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with me it's more of a habit than an addiction.
---I tried to convince myself this was the case for the first few weeks I dipped/smoked. When I found myself thinking about buying a can, its an addiction. If you think about it constantly, its an addiction. If you physically go out of your way to get it, its an addiction. If you feel the need to use it, its a.....what? That's right, an addiction!
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I was the same way when I smoked. It was almost impossible to quit but after I made my mind up it was nothing. After my mind was made up I never wanted another smoke again. The chewing is going the same way. Never had a nicotine craving after quitting from either one. I honestly think it's all mental.
---Are you seriously going on a quitting help board and telling addicts, like all of us, that its not that hard? It is certainly NOT all mental. Nicotine is an extremely addictive substance. My friend who still smokes and has done every drug in the book (he's from LA :P) says quitting is harder than Heroin and Cocaine!
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With both things I had to find something to replace it and after that it was smooth going.
---I went through this stage as do many people. "I'll only smoke from now on. Oh wait, this is not the same as dip. I think I'll chew again but only a can." And so on. It doesn't work that way. Replacement isn't quitting and its just as dangerous. They mean it when they say "there is no safe cigarette". What helped me understand the dangers was the process of curing and spraying and all. Plus knowing what they put in Tobacco. I never had a class on dipping in school during our drug program. Cigarettes really were not covered well either. This was during a big Heroin epidemic of the early 90s so that, along with Marijuana, Cocaine, inhalants and PCP were what was covered. All I knew was that there was tar in cigarettes and that they make you cough.
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This is just me though, I'm sure everybody is different.
---Granted some people find it easier to quit than others and motivation and health play a big part. I have tumors all over my lip, along my jawline, floor of mouth, and on my tongue. I've only been quit for 9 days now but I honestly have no desire to ever do either again. I'm not trying to sound high and mighty or anything, I'm still an addict. I still feel the physical effects from a craving and I think about dip and cigarettes during the day. I still have the need but not the want. If that makes sense.
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When I say I will never chew again I mean it.
---That's great and I hope it works for you.
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I said the same thing about smoking two weeks after I quit.
---Just my opinion, but I would argue that you never had quit by switching.
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I have found that ya have to want to quit and honestly want to or there will be no way to do it.
---You really do need to want it but my "attempts" before always resulted in the Nicotine winning. Or rather, myself failing to control the physical desire.
When I first posted here last spring I thought I wanted to quit but I didn't really.
---I signed up last spring too and realized after a while that it wasn't going to work because I enjoyed it too much. If it was something I didn't physically enjoy, it would be easier.
I wanted to quit but not enough that I was worring aboutv my health or anything.
---You really should. I'm only 23 and I have lesions all over my jaw line, lip, tongue and base of my mouth. They are painful and sometimes bleed and they have been growing over the past couple months and spreading. I couldn't afford a doctor since my old job I got layed off and my new job's benefits don't kick in until this summer.
Fortunately, a friend of mine is in medicine and recognized this as possible carcinoma when I told him something didn't feel right. Not even two years of tobacco and its ruined much of my life (if you want some examples I have posted a thread in motivation forum). I finally can afford some basic tests now that I am receiving paychecks again. If that doesn't scare you straight, I had an irregular heart beat, tightness in my chest and felt lightheaded a couple weeks ago. I had to go to the E.R. and stayed overnight. Doctor said my blood pressure was extremely high and asked if I was on drugs. I told him dip, a little bit of beer once in a while and an occasional smoke. He said that even though I'm not in bad shape, this stuff can skyrocket your blood pressure. That was the first I had ever heard of that.
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I said hell with it and started chewing again. Then one morning I woke up and said no more and I haven't had a chew since. easy as pie if you want to.
---There is nothing as easy as pie about this. I'm glad you haven't relapsed for so long but addiction can be lifelong mentally if not physically. My grandfather hasn't smoked since the 1940's but he still gets a craving for a cigarette in the morning or after a meal. It isn't super intense like it is for someone who just quit, but it's always there I imagine.
Sorry that was so long, but it helps to talk about this kind of stuff. When I saw your post, I was immediately disgusted at you saying how easy it is to quit in front of us but I tried to just give you my perspective rather than ripping you.
