Hello! So nice to find this site!
I smoked for 10 years with occasional dipping then quit all tobacco cold turkey for 10 years. Then I made a huge mistake about 6 years ago. It started with Camel snus and a very regulated schedule: one first thing in the am, one late am, one after lunch, one late pm, one for the drive home, etc etc etc. That turned in to about a can a day of dip. I feel beyond stupid. I had excuses a plenty: stressful job, surrounded by dip by virtue of where I live, it didn't stink like cigarettes, etc, but they're just excuses. I have beat myself up inside daily since then. No exaggeration.
I have tried to quit a few times, but I have a nasty temper as it is, and eventually that fits in to a nice excuse to start again. As if telling my wife and two kids, "No guys, I'm dipping FOR you..." is anything but ridiculous.
So, this time, I'm being honest with myself. I like it (the taste, the smell...oh yeah...) and I don't care what anybody thinks of me spitting in a bottle. However, I also don't care how much I like it. I must quit. I don't want cancer, dip costs money I don't want to spend, I need to be a better role model for my family, and on and on. Not one reason to keep dipping other than selfish and/or stupid ones.
So, I've read through the site and lurked a bit. Here is my loose strategy going in to this. Please throw me a bone if you have suggestions:
1) Lots of gum (I shred it to pieces when I want a dip so I chew a mouthful)
2) When the craves start making me want to get hostile, I will do something to get away from the trigger: take a walk, focus on breathing, say a prayer, drop and do 20 pushups - whatever it takes to: A) not scream at people and B) not be able to justify myself in going back.
3) Watch the snacks - I get real fat real easy, so no reason to throw myself in to a shame cycle with food, too.
4) Focus on the healthy - healthy relationships, healthier eating, exercise, prayer, and activities that accentuate learning or being productive as opposed to just screwing around.
5) Take it one day at a time and look at life from the perspective of a successful quit. In other words, instead of looking up at the mountain I have to climb to quit, I should look down from the mountain to measure my progress.
Any advice you have would be great. I really want to quit, but I am scared to death of failing again.
Quick question - do I have to do anything special for my quit group, or just figure out my date (February 16?) and start posting on roll call?