IÂ’m a tad bit late to the introduction, as I am currently 17 days quit, but here it goes.
Hello everyone, IÂ’m a 25 year old that got hooked on dip around 15. It all started for me, with Skoal Apple. I would take a harmless dip at the county fair with buddies and be off our rockers buzzed out of our minds. I would hide it from my parents and the more I would do it, the more and more I got hooked on it. A dip a day turned into 2, and then 3 and then.... well you get the picture.
I then found Copenhagen Wintergreen. I found that I could “side hide” and chew all day long through high school classes if I had a bottle of pop to wash the spit down. After a while of that, it evolved into just swallowing the spit. Hell, I chewed in every sport believe it or not (football, basketball, and baseball) and we would call ourselves the “TJs” which stood for Tobacco Junkies. We knew the risks but we didn’t care. I went to college and continued to dip, but even more. Dip after dip, moving it around my entire mouth, (bottom, bottom side, top, top side) usually the spot that wasn’t the sorest or most raw. I continued to chew after college with no real intent on ever quitting. Dip became my crutch. I used it in every situation imaginable. When I was nervous, sad, happy, anxious, stressed, bored, literally all day every day, other than to eat. I finally came to the conclusion that enough was enough.
On 8/28/2018 @ 8:00 PM I spit out my last dip. The struggle is real. The first 4 days really are hell. I will not lie to potential quitters, it is like losing your best friend in life. ItÂ’s an emotional rollercoaster, and you will think to yourself that thereÂ’s no way you can do it. I decided to look Nicotine straight in the eye and tough it out. I still have my last can for a trophy. Some of my favorite things to do, didnÂ’t seem like fun anymore without dip. I didnÂ’t even want to leave my bed some days. But I DID! I got on here every day, posted roll, and read stories of people (some that have dipped double or even triple the amount of time I have dipped) that were on their hall of fame speech. I knew this was possible. I reached out to the veterans, got numbers, and promised my group that I would stay dip free every day. The cravings go in waves, some almost brought me to my knees, but they do go away, and they do get less intense. I know I have a long, bumpy road ahead of me, but with determination, self discipline, and help from KTC members, I know I can quit.
Can you?