My Introduction

[Snoopy]

Hadn't thought about it but KDIP is right. My wife caught me, twice now (really many more times than that but the first time realizing I was really dipping and the 2nd when I fell off the wagon 2 years ago.)

It's not been easy and she has some tough feelings to work through, who can blame her, but my wife has been great to have on my side. She's getting the hang of the "what day are we?" and backed off the "another one?" as I drop fake chew in left and right. BTW the Oregon stuff is great, especially the little bandit type tea bags because they at least somewhat feel like it, which helps keep the mind off. Will say though, even though I was a Kodiak wintergreen fan, go for the mint, stay away from the wintergreen.

This is truely a great site and even better people. Wish I had this back in 2004 when I quit the first time. Made it 3 years cold turkey but was all alone and when I finally hit my limit, didn't have anyone to stop me.

Good luck and stick with the quit!

[Kdip]

Hi CIMC,

Welcome to KTC.  Your message (except for the family diagram) sounds exactly like me 18 days ago.  44 years old, dipping my brains out (literally, though it never felt like that was the cause), KNOWing that it's bad for me and MIGHT KILL ME, and that I'm hiding like a damn skink under a rock to keep the people I care about from knowing my disgusting weakness.

You can get more statistics from people on here like Chewie, but from what I remember, Nicotine is MORE addictive than either crack or heroin, it's just the downhill symptoms don't SEEM as severe (although death from oral cancer is just as severe as death from herion OD, eh?).  But you have opened the door by saying those magic words...

I AM AN ADDICT

We all are.  We are engineers and grease monkeys, architects and postal workers and students, men and women.  Everyone here finally had to admit we are addicts.  Not "were", ARE addicts, even the ones who quit 5 years ago.

I can't tell you what will work best for you.  Some people have great success with the nic-less chew, etc, others do just great cold turkey.  My personal recommendation would be to flush those pills your mother gave you and never put anything in your body again containing nicotine.  You're not addicted to dip, you're addicted to nicotine.  Dipping is just the method you chose to feed your nicotine addiction.  If you take the pills, you'll still be feeding your nicotine addiction.

I won't lie to you.  In the beginning, it's going to suck.  At times it's going to suck really bad.  It's currently much better for me than it was the first 3 or 4 days, but there are still times when I crave, or when I'm just pissed for no good reason, or whatever.

This forum will do a LOT for you, if you'll use it and commit to your Quit.  You'll make friends and supporters, you'll be stunned at some of the amazing stuff you read people have done both before they quit (how many of us have gone to the bathroom at work JUST so we could sit on the pot and have a dip).  We'll be your cheerleaders, your punching bags, your coaches.

But we want something from you too...

We want you to come here every single day and recommit to your quit, because we do this one day at a time.  That's all.  Anything else you choose to do or not, that's up to you.  And when you're ready to quit, and when you tell us all I QUIT, I'll back you 100%, and I'll hold your feet to the fire!

Let me know when you do.

Tim/Gump

Former Ninja dipper here. Expert in hiding it from the family as well.......One important thing i would like add is:

If you two have not come clean with your wives, do so now. It may be awkward and you may get your asses chewed out, but in the end you will get the support you need and it will take the option of ninja "caving" off the table. I know I could not have made it for over a year so far without the support and accountibility I have to my wife and child along with this group. If either of you would like to talk about this issue further or anything else PM me and I would be happy to do so. You can DO this a day at a time. The best decision of your life is getting this crap out of your life!!!! And YES I am an addict too and will always be one!!! The difference now is that I have chosen not to participate anymore.

[Gump]

Hi CIMC,

Welcome to KTC. Your message (except for the family diagram) sounds exactly like me 18 days ago. 44 years old, dipping my brains out (literally, though it never felt like that was the cause), KNOWing that it's bad for me and MIGHT KILL ME, and that I'm hiding like a damn skink under a rock to keep the people I care about from knowing my disgusting weakness.

You can get more statistics from people on here like Chewie, but from what I remember, Nicotine is MORE addictive than either crack or heroin, it's just the downhill symptoms don't SEEM as severe (although death from oral cancer is just as severe as death from herion OD, eh?). But you have opened the door by saying those magic words...

I AM AN ADDICT

We all are. We are engineers and grease monkeys, architects and postal workers and students, men and women. Everyone here finally had to admit we are addicts. Not "were", ARE addicts, even the ones who quit 5 years ago.

I can't tell you what will work best for you. Some people have great success with the nic-less chew, etc, others do just great cold turkey. My personal recommendation would be to flush those pills your mother gave you and never put anything in your body again containing nicotine. You're not addicted to dip, you're addicted to nicotine. Dipping is just the method you chose to feed your nicotine addiction. If you take the pills, you'll still be feeding your nicotine addiction.

I won't lie to you. In the beginning, it's going to suck. At times it's going to suck really bad. It's currently much better for me than it was the first 3 or 4 days, but there are still times when I crave, or when I'm just pissed for no good reason, or whatever.

This forum will do a LOT for you, if you'll use it and commit to your Quit. You'll make friends and supporters, you'll be stunned at some of the amazing stuff you read people have done both before they quit (how many of us have gone to the bathroom at work JUST so we could sit on the pot and have a dip). We'll be your cheerleaders, your punching bags, your coaches.

But we want something from you too...

We want you to come here every single day and recommit to your quit, because we do this one day at a time. That's all. Anything else you choose to do or not, that's up to you. And when you're ready to quit, and when you tell us all I QUIT, I'll back you 100%, and I'll hold your feet to the fire!

Let me know when you do.

Tim/Gump

[CopeISmyCrack]

Wow, I've been reading more posts since joining and posting my intro. I am so NOT alone in so many ways. I thought my situation with hiding the dipping from my wife was probably somewhat unique and rare. I was wrong - you guys even have a term for it - ninja I believe?

All the stories about the hidden spit bottles, tins, finding excuses to go off and take a dip like going to the store alone to faking a good long defication session just to sit and spit between the legs. I've been there. I can't wait until I can look back at all of this and truly laugh at it.

[CopeISmyCrack]

I've been reading around and thought I'd introduce myself. This will probably be a long post but I feel the need to tell it all since I'm kind of alone with this. As nobody around me really knows just how addicted to this stuff I really am.

I'm now 44 years old, married for 20 years, with 2 kids. My former dip of choice was Copenhagen Long Cut which sells for, including tax, over 4 bucks a can in my area. I was going through at least 5 cans a week. My wife was recently diagnosed with breast cancer but was very fortunate that it was caught early and surgery was 100% successful in removing it with no spread to her body. However, it was quite an eye opener for her and it was for me for more reasons than even she knows. The first thing that occurred to her when she was diagnosed was, "what about the kids?". For me, I realized, it would be "what about my family?" if I were faced with such news. But, because I do the best I can to hide my addiction to my family, I have to face this on my own and do this for me as well as for them.

Even though I've had asthmatic respiratory problems since I was young, I chose to smoke cigarettes when I was 16. I continued to smoke for a couple of years. But, when I realized how bad it made me feel, especially when I woke up in the morning, coughing, etc., I quit - cold turkey - first try, complete success.

I always had friends that dipped since I can remember and I remember thinking how nasty it appeared to see that stuff in their mouths with the spitting and the dip bottles rolling on their floorboards, etc. Nothing about it ever tempted me. Then one day, while golfing with my brother, I decided to try it. He never seemed to be addicted to it. It was just something he did now and then. And, hey, I kicked cigarettes to the curb very easily when I decided to, so why couldn't I quit this stuff anytime I want. Well, I took that first dip and have never looked back. For the first couple of weeks it was Skoal Wintergreen and from then on it was Copenhagen Long Cut or nothing else. My user ID tells it like it is. I feel like I'm addicted to it like a crackhead is to coke. I've tried to quit many times and then give in, telling myself I'll just cut back. This is something I must do and I must do it now.

I've tried sub'ing sunflower seeds and drinking lots of water. In fact, that's what I do in situations like long trips where I can't take a dip and need something in its place. But, the first chance I get to be alone or at least out of eye shot of my judgemental wife, is throw a dip in. I'm ashamed of it yet I can't quit doing it. I hide it from my immediate family. I have spit bottles hidden in my house and in my truck. I've been busted a few times over the years but I always play it off like it's no big deal. I realize I need some support from somewhere. I hope this is the place.

I just ordered a 6 pack of oregon mint snuff. I have some sort of nicotine tablets my mom dropped off at my house not long ago (a mom always knows - amazing!). I hope I can earn the right to post here in the quitter forums very soon.