My first introduction was short due to my limited time to write it (I wanted to start the KYC protocol as soon as possible). Therefore, here is a bit more background:
My first dip was when I was about 13. Dipping was a common part of growing up in a neighborhood full of athletic kids. Smoking was understood to be incompatible with sports, but dipping was "cool." But for me it was very infrequent until college, when it became more frequent and associated with hanging out with friends, beer, and long study hours. But still it was not a daily habit.
When working I did not dip every day because it did not fit in an office environment, that was until I became familiar with the modern "pouch" styles from Skoal and Grizzly. The pouches are cleaner and easier to hide. About 10 years ago, I became fully addicted, using a can every 3 days or less.
Many factors led me to KTC. They are similar for me as for others: lack of freedom, tired of the embarrassment, time and money, a valid fear of health problems, wanting to set a good example for my kids, and others. There is one reason for quitting, however, that I would like to bring up:
Over the past many years, I have had this feeling, especially while in church, that God was telling me that if I want to advance in my Christian walk and move closer to Him, I need to get the dip out of the way. I can't explain why I felt this, and I could never prove it, but this is very real to me and a key motivator for quitting.
The next thing for me was research and a plan. This is how my brain works. I was searching for information about how to use nicotine gum to quit dipping, and I came across this site. I think what attracted me to KTC was the honesty of the information. Specifically, an appreciation for: (1) this problem of mine being my fault; (2) quitting is hard and miserable; (3) the effort needs to be 100 percent; (4) KTC has real information from real people who have done or are doing what I need to do; and (5) after a while, I began to understand why active participation via roll is so important. This process is hard, the milestones are not there by accident, and to the extent it can be done on the internet, KTC will break through anonymity to create accountability.
Although I was motivated and prepared by KTC, the few days were horrible. It's all my fault. I never want to go through that again. I continued to read KTC often for motivation. By day 5, food started to taste more intense. My office coffee, I now realize, is horrible. Mint gum in the morning is as refreshing as cold wind. The cravings come and go, and the headaches are not as intense. I also found mint pouches for sale nearby, and they help. I used to like sunflower seeds, but by day 3 I had enough! My jaws also need a break from the gum chewing. Last night I had my first "dip" dream where I failed my quit in the dream and I was very upset about it.
None of the past week would have been possible without KTC. This morning, I woke up early and posted roll before I got up from bed. Just last week I would have thought roll was not necessary for me--now I look forward to it because it's an important element in the KTC methodology--make the promise every day, never forget, be accountable to yourself and others, learn from others and one day teach someone else.
