Hall of Fame Speech
Hi, my name is Joey6t4 and this is my Hall of Fame speech. About six or seven years ago, playing ball, I picked up a can of Grizzly Wintergreen pouches and little did I know that my life would change soon after that. I know it is a funny thing to say when people state “my life would change” because life is ever changing. Life changes every day, every hour, shit every minute! But it is all about what is changing at that minute, hour, or day that makes an everlasting impression into the mold that is one’s life. After a sunny afternoon of playing ball with friends at a local school, I went home and was confused. Now, if anyone will tell you, I am easily confused and that is no surprise to anyone. However, this was a different confusion. This confusion was something so powerful it felt as if I had no control over my intentions, emotions and absolutely lost all self-control. I found myself feeling this craving that was so powerful, it was uncontrollable. I felt as if I was going crazy because I couldn’t get that satisfaction of the nicotine head rush right then and there.
That day changed it all, I wish I could take that day back and I would give anything to get that day back because that day was the day that changed my life until September 16, 2019. There have been many days in my life that I picked up the can, looked at it and set it down. Hell, there were even days where I picked up the can and emptied its contents inside of the toilet and flushed it. But more times than not there were times where I picked up the can and said screw it and put in two pouches on top and two pouches on the bottom of my mouth and went for a wild ride. All of us in here can agree that the initial headrush that the bitch named nicotine gives your is insatiable, addicting, and overwhelming all at the same time. I felt as if I was living my life chasing that head rush which was getting in the way of a lot of things in life. Taking trips with family and friends, having to hide the can and even gut the spit just to keep that chase for the head rush going. Day after day I was a slave to the nicotine, I chose to spend money on cans over food, so on and so forth. I was tired of it. I was tired of running away and hiding this awful thing. I was tired of having to gut the dip spit so people would know and judge me. I was just tired of it all.
After having been a slave for six years or so, I started to have health issues. I started getting anxious, nervous and even having heart palpitations. I am 27 years old and should not be having these feelings (in my opinion). Many of my friends and family know me as a hypochondriac and that in itself is a battle that is everlasting and in my opinion is just as hard of a battle as quitting nicotine. Now I know being a hypochondriac sometimes isn’t necessarily a choice and I am a firm believer of some people being born with that trait but picking up the can day after day was a choice. Joining KTC has been the best thing that has happened to me and I will always be forever grateful for the wonderful men and women who are on this site who chose to be quit with me. I honestly couldn’t have done it without you and I know we’ve had some rocky conversations (KTC and I) but in the end we ultimately find the goal of being and staying quit for each other, most importantly… ourselves.
My name is Joey6t4 and I was addicted to nicotine. As of today, I am 144 days quit. I am proud to call myself your brother in quit today as I know if we are all banded together as one united front, we WILL beat nicotine and we WILL destroy the nasty addiction.
