DirecTV has become my drug.

I’ve never been a big TV person, by which I mean that as long as I got NBC, CBS, ABC and Bravo I was good. Oh, and a little MTV, TLC and CNN too. But when I moved into my new apartment, I was told that my apartment complex has a satellite for the whole building and requests that residents use DirecTV. It is basically the same price as Comcast, so I was fine switching to DirecTV.

When I started the process and was looking at my package options, I found one package that gave me multiple channels, XM radio and three months free of HBO, Starz and Showtime. Plus I got a DVR with the package, which is basically like new technology for me. I know, I know. This is nothing new, but before that I was still using my good old VHS recorder.

I’ve now had the DirecTV for over two months and all I can say is, “Oh My God. What an amazing TV world that has been opened up to me.”

I went from about 60 channels to about 400. I’m not sure the exact number because I eventually lose count every time I try to check. And the DVR? Heaven! I don’t know how I lived without one before.

Here’s my new dilemma. I thought the three months free of HBO, Starz and Showtime would be a nice treat, but nothing that I couldn’t live without. How wrong I was. It’s not the movies that I can’t live without, but the original programming. First it started with HBO’s “In Treatment.” I have become addicted to this show and have been catching up on all of the previous episodes. A new season starts later this month and I am so excited. Since I enjoy “In Treatment” so much, I’ve been thinking about it and have pretty much decided that I could splurge each month and go ahead and sign up for HBO.

Well now I have a new problem. “The Tudors,” on Showtime, have you ever seen it? So good! Now what do I do? I’m catching up on past episodes of “The Tudors” and a new season starts in April, which is after my free Showtime ends. I will just die if I don’t get to watch it. But do I really need to purchase HBO and Showtime on top of all of the other 400 channels I receive? No, I don’t, but I want to!

Damn DirecTV! I have totally fallen for their scheme. They lure viewers in by giving them three free months of premium channels hoping that they will want to purchase them after their free months are over. I thought I was too smart for them. Too strong to give in to the urge. But I’ve become sucked in and now will be spending more money than I need to on TV.

The only good news to report is that I have yet to find a show on Starz that I can’t live without. In order to prevent this from happening, from now until the end of the month, when my free Starz ends, I have banned myself from even thinking about flipping to the Starz channel.