I am sure my dipping story is not unusual. I smoked cigarettes throughout my teen years, and quit at 21. I was free of nicotine for about a year, and then at 22, during one of the lowest periods of my life, I decided that instead of buying cigarettes (which were a hindrance to me getting into shape), that I would buy some dip. I had tried it a few times in high school, and knew that I liked it. After that first can, I was completely hooked. I have been dipping close to a can a day for about three years now. At the beginning of this year, I successfully gave up dip, cold turkey, for over three weeks, as a New Year resolution. However, my fiancee broke off our engagement in late January. That caused me to spiral back into dipping heavier than before.
As much as I have enjoyed dipping, it is starting to cause problems in my life. I have been putting off seeing a dentist out of fear. My workplace has a tobacco-free policy, and I am tired of having to sneak dips in the office, and almost getting caught. My sexual performance is not what it used to be, and I know nicotine can impact that. Also, spending $4 a day on dip is starting to take a toll on my wallet. I live in an area with a really high cost of living, and I cannot afford to maintain this habit. Most importantly, I watched two people I know pass away, this summer, from cancers that I know dip can cause. That was a wake-up call that I cannot keep doing this if I want to be healthy.
I kept telling myself that the long Labor Day weekend would be a good opportunity for me to give up this habit, because I would have four days to go through the worst of withdrawal without dealing with work stress, and I could start the fall season without dip. However, when I woke up this morning, I started to feel that dread of not having a can. I would really like to quit without the use of any crutches like nicotine patches. I used the patch to give up smoking, and it caused me to have disturbing dreams and a lot of muscle aches.
