangens(spelling), and "opiates" I believe ive tried every drug available in the continental united states, although ive never went as far as to bang anything. However, many of my so called friends have tried to talk me into doing just that over the years.

To try and make this post as little as possible and to the point, let me just say that, I used to only take pharmaceutical painkillers socially on the weekends. However, as everyone on here knows and now i know after severally sad years, that usually ends up with an addiction problem. For me it all went down hill after I tried oxycontin or as we call it in the virginia's "hill billy herion" Fortunately at the time though i wasnt as financially stable as I am now thanks to texas holdem. The fun I used to have with my buddies has now turned into an everyday nightmare, were I have to either have several OC's or methadone just to not go through withdrawls, and i mean BAD wd's. At this point in my addiction, hydrocodone and regular oxycodone (i.e percocet) only make the wd's mild. Heres how my day usually goes, wake up snort around 40 to 60 mg's of oc, around lunch repeat, before dinner repeat, and usually depending on how Im doing at the poker table Ill do even more. I do roughly around 150- 200 mg's a day and if oc's arent available I go with methadone.

So then I ask you this, should I give up my poker profession, so that my income decreases significantly to were I cant afford my habit? Or should I rather just quit my opiates abuse and continue playing becuase its a good cash flow intake? Ive been told from a few that If I quit poker that it will just cause me to find other ways of affording my poison and that these new ways might lead me to a nice new cosy bed in the big house, but am I capable of performing these jail induced crimes? I would hope not, but whos to say what an addiction could eventually lead too, not me..

Guys Im sick and tired of being sick and tired, what do i do..."