The Monster in the Cage

Addiction is a monster with a ravenous appetite.  I live with this monster.  In the beginning, it was just a baby monster, and only nipped at me a little.  I thought it was fun to play with, and I ignored the scratches I walked away with afterward....Then it started taking bites out of my flesh, bigger and bigger bites.  Finally, I realized that it would eventually consume me if I did not do something.  So....with much effort, I put the monster in a cage.   At first, when I walked by the cage, the monster screamed and clawed through the bars, demanding to be released, demanding another bite of me.....so I learned to stay farther from the bars and plug my ears to the monster's demands.  The monster has grown quieter and quieter, weaker and weaker.  What if I open the door of the cage to see if the monster has changed its ways????  If I ever open the door again, the monster will spring up and devour me with all the hunger of its long fast......