Well, I know for a fact that my quit is strong. Not that I didn't think so before, but now it's been tested and remained intact. In fact, it's hard to say it was even tested, it was more like a really easy quiz that the teacher gives you the answers to before you take it and you studied for it anyway. It just wasn't tough, there was no desire, nothing that made me almost cave or anything of the sort. It was just as if I had never been a dipper before, and was just living my life like normal people.
On Friday, I went to play golf with folks from my company. We played 18 holes with a focus on the 19th. I was bombed, it was the drunkest I've been since college and god I can never do that again, I'm just not the kind of guy who goes out and gets shitfaced all the time. Regardless, I was surrounded by cigar smokers, cigarette smokers, and dippers all day long. I didn't crave or cave. I just drank my ass off. I remember toward the end of the night when I was really sloshed, a guy put in a pinch and I said, you should check out KTC, briefly mentioned it to him, he said he had been on it before, but then caved. I didn't get his name, I've never met him before, so I have no idea who he was, but that was my day. I'm not saying I'm cured or anything, all I'm saying is that being shit faced drunk surrounded by tobacco users didn't shake my quit one iota. It was, like I said, as if I had never dipped before, there was just simply no desire, no romanticizing the old days, nothing. It was something somebody else was doing.
Now, after how I felt on Saturday, I may need to go post in the alcohol thread, but my nic quit is solid.
nice job my friend. well done. always feels great to look at those times and be proud of yourself.
Damn Sapper, you have come a long way. Can you imagine surviving that 224 days ago? Its nice when we can just go thru a day (even an extreme one) and just not fret about it because we are quit. That Promise we make everyday....ITS EVERYTHING.
Sharing these victorys helps everyone's quit be stronger- thanks Sapper!
Nice job bro ... That story is exactly what "no chance at failure" and "I've burnt my boats" is all about. There was zero chance of a cave, because you removed the chance a long time ago. Nice ...
Rdad posed the question- Can you imagine surviving that 224 days ago?
Not sure what Sapper would say, but let me chime in.
No. trying to stay quit through that environment wouldn't have even come up, based on my old "quits".
That is, I wouldn't have even thought about staying quit, because I couldn't have done it. .
Various justifications-
1. Everyone else is doing it.
2. I'm drinking, chew is so good when I'm when drinking.
3. I won't chew, I'll just smoke a cigar. My buddies are smoking a cigar.
4. Fuck it, I already smoked a cigar, might as well have a chew.
5. Fuck it, I am quitting this shit tomorrow, but today I'll enjoy myself.
Without this place, I would have been so defenseless I wouldn't have even realized how defenseless I was.
Now, teamed up with dudes like Sapper, I can confidently say that in that same situation I once again don't need to even think about quitting, because I am QUIT.
Completely above that shit.
Fucking nicotine junkies are no longer a threat to my quit, they are an object of pity or scorn. Fuck em.
Nice work Sap.
This is a great thread. From the first post, to the last... this is what this site is all about. Well done, Sapper.
Good post Sapper, way to be strong.
Inspiring tale of quit, Sapper.
4 day golf/booze fest starts for me Wednesday, likely be the only one with 0% nicotine ingested throughout the trip.
To answer rdad's question, no, I couldn't have done it 224 days ago. And, I'll say this, even if I had been on this site at the time and done this at such an early stage of my quit, I'd have been a retread without a doubt.
Which leads me to an observation. You've seen it said to avoid booze for the first 50 days or so. Yes, a million times yes. You have to. If you've got an alcohol problem, figure that out first, then come back and quit dipping, but if you aren't an alcoholic, just put down the sauce for the first couple months. You won't regret it.
Also, if you're in a situation where you find your job tied to your social drinking and that is a catalyst for nic use, it may be a good idea to have a serious talk with your boss. "Hey, boss, I can't go to the normal client kegger that we go to every year because I'm actively trying to quit using tobacco. I know that I have a higher probability of using it again if I go and get sloshy. I'm gonna sit this one out." Trust me folks, there is no HR department in the world that come up with the justifiable wording on the separation documents to allow your employer to drop you for those reasons. If your employer can't support you in that effort, fuck em, sue em if they try to fire you.
