Conflicted

Lets talk about diet coke (really diet soda in general) The last few years I have been an occasional diet coke drinker, occasionally meaning a couple of glasses per month like at a restaurant and I was perfectly content with it. I really enjoyed it when I would have one but I didn't miss it the rest of the time. About a month ago a friend of mine brought me a birthday gift basket with treats and 3 diet sodas in it. Over the next week I gradually drank all the soda, having a half of a can per day about. Not very much at all but now I want to drink it everyday with lunch and dinner usually. I bought a six pack of bottled diet coke at the grocery store the other day which is the first time I have ever bought it anywhere other then a restaurant. And I really enjoy having about 4-6 ounces with lunch and dinner. My conflict comes in that I know it is not good for me (I will be the first person to tell you that aspertame causes cancer). Aspertame is the artificial sweetner used in diet soda and lots of other things at the grocery store for that matter. I know I should probably kick the habit and just stop but I really really like it, I am more satisfied with my meals, and it curbs my cravings for sweets. Usually after my meals I want a little something sweet and I usually have a little treat but since drinking a little diet soda with my meals I don't usually have that sweet craving and therefore I eat less sugar and all the bad stuff that is in sweet treats. It also makes me feel really calm and happy. If I am feeling stressed from the day I can sit down to dinner with my diet coke and the world is beautiful again, I know that sounds kind of pathetic but its true. What are your thoughts?

P.S. I do not at all blame my friend who brought me the basket of diet soda, it was very sweet of her to remember my birthday and its not like she forced it down my throat, just wanted to make that clear.