Old Dog New Tricks

[Grizzlyhasclaws]

The quit is strong with this one.

[Old Dog New Tricks]

Coming up on 2 weeks and the mental aspect is now pretty well under control, except when I put myself in harms way, like having that extra drink at a party. I rarely drink, but when I do, it is typically socially and 2 drinks is enough to diminish my capacity to fight off the nic cravings. Haven't had any issues yet, but the risk is there, so starting today I'm going to limit my social drinking to 1 drink for each event I attend. That's my commitment to myself, documented here forever.

[Old Dog New Tricks]

All the advice from the old dogs is keeping me going. Day 11 found me driving across Massachusetts. It was one of those drives that I normally would consume 1 or 2 cans. Guys, I was so happy.... Not 1 craving the entire day!!!

11 days clean after over 13500 dirty. Awesome!

[Enough snuff]

Don't over think it. Just quit like fuck every damn day. If you can help some people in the process then great.

Right there. That is succinct and complete all in one phrase. Love it. See, that's why we need you old dogs around!

Agree with GClaws.

Here is some food for thought also, one day when you are even older than you are now but still looking for some new tricks.

I come here every day to give my word to myself and all of you that today I will not use nicotine. At this point, I think there is a 99.99999% chance that I would honor that commitment without giving my word. But with posting... there is a 100% chance that I will honor my word. Why people leave KTC is insanity defined... when you have a guaranteed insurance policy that costs nothing - you don't throw it away. Beyond that, helping newbies in the challenge helps me remember the complete and total bullshit that nicotine was in my life. It helps me remember my low oxygen levels, my high blood pressure, and my deceitfulness to those that I love. It makes me remember how hard it was to rent a car and drive in a city on a business trip without nicotine. It helps me remember those times that I sat in my room at the Waldorf, or the Plaza, or the Bellagio.... by myself getting a fix instead of enjoying the great city that I was visiting. It helps me remember the $45,000 that I selfishly spit out over my years of lying...

After beating myself up with these memories for just a few instances each day, it helps me remember that I am winning at something that I lost at every damn day for 25 years. I am winning. And so are you.

Each day, this will make more and more sense. The invisible hand theory... helping others helps yourself. But in the meantime, just enjoy winning. It is such a good feeling.

^^^^^ This Brotha right here knows what he's talking about. He has walked with me since August of 2013. That's how fast time passes when your Quitting with your buddies one day at a time. This place is what I needed. I place where I could finally find freedom. We earn it together. One day at a time.

Right here Old Dog. ..."it helps me remember that I am winning at something that I lost at every damn day for 25 years. I am winning. And so are you".
Worktowin walked with me as well from September 14 to present and his insight into the mind off a newbie is amazing. One day at a time is all it takes and all we ask brother.

[mookieblaylock]

9 days clean after over 13,500 days dirty. Need I say more?

Keep it up brother! I'm a tiny bit older dog who wised up a little sooner than you and I've gotta tell you, FREEDOM IS AWESOME! No matter what happens in my life now, my quit is a constant source of pride.

Quitting a 30+ year addiction is rough. Just know that you can do it, and that things will get better.

[Old Dog New Tricks]

9 days clean after over 13,500 days dirty. Need I say more?

[Gdubya]

Don't over think it. Just quit like fuck every damn day. If you can help some people in the process then great.

Right there. That is succinct and complete all in one phrase. Love it. See, that's why we need you old dogs around!

Agree with GClaws.

Here is some food for thought also, one day when you are even older than you are now but still looking for some new tricks.

I come here every day to give my word to myself and all of you that today I will not use nicotine. At this point, I think there is a 99.99999% chance that I would honor that commitment without giving my word. But with posting... there is a 100% chance that I will honor my word. Why people leave KTC is insanity defined... when you have a guaranteed insurance policy that costs nothing - you don't throw it away. Beyond that, helping newbies in the challenge helps me remember the complete and total bullshit that nicotine was in my life. It helps me remember my low oxygen levels, my high blood pressure, and my deceitfulness to those that I love. It makes me remember how hard it was to rent a car and drive in a city on a business trip without nicotine. It helps me remember those times that I sat in my room at the Waldorf, or the Plaza, or the Bellagio.... by myself getting a fix instead of enjoying the great city that I was visiting. It helps me remember the $45,000 that I selfishly spit out over my years of lying...

After beating myself up with these memories for just a few instances each day, it helps me remember that I am winning at something that I lost at every damn day for 25 years. I am winning. And so are you.

Each day, this will make more and more sense. The invisible hand theory... helping others helps yourself. But in the meantime, just enjoy winning. It is such a good feeling.

^^^^^ This Brotha right here knows what he's talking about. He has walked with me since August of 2013. That's how fast time passes when your Quitting with your buddies one day at a time. This place is what I needed. I place where I could finally find freedom. We earn it together. One day at a time.

[worktowin]

Don't over think it. Just quit like fuck every damn day. If you can help some people in the process then great.

Right there. That is succinct and complete all in one phrase. Love it. See, that's why we need you old dogs around!

Agree with GClaws.

Here is some food for thought also, one day when you are even older than you are now but still looking for some new tricks.

I come here every day to give my word to myself and all of you that today I will not use nicotine. At this point, I think there is a 99.99999% chance that I would honor that commitment without giving my word. But with posting... there is a 100% chance that I will honor my word. Why people leave KTC is insanity defined... when you have a guaranteed insurance policy that costs nothing - you don't throw it away. Beyond that, helping newbies in the challenge helps me remember the complete and total bullshit that nicotine was in my life. It helps me remember my low oxygen levels, my high blood pressure, and my deceitfulness to those that I love. It makes me remember how hard it was to rent a car and drive in a city on a business trip without nicotine. It helps me remember those times that I sat in my room at the Waldorf, or the Plaza, or the Bellagio.... by myself getting a fix instead of enjoying the great city that I was visiting. It helps me remember the $45,000 that I selfishly spit out over my years of lying...

After beating myself up with these memories for just a few instances each day, it helps me remember that I am winning at something that I lost at every damn day for 25 years. I am winning. And so are you.

Each day, this will make more and more sense. The invisible hand theory... helping others helps yourself. But in the meantime, just enjoy winning. It is such a good feeling.

[Old Dog New Tricks]

Don't over think it. Just quit like fuck every damn day. If you can help some people in the process then great.

Right there. That is succinct and complete all in one phrase. Love it. See, that's why we need you old dogs around!

[Grizzlyhasclaws]

Don't over think it. Just quit like fuck every damn day. If you can help some people in the process then great.

[Old Dog New Tricks]

Notes for when I am at 1 year. I was just reading through the posts of the September 2014 group. It was very interesting. Many of them have decided to dedicate a substantial amount of time helping the new guys and gals in our class. At the same time, for some of them, that commitment has come at a cost. Now that they are one year into their quit , they typically do not have daily thoughts or urges for tobacco, but helping us brings it back to the forefront of their mind.

I know that their selfless commitment has helped each and every one of us in our class , and I've said it before, I think they all deserve medals. But if we are putting their quit in jeopardy, then I am really torn about what I would do in their situation if I was them.

At the end of the day, since we are all genetically different, I think each of our quit is going to take different amounts of time and have different impacts on us mentally. So, when I am at year one , I will definitely attempt to help the new guys , but if my Quit or the quit of any of my class is jeopardized, then I think we need to preserve those quits as a priority bc they are an example to all noobs and would be more damaging if they turned into caves.

Having said that, I know that my quit has been substantially stronger and long-lasting because of my involvement with my class and my effort to help others . So, for the class of 2014 , helping us probably makes their quit stronger while at the same time making it tougher to deal with.

Bottom line, like most everything else in life, it has to be a balance that works for each individual.

[Old Dog New Tricks]

Day 8. I am going to take invaders advice , and start building a list of the reasons I want to stay quit.

1. Health

2. Parenting by example

3. When I retire with my wife , I would rather be traveling with her than having her take care of me in a cancer ward.

4. I don't want my sweat to smell like tobacco.

5. I hate the word addict and I don't want it to define me.

6. Life and time are precious. I don't want to waste it. When I was dipping, I would waste time dipping by myself. As a quitter, I have wasted an entire seven days of time , pain and effort just in the first week. I don't want to ever go back to either of those scenarios.

[pab1964]

CavMan, thanks for the article. Good stuff. Awesome article! Just read it. Both fascinating and disturbing at th same time. Definitely a must read for all. And I liked ur analogy about killing a rodent every day.

CavMan, Grizzly and Invader. You guys and my other BASs make my Quit rock hard. I still contend that HOFers like you that go out of their way to support newbies like me deserve a medal. However, in the absence of a medal, you all have my sincerest gratitude.

Remember my friend you're never alone but you must reach out let us all help! We've all been there. You got this shit! Live it! Own it! It's yours! Mind over matter! Do this alot of people counting on you! We got this! I'm side by side with you today! Damn proud to be quit with you!

[Old Dog New Tricks]

CavMan, thanks for the article. Good stuff. Awesome article! Just read it. Both fascinating and disturbing at th same time. Definitely a must read for all. And I liked ur analogy about killing a rodent every day.

CavMan, Grizzly and Invader. You guys and my other BASs make my Quit rock hard. I still contend that HOFers like you that go out of their way to support newbies like me deserve a medal. However, in the absence of a medal, you all have my sincerest gratitude.

[Grizzlyhasclaws]

Last night I came very close to caving. I need to record here one of the reasons I didn't, so that I can look back on it months or years from now. My daughter hid the following message in my travel case which I found right before I had the craving:

dear dad, I know it is going to be a difficult time, but I know you can do it!! You taught me to be a strong motivated woman. The only way you could teach me that is if you had the same qualities. Good luck on your trip. I love you.

Add that support to the accountability i have to my fellow BAQs on KTC, and you know why I was strong enough to win last night.

That's the way to do it! Keep building that accountability and adding to the list of reasons why you should and CAN quit. I'm 84 days into this and I'm still adding reasons why I should remain quit to a file I made in Notepad. Believe me sir, over time, this does get better. Cravings become less intense and less frequent. I'm only 84 days in, and I've gone hours without thinking about it, even a whole day without thinking about it at all.

But then the game changes. At that point, you have to keep your tools to quit nearby so you don't find yourself blindsided and forget how to deal with craves. The point is, I was and still am inspired by your decision to quit dipping! 38 years is longer than I've been alive, but there you are, kicking nicotine's ass with the best of 'em. Keep it up!

OD,



You've already figured it out. Compared to the mental withdrawal, the physical crap was easy. You will be amazed at how, over the next weeks and months, your addict brain will continue to call out to you. There's a very good article on addiction, here. I look at it this way.... for 38 years you put enough of a nicotine drip into your system to kill a small rodent on a daily basis. Over that time, your brain built up a ton of dopamine receptors to feed off all that nicotine. Now the drip is shut off, and those receptors have to be rewired. They have to die. I think of them as little crazed nicotine demon bastards that are dying and in the process, generally wreaking havoc inside your head. That is the mental process you will have to overcome over the course of the next few months.

I'm not worried about your caving, though. In addition to the wonderful support you're getting from your family (at least from the daughter), you've got this accountability thing figured out. Build that web; wrap it as tight as necessary to keep you strong and safe.

Quit with you today.

Read that article CavMan linked for you. It helped me and many others tons. You need to hate tobacco/nicotine. Hate it like nothing you've ever hated before. I hate the shit out of it. It helps. Fuck that shit.