Well here I am 100 days into it and still having triggers! WTF? The problem is, I'm an ADDICT, always will be. The solution?...........Get through them one at a time.
Once I was able to wrap my head around the addict concept, it was clear to me how I needed to proceed with my quit. But first let me take you on my journey out of madness. Say about 19 years ago................
I'm 15 and my best friend introduces me to Beechnut chewing tobacco. It tastes different but good. Hey this isn't so bad. Why all the fuss over this stuff? 30 minutes later we both proceed to blow chunks! We didn't touch the stuff again for 2 weeks. Then it was Copenhagen. We learned about moderation. We could handle a little bit at a time and be alright. I should have givin him the super finger when he wanted me to try a Marlboro, but I felt like I was being a rebel and stepping out. Practicing each day to not cough when inhailing was the challenge. I got to where I was smoking Lucky Strike non filters to get an edge on my friend. It worked and I was hooked! All through high school I fit into the smoker click. It wasn't a bad place to be at the time because there were a lot of us. Couldn't wait until the bell rang between classes so we could go SMOKE! Couldn't wait until I got home so I could go hide and SMOKE! Joined the military right after high school and was forced to quit for 2 months. But wait! After boot camp, that didn't matter any more. I could SMOKE again! Yes....What a life! Smoked all the way through my training and into my permanent station. 4 years later I got out and SMOKED some more. About this time I got a little scared. My chest was feeling it now and I wanted to try quitting. Besides I remember seeing all the pictures and heard stories about lung cancer and I knew that it was a horrible way to go.
I tried to quit 6 times before I gave up and started chewing. I figured that as long as I wasn't smoking and was able to monitor the amount of chew I was putting in my mouth, I would just keep that up for a month or two and let the smoking habbit clear from my mind. STUPID! What resulted next was a series of back and forth smoking and chewing episodes that lasted for 4 more years. That brings me up to now! THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE TO QUITTING, THERE IS JUST QUITTING!
You see.... in my mind I was wanting to quit but not ready. I started the search for WAYS to quit and I found this jewel. I started reading stories and seeing what these other guys were going through that I was about to endure and it was exactly what I needed. I had a quit date planned but ended up quitting 2 days before because of the information on this site. I had found the READY FACTOR I was looking for. A simple but effective motto used here is "there is no such thing as one chew" or cigarette and the other key for me was The Law of Addiction. These two things were like fire! The READY FACTOR had been lit! I stand strong because of the people on this site and in this organization lies the right tools for anyone who is wanting to quit.
I would like to attempt to name a few people who stood out in my quit as my resistance team.
20 years...........Dude you have a good heart! I appreciate the contact and the support and it has been a pleasure going through the first 100 with you. Looking forward to the next 100 and beyond!
ust25yrdonor........I will never forget your avatar! Everytime I saw it, it inspired me to be better for my kids and it was a beacon of hope for me. Thank you for your support to my friend and for lending a number.
iuchewie...........Thank you for helping me with setting up my avatar and for always responding in what seemed to be a blink of an eye. You truly are an asset to this site brother! Keep up the great work!
DanTheMan..........Thank you for the encouragement when I hit fifty. And thank you for the continued encourgement for the Hall. It felt nice to be noticed!
Thank you all on this site and in this organization from the vets to the admins to the newbies. You are all the reason that there is any success to celebrate in the first place! The fact that you have made the decision to not be slaves anymore is awe inspiring and together we all give a big 'Finger' to U.S. Tobacco!
The battle will be forever, but it is a battle that must be fought to gain back control of your life. As with anything time heals all wounds and makes everything easier to manage. This is no exception! Just give time its time.
Keep the good fight brothers and sisters! See you along the way.
Brandon
