KillTheCan.org Accountability Forum
Community => Introductions => Topic started by: JonWP on January 03, 2016, 02:19:00 PM
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Although this is my introduction to KTC members, I have been reading comments here since my quit date 3 months ago. I find the strength in everyone's comments when I don't want to inundate my family with talks about my dipping constantly. Quitting tobacco isn't just a personal struggle; the people closest to me feel it too. Here is my story.
I picked up dipping tobacco when I was playing baseball in college when I was 19. It started out minor, or at least to me, and like many "new" users of smokeless tobacco, I started with the Skoal products with all the flavors, straight, mint, cherry, etc. I had to really work to get the habit started, and I remembered the smallest pinch would bring out sweats, and warning me multiple of times, that I am taking poison. Wasn't longer than a couple of months I found Copenhagen Long Cut, and that is where my addiction began to burn like wild fire.
I am 33 y.o. and the last 8-10 years I dipped Cope LC at 2 cans a day. I got to the point where there was never a time in my waking day of my Entire Adult Life, I didn't have a dip in. I looked up CopeLC and 2 cans a day equated to 8 packs of cigarettes of nicotine being absorbed in my body most of my adult life. Anything I did, ended up requiring a dip, waking up, showering, driving car, work, playing chess, pitching, or other sports, I even threw in a dip immediately after brushing teeth at night.
I and many other people thought I'd be a dipper for life. But I had a realization that helped me step out of the box to make the decision to quit. For the last year, I found my attitude changing. For years, I was sick of paying $300+ a month on feeding the addiction (that's a car payment), having bad breath, mumbling to conceal the breath but also hide the tobacco stained teeth, dried tobacco bits all over the place, in my house, car, clothes stained, dominant hand thumb and index finger stained in yellow from constant dip into can, spit can after spit can and bottles AND empty used up copenhagen tins scattered around the house like a hoarder would do. I was sick of all this, but I was an addict so it was allowed to happen. However, when all the crap added up inside me that was hindering my life ahead of me, I found the courage in myself to stop. No girlfriend, or wife, family or friends, can stop it alone.
I was so serious to stop, and I was 100% in to quit, which was the only way to keep excuses to start up again from flowing in. The only way I could stay all in with my quit was to accomplish it "cold-turkey." I used the first month using non- nicotine/ tobacco Wintergreen Smokey Mountain herbal snuff to help with my oral fixation and dip replacement in my gums, and worked great, but I think it was becoming habit forming and still expensive, so I've been off assistance up to now, I exercise, lost weight, cleaner, no spitters, clean car, clean mouth, bigger bank account, and feel good most of the time. However, although I love not feeling tied down to nicotine, I am still trying to figure out how to live without dip, and although it's been months since I quit, I constantly still get reminders and cravings to put a dip in, and it's understandable due to how hard I abused the substance. I know it's all part of the territory though, these cravings will not deter me, the cravings will cease, the moodiness will lift.
I very much wish the best to you all in your quests to quit chewing tobacco. There is many combinations to make it through, you need to find the one that is best for You. Good luck!
Jon
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Jon you've done an awesome job by yourself! Come join ktc. Post roll. The accountability is over the top. Always someone to talk to that understands what you're going through. It works, I'm was a 38 year dipper been clean over a year, only because of ktc. Come join,nothing to lose a whole lot to gain. We'll be waiting.
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JonWP. 25 year user here. Congrats on going it alone. I never could've done that. Jump in and join your quit group. It's refreshing to know I'm going to wake up and post roll as a commitment to myself, my group, this site and my loved ones. If I can be of assitance let me know. Quit on!
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Post roll. It'll save your life.
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You are badass. Now post roll and save your own life
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Awesome story! Thanks for sharing.
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Obviously, each of us has a different path to follow and ultimately know what makes us vulnerable to caving in. If posting promises helps you all stay in line, great! I personally do better not making promises because I have broken them all too often in my past, and I don't have enough credit. I am better off when the pressure is off me, and each night quit (90+ days)is a call to celebration. This keeps me quit. As an addict, what I do is better than what I say.
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Huh, to each their own I guess. I know if I miss roll call I'll have 15 texts by 2 O'clock asking what the hell is going on...........that is accountability.
I broke promises to my kids, parents, wife and myself for 17 years, but posting roll keeps me grounded, and I know I am good for 24 hours.
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Turned a major corner the last two nights, which typically brings on my strongest cravings. I feel as of 1/5/16 I may be parting ways mentally with dip. My brain gave one last surge to change my mind, to no effect.
If I am aloud to call my situation a success, I would like to let people know there are many ways to kick the habit. The most important is that you have ultimately quit for yourself and can see how good your life can be, and that tobacco doesn't make you feel better when you use it. It ripped a piece of normalcy from you and would only give it back when you threw one in.
Quit day plan worked for me, it allowed me the chance for a week to part ways with chewing. During this time, the chew tasted not as good because mentally I was beginning to reject it. I was so pumped to quit and I told my family that I was fully prepared to take on any challenge with the withdrawals physically and mentally. With that said, there wasn't any pain going through cravings, it was just more of an annoyance, and the brain was predictable to what I expected. If you expect the worst, then the quit will always be easier.
Liquor was the first to go before quitting dip, but was able to drink beer in moderation while quitting. I heard coffee was something to avoid. I drink 1-2 pots a day. I didn't want
To quit and
Have to give up some of the things I enjoyed for good. My way worked for me , but may not work for you. Hope my tips helped.
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Great job! Sounds like you're cured. I still need to remind myself by posting roll, even after 797 days. Get your name on roll.
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Well, I had the best four days of the quit a couple of days ago, minimal cravings, and mentally quiet in my head during those days. I was off-set (a little, not much) and seems like I am now going in miniature circles with the quit, making gains, then get attacked, I keep pushing, the cravings push back, and although it has been months, and it is clear that chance of caving is minimal, that it (the addiction) keeps trying to re-enlist me to the chewing ranks again; especially, when there is a change of routine in my life.
For everyone quitting right now great job, and keep it up! I know many of you would suggest me joining a quit group, and doing roll, however, my way seems to be working, (why fix what's not broken), and the most important thing is that I am resolute about not getting dipping again. My symptoms don't tempt me to go run out and drive to the Loaf n Jug, however my observation is that nicotine had much more control over my body physically and physiologically, then I could of ever known.
I have not used tobacco or nicotine since September, I used fake dip for a month, and use nothing today. I notice that quitting dip= mental WAR, my days are sharp during daylight hours, and a "band" of tension wraps around my head. my cheeks, and my neck at night.
However, the good news is that having those symptoms is well worth it, because I am making more ground quitting, then any mental withdrawals coming my way. It gets better month to month, and I am excited to see how I feel after 6 months, and even 1 year! I am a better person without tobacco, and again I thank everyone for your contributions on this site that's helped me stay quit; roll or not!
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'clap' 'clap' 'clap' 'worship'
I have no idea why you keep posting here you obviously don't need us and you certainly aren't doing anything for us.
'butt hurt' just 'Finger'
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I thought I was contributing, but clearly not by you. A volleyball named Wilson would help me more than your comment.
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Jon you've done a hell of a job staying quit for that long. As you stated, KTC helped out quite a bit. To me it's been a Godsend. I was contemplating whether to become a member on the forum or just lurk in the background and learn from everyone else. I mean, it's fucking weird to have such a tight relationship with someone you've never shook hands with, but I now see why that relationship exists. We all go through the bullshit of being quit and having someone that can relate is our only out sometimes.
Whether you post roll or not, I quit with you today. I'm glad you came out of the shadows and introduced yourself. Maybe you can contribute to someone newer to their quit, like me with 25 days quit. Give posting roll a consideration. Regardless, keep that nic bitch away and stay strong in your quit.
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@SteelCowboy,
Kind support by you, and I appreciate it a lot. Group promises make total sense, and although I don't use it doesn't negate the power it can do for others. I get the most out of my quit by reading your comments to each other and that is how I make the most of the site. I will consider roll in future, but I could definitely help more to newer members. Thank you, sir.
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I am currently at the 4 month mark since I quit tobacco. I have received a little bit of grief at KTC for not wanting to post roll with everyone, and I can quickly explain why. When I came to this site in late December I was already a couple of months into my quit before I found this site, and I had taken the punches of withdrawal alone, and felt I had escaped my addiction; there was no reason to start making the promises to others. I felt strong enough enough to quit on my own. I did things backwards to a lot of the techniques people were showing at KTC, and I want to stress to new quitters that there is NO Wrong Way to quit if it keeps you quit. One thing that I agree with the fellas here is that nicotine patches or gum will not help you quit in the long run; heard 95% eventually go back into their addictions.
I planned my quit. I've been reading here everyday since December, and I've read that it is best to just drop the can NOW. I needed to prepare for it, mentally and physically, a week of preperation made me start mentally disliking the chew in my mouth, because the chew cans were not going to be replenished. (I had bought my final roll of tobacco) I was so pumped by the day, I ripped through the first 72 hrs on pure adrenaline.
However, I will tell everyone new to quitting, that the hardest part in my opinion is not the 72 hr. physical addiction, but the months battling the mental addiction. I coped with it by cutting the addiction in half, by addressing my first month off nicotine by using SmokeyMountain Wintergreen herbal dip. Although I was a Copenhagen LC person and did not dip wintergreen, the point of the herbal chew is not to mimic the actual dip. The goal is to get off it; take care of the oral fixation, then move on. SM Wintergreen did the job at keeping my lip fat and satisfied, while continuing to starve the nicotine.
Alcohol and tobacco many times go hand-in-hand. Many of us carry these two addictions with us. Keep that in mind if you are trying to quit, because they will cross paths eventually in your quest to quit.
I had been told that I should avoid alcohol and caffeine, I moderated my alcohol intake, and I drank 1-2 pots of coffee a day. No sense in getting rid of other things you enjoy because you don't chew.
I chew lots of gum, and I never leave it from my side. At the 4 month mark my mindset has stopped thinking of dip after meals or when driving car or showering, but looking for a piece of gum. Relief in sight.
This site has genuinely helped with my quit, and had I found this site when I first started I would have been part of the roll. If anyone needs help I'll be glad to help out with what I can contribute.
Go Broncos!