It is very rare that I pick apart a post and respond to individual pieces but this one is sooooo laden with excuses you are doomed to fail if you don't change your thought process.
I couldn't make it past lunch;
No this just isn't true. You chose to not make it past lunch. At some point in that day you made a conscious decision to choose a dip over your quit. You signed the contract in your heart. (link to the contract --
http://www.killthecan.org/facts/contract.asp ) A lot of quitters carry around a printed copy and promise to sign it in ink when they are too weak to stay quit. I'm telling you that whether or not it gets signed in ink, it gets signed in intent when someone caves. Think about that.
however, I only had four dips. I decided that was an accomplishment
Really? Before I quit, I only had four dips a day too. I had one when I woke up that I took out when I ate breakfast. I had my second when I was done eating breakfast and took it out when it was time for lunch. I had my third when I was done with lunch and took it out when it was time for supper. I had my fourth after supper and took it out when I went to bed. So I guess four isn't that bad after all. Maybe I'll pick up a tin so I can have me some accomplishment too.
I only had three dips.
I realize that last one was pretty harsh so I'll leave the sarcasm out of this one. I subscribe to the "bad dip" theory. This theory basically says that there is that one dip that will start the chain reaction that leads to the big C. I'm not a doctor or a statistician and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, so I have no fact to back this opinion. It's just what seems to happen in my uneducated mind. I might be wrong, but if I'm right you'd be "dead" wrong to disagree with it.
I am ready to complete my 100 days; and tomorrow the tobacco industry loses another customer.
This is where you start to pull it together. But even here there are a couple of traps waiting in the logic. First off, don't worry about the next 100 days. Worry about the next 100 seconds. Worry about getting your name on roll and giving your word to not use tobacco in any form for today and today alone. Make a constant decision to honor that pledge. And unfortunately, it will be a constant decision at first. But in time it will become a daily decision and that will turn into days and weeks of not thinking about dip.
Which leads me to the last thing that I want you to consider. In the next 100 days, you will be given advice on how to deal with triggers and craves. You will be shown what tools you need to stay quit. And in that time you will feel increasingly better and stronger over your addiction. Be aware that there is nothing magical about 100 days that is going to cure you. But worry about when it comes.
