Hey All, so I should probably state up front that I never once actually commented on this site during my quit, but I checked in quite frequently and wanted to share my experience. I am 28 years old and have been dipping about 4 tins a week for the past 5 years. I tried many many MANY times to quit and was never successful until now. I wanted to lay out what I think was different about this quit that made it successful (so far!) as opposed to all my other attempts:
- Change of scenery: I went from living alone to a place with roommates who don't dip. This change was a key part of my quit. I vividly remember the look on my roommates face the day we moved in after I packed my fourth horseshoe of the day as he said "wow...do you like really dip...like a lot". It was not supposed to be a compliment. Removing myself from the environment that facilitated my habit was a huge help.
- 1st week support: While they didn't know it (I have been an 'in the closet' dipper these past 5 years when it comes to family and relationships) I used my family as a support system for that first week. It was over Christmas and I spent that week at my parents house trying to stay as busy as possible (chores, cooking, cleaning, working out, dig a hole...fill that hole, etc.). The elimination of down time really helped me block out the cravings that ruled my life those 5 years.
- One day at a time: My most powerful tool for this quit was not overwhelming myself by always thinking "OMG i am never dipping again this is too much" and instead thinking "I will not dip right now". While it may seem small, those victories were the ones that kept me on the wagon. If you can compartmentalize and when you feel the urge just think to yourself "this is temporary it will go away" it usually does in no longer than 10min. This helped keep things manageable.
- First Step: My biggest obstacle to quitting was me! Every time I would dip I would say to myself "ok well I am going to quit eventually but in the long run what does 1 more dip really matter?" This attitude persisted for years...YEARS. If you want to quit you have to start somewhere.
Anyway those were some tips I thought ended up being the difference between another failed quit and the 110+ day one I am on right now and very proud of. I wish everyone here the best of luck and wanted to say thank you for the support and willingness to be public about your battle on forums like this one. In the end it was a great help, even though I never actually commented or participated until right now.
