SKOAL MONSTER

[theo3wood]

Witnessing the return of SWJ, I couldn't help but wonder what the heck ever happened to Skoal Monster. If anybody knows, please send me a PM.

[miles]

To friends unmet,

I bought a ticket to this ride long ago, maybe you did too. I was too young to understand the consequences, I was too young to care, I was invincible and I liked the buzz. What chance does a kid have against billions of dollars in advertising? I believed that dip was a crutch, that it somehow helped me, that it calmed me, that I could get thru any of life's roller coasters with a can at my side. I thought of it as a friend. It defined me.

I didn't realize how wrong I was.

Nicotine is not a crutch its a ball and chain. It never helped me, I only thought it did. It never helped you either. The relief we felt from chewing was a result of two things only.

First we were relieving the anxiety caused by withdrawl symptoms. Stress reduces the time nic stays in your blood stream, this causes withdrawl. So we crave a fix. When you recieve your dose of nic and eliminate the withdrawl symptoms you feel better. It NEVER HELPED THE PROBLEM, but we believed it did because we felt better, calmer, etc. Fact is, if you were not addicted to nicotine you could have handled the problem calmly and easily in the first place. The addiction made it harder.

Second, the act of taking a chew usually removed us physically or mentally from the problem. I generally preferred to stuff that crap in my mouth in private. I would walk away from fights, or simply give in so I could leave and have a dip. This was simple problem avoidance. But somehow my simple mind believed that it was the dip that was making me feel better. In reality I could have taken a walk, or mowed the lawn, or taken a drive and accomplished the same thing.


Play out that scenario daily for years on end and it gets burned into your mind. A dip will solve your problems. We tell the story over and over and over until we believe it as gospel. I lived the lie for 23 years. I never even learned how to handle conflict without it. Didn't even think I could.

I've seen 1,000 day quitters and day one quitters crumble under this lie. The mistaken belief that somehow a dip will help. I've seen quitters cave after a death in the family, a job loss, a car wreck, financial setbacks, failed marriages, all believing that a dip will help them handle the crisis. It doesn't. That's just a imaginary belief leftover from years of lying and addiction.


I have a friend I never met, she recently relapsed. Personal problems and emotional pain from lifes shit storms drove her back to the can. I asked her a simple question,

" didn't help did it?"

The response was....... "no"

the response is always no, if it helped cavers wouldn't try to quit again.

I have another friend I've yet to meet, quit for close to 2 years, and he is walking on the edge as well. Looking for a crutch, some way to soothe the hurt. He craves a dip, to help him get thru the rough patch. I've felt this way as well, I understand the power of the lie that dip is a crutch, a friend, a help. I know that it won't help and I suspect he does too, but because I believed it for so long, and reinforced it with every stressed out dip I still hold on to it in the part of me that will always be an addict.

After 651 days quit, I find this to be the most dangerous use rationalization for a long term quitter. The mistaken belief that nicotine is a emotional or physical crutch. Life sucks sometimes and I don't know much, but I know that a dip won't make it suck any less. The only thing that shit is good for is keeping you addicted to nicotine. Stay quit

sm

Read this
http://www.killthecan.org/robs/anger.asp

http://www.killthecan.org/robs/stress.asp

BUMP

Feeling this today. Thanks SM.

[30yraddict]

Bump, because you need to read this thread. Just that simple.

Darn, saw this back at the top and thought SM was back :(

But you are right...required reading.

[Scowick65]

Bump, because you need to read this thread. Just that simple.

[Skoal Monster]

A fathers Day reminder

What price would you pay to keep your child from this kind of pain?? Is a little discomfort from quitting too much to ask? Is a little resolve to stay quit just for today too heavy a burden? What kind of father do you want to be? Addiction is a choice.

Dear Daddy

By: MOA

Dear Daddy-

I wish you could have been there today to see me in my Ballet Recital, I felt like a princess. But your addiction was too strong for you to deny.

I wish you were here to hold me and tell me there was no “Boogie man” under my bed. But you put your addiction first.

I wish you were here to teach me to drive a car. But tobacco would not let you.

I wish you could have seen my high school graduation today, I sure missed you. But you chose to continue to use tobacco over your family.

I wish you could have been here tonight and met my prom date, I think I am in love. But your resolve to quit dip was not strong enough.

I wish you were here to help me move into my dorm room at college, I think I will like it here. But you chose to continue to use tobacco.

I wish you could have been around to give me words of encouragement on my wedding day and walk me down the aisle, it would have meant the world to me. But you were not strong enough to put down snuff once and for all.

I wish you were here today to hold your first grandchild, you know he has your eyes. But tobacco was too important to you.

I wish you had never used tobacco daddy, my life would have been much happier.

I love you and miss you,

Your daughter


I am quit today and tomorrow....MOA

Think Dipping only hurts you???? Posts by Tom Kerns daughter

Happy Father's Day dad!! I love you and miss you so much. You would have been so proud of Connor today he pitched a good game, and Tori has a good tournament yesterday too, but I know you were there in spirit! I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kenzi Kern
Hutch, MN - Sunday, June 21, 2009 8:29 PM CDT

Hey Dad-

I have been thinking about you a lot. Lately I have been crying every night. I don't know why but I feel like the pain is getting worse. It has been 6 years already, but I swear I remember it like it was just yesterday. I remember mom waking me and nikki up in the morning saying it wasn't good. I remember Julie driving us to the hospital. I remember going to Walmart to get swim suits because we were going to go to john and shell's and run through the sprinkler, until Dave called my phone and told us to come quick. I remember coming to the hospital scared of what might come next. I wanted to run out to the car to get my CD that has the song "Dance with my father" that I really wanted you to hear. Right as we were going to get on the elevator grandma yelled to have everyone come back into the room, we all new it was bad. I remember running back into the room, throwing myself on top on you at the end of the bed yelling "DADDY, PLEASE DON'T GO", but then you did. Hearing you take your last breath, was like getting my heart ripped out of my chest. I remember laying there at the end of your bed crying and crying and crying, hoping and praying you were going to come back. I needed you, mom needed you, connor, alexa, and tori needed you. We needed you to be there for us, to cook me steak and tell me who I could and couldn't date, you needed to coach tori and connor's softball and baseball teams, you needed to watch alexa perform just ONE more time, mom needed your help to keep me out of trouble. It's not fair. It's not fair that such an amazing guy like you had to go. It's not fair that alexa, tori, and I will never get to have you walk us down the isle or have our father daughter dance, it's not fair that you will not get to see what a good pitcher connor is or see what an amazing guy he has become. it's not fair that Kenra will never get to hear your laugh or have you give her one of those amazing hugs you gave. Dad I miss you so much and want you hear to tell me everything will be okay.
Kenzi Kern
- Monday, July 19, 2010 9:03 PM CDT 

QUOTE 
When you go to college your dad should be there helping you carry all of the big things, giving you a big hug and as your pretending not to be scared to be on your own you should be there saying it will be okay kiddo, you can call when anytime. But your not. I am so mad that you are not here to watch all of us grow up and here for every waking moment. I wish you could be hear for us and give us that hug and call us kiddo or pumpkin. Well I miss you dad and love you so much!
Kenzi Kern
Saturday, September 4, 2010 10:58 AM CDT 

Jason Bland Story - Another family torn apart by Tobacco

http://www.powerthecure.org/index.html

My husband Jason was diagnosed in January 2009 with tongue cancer at age 36. We have two daughters, at the time ages 10 and 5. Jason passed away on June 7, 2010, after a long and courageous, 18-month battle.  I became involved in every aspect of Jason’s treatment and spent many hours doing research. One very disturbing fact I found was that the statistics in oral cancers have not changed much over the years.  This is a travesty to me; the research in oral cancers has not furthered itself like it has in so many other cancers.

Since 2009 I have helped sponsor many fundraisers in JasonÂ’s name to raise money for head and neck cancer research, as well as help to bring awareness about the importance of early detection and educating the public about the dangers of tobacco use.

A lesson from a parent dying of lung cancer, Who taught her son to quit

"I have terminal lung cancer. I am going to die within two months. I am here to quit smoking. I want to make it clear that I am not kidding myself into thinking that if I quit I will save my life. It is too late for me. I am going to die and there is not a damn thing I can do about it. But I am going to quit smoking."

"You may wonder why I am quitting if I am going to die anyway. Well, I have my reasons. When my children were small, they always pestered me about my smoking. I told them over and over to leave me alone, that I wanted to stop but couldn't. I said it so often they stopped begging. But now my children are in their twenties and thirties, and two of them smoke. When I found out about my cancer, I begged them to stop. They replied to me, with pained expressions on their faces, that they want to stop but they can't."

"I know where they learned that, and I am mad at myself for it. So I am stopping to show them I was wrong. It wasn't that I couldn't stop smoking- it was that I wouldn't! I am off two days now, and I know I will not have another cigarette. I don't know if this will make anybody stop, but I had to prove to my children and to myself that I could quit smoking. And if I could quit, they could quit, anybody could quit."

"I enrolled in the clinic to pick up any tips that would make quitting a little easier and because I was real curious about how people who really were taught the dangers of smoking would react. If I knew then what I know now- well, anyway, I have sat and listened to all of you closely. I feel for each and every one of you and I pray you all make it. Even though I haven't said a word to anyone, I feel close to all of you. Your sharing has helped me. As I said, I wasn't going to talk. But today I have to. Let me tell you why."

She turned to the two ladies in the back, who Joel recalls had listened to her every word. "The only reason I am speaking up now is because you two BITCHES are driving me crazy. You are partying in the back while everyone else is sharing with each other, trying to help save each other's lives." She told them about the young woman whose brother was killed and how they laughed, totally unaware of her loss.

"Will you both do me a favor, just get the hell out of here! Go out and smoke, drop dead for all we care, you are learning and contributing nothing here." Joel recalls they sat stunned. He had to calm the group as things had become "quite charged." Needless to say, writes Joel, "that was the last of the gabbing from the back of the room for the entire two-week clinic."

All present that night were successful in remaining nicotine-free. The two ladies who had earlier talked only to each other were applauded by all during graduation, even by the lady with lung cancer. "All was forgiven," recalls Joel. The lady who'd lost her brother was also present, nicotine-free and proud.

"And the lady with lung cancer proudly accepted her diploma and introduced one of her children. He had stopped smoking for over a week at that time. Actually, when the lady with cancer was sharing her story with us, she had not told her family yet that she had even quit smoking," wrote Joel. Six weeks later his mother was dead.

When Joel called to see how she was doing her son answered. He thanked Joel for helping her quit at the end and told him how proud she was and how proud he was of her. "She never went back to smoking, and I will not either," he said.

She'd taught her children a falsehood and as her final lesson sought to set the record straight. It wasn't that she couldn't quit but that she wouldn't. I too was once convinced "I couldn't" but it was a lie. It was a lie sold to me by a mind taken hostage by nicotine, a captive mind that had me believing that my next fix was more important than life itself.

Exerpts from a free pdf book by Polito JR entitled
"Freedom from Nicotine - The Journey Home"
Copyright 2008 John R. Polito

[magnum9]

Waking up on the tile floor hurts when your 40. Picture the shower scenes of Elizibeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas or maybe the Crying Game. Yup, that was me this morning. A crumpled wreck of my former self.

Odd that I would find myself in such a lowly predicament when only yesterday I set the all time single day record for consuming Vodka Sodas. Vodka generally is good stuff for me, but apparently I have developed an allergy to the limes they add. After twenty to twenty five limes including the one from the tequila shot I began to spin like a top and act like a poo flinging zoo monkey. Damn lime allergy.

My jaw hurts because we decided that the best use of two Asian strippers is to give them a dollar so they will slap the living shit out of your buddy. I think we each spent 50 bucks playing Rock em Sock Em Asian G- String Robots.I don't think my head ever actually popped off, but I do have a loose tooth. I wonder how he explained the palm print on his face when he got home. Strippers love to slap the crap out of drunk guys with lots of singles. But as I was medically impaired due to my Lime reaction ........I think they took advantage of me.

You sir may be over-thinking this whole ordeal...Is it possible that the Asian strippers (aware that you and said friends recently went to the bank to withdraw massive amounts of one dollar bills) did infact; put something in your innocent vodka concotion that left you a "wreck of my former self"? I submit to you sir that you are NOT getting older, nor are you LESS of a vodka drinking madman than you were in your twenties! It was instead those damn, loose, ill-intentioned, Asian temptresses! Not your fault at all sir!

MOA

What he said. 'poledancer' mag 'Sing and Drink' 'shots' Skoal Monster

[redyota]

Waking up on the tile floor hurts when your 40. Picture the shower scenes of Elizibeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas or maybe the Crying Game. Yup, that was me this morning. A crumpled wreck of my former self.

Odd that I would find myself in such a lowly predicament when only yesterday I set the all time single day record for consuming Vodka Sodas. Vodka generally is good stuff for me, but apparently I have developed an allergy to the limes they add. After twenty to twenty five limes including the one from the tequila shot I began to spin like a top and act like a poo flinging zoo monkey. Damn lime allergy.

My jaw hurts because we decided that the best use of two Asian strippers is to give them a dollar so they will slap the living shit out of your buddy. I think we each spent 50 bucks playing Rock em Sock Em Asian G- String Robots.I don't think my head ever actually popped off, but I do have a loose tooth. I wonder how he explained the palm print on his face when he got home. Strippers love to slap the crap out of drunk guys with lots of singles. But as I was medically impaired due to my Lime reaction ........I think they took advantage of me.

The last time I was this hung over I was in High School. I walked in the front door with a pierced ear and a grin until my old man saw me. He looked at me and said
"only three things wear earrings. Pirates, Fags, and Women which one are you?"

The wrong answer which came out of my smart ass mouth was" ARGGGGGGGGG"
Having an earring pulled out of your ear hurts almost as much as being slapped 50 times by a stripper.

TIFFS 9.925 'crackup'

[minuteofangle]

Waking up on the tile floor hurts when your 40. Picture the shower scenes of Elizibeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas or maybe the Crying Game. Yup, that was me this morning. A crumpled wreck of my former self.

Odd that I would find myself in such a lowly predicament when only yesterday I set the all time single day record for consuming Vodka Sodas. Vodka generally is good stuff for me, but apparently I have developed an allergy to the limes they add. After twenty to twenty five limes including the one from the tequila shot I began to spin like a top and act like a poo flinging zoo monkey. Damn lime allergy.

My jaw hurts because we decided that the best use of two Asian strippers is to give them a dollar so they will slap the living shit out of your buddy. I think we each spent 50 bucks playing Rock em Sock Em Asian G- String Robots.I don't think my head ever actually popped off, but I do have a loose tooth. I wonder how he explained the palm print on his face when he got home. Strippers love to slap the crap out of drunk guys with lots of singles. But as I was medically impaired due to my Lime reaction ........I think they took advantage of me.

You sir may be over-thinking this whole ordeal...Is it possible that the Asian strippers (aware that you and said friends recently went to the bank to withdraw massive amounts of one dollar bills) did infact; put something in your innocent vodka concotion that left you a "wreck of my former self"? I submit to you sir that you are NOT getting older, nor are you LESS of a vodka drinking madman than you were in your twenties! It was instead those damn, loose, ill-intentioned, Asian temptresses! Not your fault at all sir!

MOA

[Ready]

poo flinging zoo monkey

:rolleyes:

Strippers love to slap the crap out of drunk guys

:o

but I do have a loose tooth

:wacko:

And I think if SWJ were around he would call you a pussy.

[Skoal Monster]

Waking up on the tile floor hurts when your 40. Picture the shower scenes of Elizibeth Shue in Leaving Las Vegas or maybe the Crying Game. Yup, that was me this morning. A crumpled wreck of my former self.

Odd that I would find myself in such a lowly predicament when only yesterday I set the all time single day record for consuming Vodka Sodas. Vodka generally is good stuff for me, but apparently I have developed an allergy to the limes they add. After twenty to twenty five limes including the one from the tequila shot I began to spin like a top and act like a poo flinging zoo monkey. Damn lime allergy.

My jaw hurts because we decided that the best use of two Asian strippers is to give them a dollar so they will slap the living shit out of your buddy. I think we each spent 50 bucks playing Rock em Sock Em Asian G- String Robots.I don't think my head ever actually popped off, but I do have a loose tooth. I wonder how he explained the palm print on his face when he got home. Strippers love to slap the crap out of drunk guys with lots of singles. But as I was medically impaired due to my Lime reaction ........I think they took advantage of me.

The last time I was this hung over I was in High School. I walked in the front door with a pierced ear and a grin until my old man saw me. He looked at me and said
"only three things wear earrings. Pirates, Fags, and Women which one are you?"

The wrong answer which came out of my smart ass mouth was" ARGGGGGGGGG"
Having an earring pulled out of your ear hurts almost as much as being slapped 50 times by a stripper.

[jcook]

777


                                      Jackpot Bitches

                                            'oh yeah'

Sm,

You have a unique style that is effective. And wether you know it or not your words have saved my quit on multiple occasions.

You sir are one damn fine quitter. Congrats on the trip 7's. Quit is on automagic.

Yep SM, dittos ........ reading and re-reading yours and other's old posts early in my quit was critical. Congrats!

[J2b]

777


Jackpot Bitches

'oh yeah'

Sm,

You have a unique style that is effective. And wether you know it or not your words have saved my quit on multiple occasions.

You sir are one damn fine quitter. Congrats on the trip 7's. Quit is on automagic.

[Greg5280]

777


Jackpot Bitches

'oh yeah'

Very Nice !!!

Thanks for all the help !!

[magnum9]

777


Jackpot Bitches

'oh yeah'

Way to go ya pussy! :P

Did you get that salmon colored thong for the wrestle mania?

[30yraddict]

777


Jackpot Bitches

'oh yeah'

Way to go SM!