Zombo Funk's Late Intro

[Athan]

Yesterday I posted my 500th promise to quit. The 5th floor. Half a dangle. It's a big milestone.

Today I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and the day has been quite shit. I spent a good 30 minutes thinking about how nice it'd be to have a dip while dealing with a toddler tantrum.

This is why I WUPP every day. You never know when you'll need that insurance.

Zombo Funk 501 / 402. PTBQWYT.

must be a peach of a hand!

[Zombo Funk]

Yesterday I posted my 500th promise to quit. The 5th floor. Half a dangle. It's a big milestone.

Today I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and the day has been quite shit. I spent a good 30 minutes thinking about how nice it'd be to have a dip while dealing with a toddler tantrum.

This is why I WUPP every day. You never know when you'll need that insurance.

Zombo Funk 501 / 402. PTBQWYT.

[BrianG]

I just recently came back from a vacation with my family and I had a really rough time with my alcohol quit, but honestly I didn't think about dip at all. I came on here to post about it, but realized that this is a nicotine quitting site and most of my posts since I quit drinking have been about quitting drinking.

For anyone out there who has quit additional substances, habits, hobbies, et cetera since quitting nicotine: How has that impacted your relationship with the nicotine quit?

I think not drinking continues to be difficult for me because it's more of a lifestyle alteration where quitting dip was more a habit. I never compulsively drank or had overwhelming urges like I did with dip. It's also worth mentioning that I am exposed to people drinking much more frequently then I am exposed to people using nicotine.



I know 'just one more' is still out there with my name on it. This post isn't about trying to minimize the difficulty of quitting nicotine. I'm just curious if anyone else out there has gone on to quit more than nicotine and if so, have they experience a similar phenomenon.

You should check out this area of the site.  https://ktcforum.org/index.php?board=36.0

[Zombo Funk]

I just recently came back from a vacation with my family and I had a really rough time with my alcohol quit, but honestly I didn't think about dip at all. I came on here to post about it, but realized that this is a nicotine quitting site and most of my posts since I quit drinking have been about quitting drinking.

For anyone out there who has quit additional substances, habits, hobbies, et cetera since quitting nicotine: How has that impacted your relationship with the nicotine quit?

I think not drinking continues to be difficult for me because it's more of a lifestyle alteration where quitting dip was more a habit. I never compulsively drank or had overwhelming urges like I did with dip. It's also worth mentioning that I am exposed to people drinking much more frequently then I am exposed to people using nicotine.



I know 'just one more' is still out there with my name on it. This post isn't about trying to minimize the difficulty of quitting nicotine. I'm just curious if anyone else out there has gone on to quit more than nicotine and if so, have they experience a similar phenomenon.

[Keith0617]

Today marks 1 year of freedom from alcohol. 365 days of Sobriety, One Day At A Time.

I remember in the beginning how hard it was. We all get a big enough number by our names and the memories of the struggle start to slip. As with dip, so with alcohol. Addiction is the same. It's interesting that the closer I got to 1 year, the more I started to think about drinking afterwards. I mean... if I can quit for a year voluntarily, then I can't be an addict, right?

Fortunately I know better. I know that there are posts out there where I talked about having the same thoughts toward 100 days. Posts where I talk about how hard it was. Posts where I owned up to being an addict. Posts where I mentioned how much better I felt after quitting. Posts where I thanked everyone for their support.

One of the great things about getting involved and doing more than just 'posting and ghosting' is that you can go back and read the stuff you said. It's one thing to get support from others when you're feeling down, or when you're in a rough patch. It's something else entirely to go back and read your own words, your own struggle, your own reasons. For posterity's sake, here are some of mine.

Zombo Funk - 1. Celebrating my HOF today with my August Ajays. Pretty afraid to join you all here, but I've been thinking about it a long time. Told everyone in my HOF speech that they should quit now, and I feel like I need to follow my own advice. Drinking has arguably caused way more problems in my life than dip ever did. I'm looking forward to sticking it out with you all.

Zombo Funk 5. Getting easier to fall asleep already. Still wake up 100 times though. Weird how it's hard to admit i drank too much but it's so obvious after I stopped.

Zombo Funk 7. One week of ODAAT. parents coming to visit soon and I'm still not sure how to tell them I've quit.

I don't know your situation but I'm still a little stuck on the part where I admit I have a legitimate 'drinking problem'. I'm fine telling people shit like, "I've decided to quit for 100 days" or some bullshit. It's just the part where I may have to verbalize anything along the lines of "I am quitting forever because I have proven to myself time and time again that drinking just 1 beer/wine/whatever isn't a possibility for me and my only options are being an alcoholic or not drinking, so I'm choosing to not drink" that scares me.

I sold that line of bullshit to some friends, actually. I told them I quit, and then they were asking about it and I bitched out and backtracked to say, "I'm just taking a break to see how it feels". I'm afraid that if I keep saying that it'll end up being true. I know I need to just own it or I'll be dooming myself to failure but it's not easy.

I think the real problem is that I've been struggling to accept it for myself. But it is what it is. I do have a drinking problem and trying to hide my quit isn't doing me any favors.

Zombo Funk - 8 - I quit drinking because I have a drinking problem, and I like the sober version of myself better.

Zombo Funk 15 - I've gotten over my acceptance issue by now. I made it a point to tell everyone I quit drinking as practice and now it's pretty easy.

Zombo Funk 21 - 3 weeks sober. I feel so good in the morning now I started exercising

For anyone who remembers a few weeks back I was worried about explaining my quit to my parents who would be visiting soon. Well they are here now and last night my mom really dug into it. But in a good way. Turns out she has been drinking more and more over the years and has also been looking to quit. Pretty much the same situation I was in 3 weeks ago when I quit. It was weird to hear myself repeating the same stuff you guys all said to me back then, but.. it was all true.

Just wanted to share my story and say thanks everyone for your support. I'm grateful to be a part of the KTC community.

It's been a lot harder than I thought it'd be when I started but the support here has really kept me going.

This'll be my first long weekend sober and I'm going to a wedding which will be another challenge. But you're right. I have started to enjoy telling people that I've quit drinking. I don't feel great pride in saying I've quit 30 days ago, since that kinda seems dodgy, and paints me as the typical struggling alcohol in other's eyes. To KD2's point, I still feel the same way - but I've learned that I don't have to tell people every single detail. It's been enough for me to just say, "no thanks, I've quit drinking" or "I don't drink" and if anyone inquires further, I tell them I just don't enjoy drinking anymore. I haven't felt pressured to actually say to another human, "I am an alcoholic" or go into to much detail unless I wanted to. I have to know that I have a drinking problem. I have to know that I am addicted and that I'm one drink away from 6 beers per night. But I don't feel compelled to share that information. I have started to feel some pride in saying I've quit if I'm being honest. I've started to look forward to it. To borrow a phrase it's like casting a vote for the person you want to be. Every time I tell someone that I've quit, it reinforces the decision and makes it easier to be quit.

365 votes for the person I want to be. I may not be there yet but I'm getting closer. I know where I came from. I know why I'm here now. I remember the struggle. I'm not going back. Not today.

Thanks to all KTC, but especially the Teetotalling Tallywhackers. There are too many to name everyone but I'd like to thank @KD2 for the support. You've been 6 days ahead of me from the beginning and if I ever lose count, I just check out text message log and subtract 6. PTBQWYT.

Zombo Funk 464 / 365

Congratulations brother. You should be very proud of yourself.

[Zombo Funk]

Today marks 1 year of freedom from alcohol. 365 days of Sobriety, One Day At A Time.

I remember in the beginning how hard it was. We all get a big enough number by our names and the memories of the struggle start to slip. As with dip, so with alcohol. Addiction is the same. It's interesting that the closer I got to 1 year, the more I started to think about drinking afterwards. I mean... if I can quit for a year voluntarily, then I can't be an addict, right?

Fortunately I know better. I know that there are posts out there where I talked about having the same thoughts toward 100 days. Posts where I talk about how hard it was. Posts where I owned up to being an addict. Posts where I mentioned how much better I felt after quitting. Posts where I thanked everyone for their support.

One of the great things about getting involved and doing more than just 'posting and ghosting' is that you can go back and read the stuff you said. It's one thing to get support from others when you're feeling down, or when you're in a rough patch. It's something else entirely to go back and read your own words, your own struggle, your own reasons. For posterity's sake, here are some of mine.

Zombo Funk - 1. Celebrating my HOF today with my August Ajays. Pretty afraid to join you all here, but I've been thinking about it a long time. Told everyone in my HOF speech that they should quit now, and I feel like I need to follow my own advice. Drinking has arguably caused way more problems in my life than dip ever did. I'm looking forward to sticking it out with you all.

Zombo Funk 5. Getting easier to fall asleep already. Still wake up 100 times though. Weird how it's hard to admit i drank too much but it's so obvious after I stopped.

Zombo Funk 7. One week of ODAAT. parents coming to visit soon and I'm still not sure how to tell them I've quit.

I don't know your situation but I'm still a little stuck on the part where I admit I have a legitimate 'drinking problem'. I'm fine telling people shit like, "I've decided to quit for 100 days" or some bullshit. It's just the part where I may have to verbalize anything along the lines of "I am quitting forever because I have proven to myself time and time again that drinking just 1 beer/wine/whatever isn't a possibility for me and my only options are being an alcoholic or not drinking, so I'm choosing to not drink" that scares me.

I sold that line of bullshit to some friends, actually. I told them I quit, and then they were asking about it and I bitched out and backtracked to say, "I'm just taking a break to see how it feels". I'm afraid that if I keep saying that it'll end up being true. I know I need to just own it or I'll be dooming myself to failure but it's not easy.

I think the real problem is that I've been struggling to accept it for myself. But it is what it is. I do have a drinking problem and trying to hide my quit isn't doing me any favors.

Zombo Funk - 8 - I quit drinking because I have a drinking problem, and I like the sober version of myself better.

Zombo Funk 15 - I've gotten over my acceptance issue by now. I made it a point to tell everyone I quit drinking as practice and now it's pretty easy.

Zombo Funk 21 - 3 weeks sober. I feel so good in the morning now I started exercising

For anyone who remembers a few weeks back I was worried about explaining my quit to my parents who would be visiting soon. Well they are here now and last night my mom really dug into it. But in a good way. Turns out she has been drinking more and more over the years and has also been looking to quit. Pretty much the same situation I was in 3 weeks ago when I quit. It was weird to hear myself repeating the same stuff you guys all said to me back then, but.. it was all true.

Just wanted to share my story and say thanks everyone for your support. I'm grateful to be a part of the KTC community.

It's been a lot harder than I thought it'd be when I started but the support here has really kept me going.

This'll be my first long weekend sober and I'm going to a wedding which will be another challenge. But you're right. I have started to enjoy telling people that I've quit drinking. I don't feel great pride in saying I've quit 30 days ago, since that kinda seems dodgy, and paints me as the typical struggling alcohol in other's eyes. To KD2's point, I still feel the same way - but I've learned that I don't have to tell people every single detail. It's been enough for me to just say, "no thanks, I've quit drinking" or "I don't drink" and if anyone inquires further, I tell them I just don't enjoy drinking anymore. I haven't felt pressured to actually say to another human, "I am an alcoholic" or go into to much detail unless I wanted to. I have to know that I have a drinking problem. I have to know that I am addicted and that I'm one drink away from 6 beers per night. But I don't feel compelled to share that information. I have started to feel some pride in saying I've quit if I'm being honest. I've started to look forward to it. To borrow a phrase it's like casting a vote for the person you want to be. Every time I tell someone that I've quit, it reinforces the decision and makes it easier to be quit.

365 votes for the person I want to be. I may not be there yet but I'm getting closer. I know where I came from. I know why I'm here now. I remember the struggle. I'm not going back. Not today.

Thanks to all KTC, but especially the Teetotalling Tallywhackers. There are too many to name everyone but I'd like to thank @KD2 for the support. You've been 6 days ahead of me from the beginning and if I ever lose count, I just check out text message log and subtract 6. PTBQWYT.

Zombo Funk 464 / 365

[oldschool]

My wife just left with the little one to go raspberry picking. Her and I both work from home (since March '20) and we do most things together - so it's pretty rare that I get any significant amount of time to myself.

So, anyway. They just left. I turned around to start working on some chores, and the first thought that goes through my mind is, "some dip would be great right now"

Now I am 445 days quit and I don't plan on ever going back to that shit, but it just goes to show that I'll never be past it. Like @Athan  is always saying, 'Just 1 more' is out there with my name on it.

Fortunately, even though I am home alone, I am not quit alone. Neither do any of you out there reading this need to be. Post your promise with the October Octopi here and set out on a lifetime of quit - One Day At a Time.

Zombo Funk - 445/346

Staying strong Brother!! Glad to be quit with you !!

quitting with you today!

You never know what corner the nic biotch will be hiding around, waiting for that one moment. It may be another 300-400 days before she comes around another corner. What she doesn't realize, is the solidarity we have here as quitters covering each others back. Oh sure every now and again she will pick one off because they walked the valley alone, but that was a bad choice by them. As long as we walk through the nic valley with KTC, we will be covered and free of her crap.

Keep killing it Zombo

@Zombo Funk thanks for sharing that bad ass post!  100% correct that none of us are alone if nicotine tries to slip back in.  Build a solid quit wall with this community, and never be afraid to make that call when temptation occurs.

[bubblehed668]

My wife just left with the little one to go raspberry picking. Her and I both work from home (since March '20) and we do most things together - so it's pretty rare that I get any significant amount of time to myself.

So, anyway. They just left. I turned around to start working on some chores, and the first thought that goes through my mind is, "some dip would be great right now"

Now I am 445 days quit and I don't plan on ever going back to that shit, but it just goes to show that I'll never be past it. Like @Athan  is always saying, 'Just 1 more' is out there with my name on it.

Fortunately, even though I am home alone, I am not quit alone. Neither do any of you out there reading this need to be. Post your promise with the October Octopi here and set out on a lifetime of quit - One Day At a Time.

Zombo Funk - 445/346

Staying strong Brother!! Glad to be quit with you !!

quitting with you today!

You never know what corner the nic biotch will be hiding around, waiting for that one moment. It may be another 300-400 days before she comes around another corner. What she doesn't realize, is the solidarity we have here as quitters covering each others back. Oh sure every now and again she will pick one off because they walked the valley alone, but that was a bad choice by them. As long as we walk through the nic valley with KTC, we will be covered and free of her crap.

Keep killing it Zombo

[Athan]

My wife just left with the little one to go raspberry picking. Her and I both work from home (since March '20) and we do most things together - so it's pretty rare that I get any significant amount of time to myself.

So, anyway. They just left. I turned around to start working on some chores, and the first thought that goes through my mind is, "some dip would be great right now"

Now I am 445 days quit and I don't plan on ever going back to that shit, but it just goes to show that I'll never be past it. Like @Athan  is always saying, 'Just 1 more' is out there with my name on it.

Fortunately, even though I am home alone, I am not quit alone. Neither do any of you out there reading this need to be. Post your promise with the October Octopi here and set out on a lifetime of quit - One Day At a Time.

Zombo Funk - 445/346

Staying strong Brother!! Glad to be quit with you !!

quitting with you today!

[Phxshadow]

My wife just left with the little one to go raspberry picking. Her and I both work from home (since March '20) and we do most things together - so it's pretty rare that I get any significant amount of time to myself.

So, anyway. They just left. I turned around to start working on some chores, and the first thought that goes through my mind is, "some dip would be great right now"

Now I am 445 days quit and I don't plan on ever going back to that shit, but it just goes to show that I'll never be past it. Like @Athan  is always saying, 'Just 1 more' is out there with my name on it.

Fortunately, even though I am home alone, I am not quit alone. Neither do any of you out there reading this need to be. Post your promise with the October Octopi here and set out on a lifetime of quit - One Day At a Time.

Zombo Funk - 445/346

Staying strong Brother!! Glad to be quit with you !!

[Zombo Funk]

My wife just left with the little one to go raspberry picking. Her and I both work from home (since March '20) and we do most things together - so it's pretty rare that I get any significant amount of time to myself.

So, anyway. They just left. I turned around to start working on some chores, and the first thought that goes through my mind is, "some dip would be great right now"

Now I am 445 days quit and I don't plan on ever going back to that shit, but it just goes to show that I'll never be past it. Like @Athan  is always saying, 'Just 1 more' is out there with my name on it.

Fortunately, even though I am home alone, I am not quit alone. Neither do any of you out there reading this need to be. Post your promise with the October Octopi here and set out on a lifetime of quit - One Day At a Time.

Zombo Funk - 445/346

[DaddysJunk]

Yesterday I took (and passed) the Washington Real Estate Broker Exam. I've wanted to get my real estate license for a few years now, and never quite got around to it. On the way home I got to thinking about what led me to finally do it, and I realized it was KTC. So I wanted to share some thoughts and an update with anyone out there who might relate.

I quit dipping in April, with the help of KTC and everyone here. It's been a rough but rewarding journey. But how does quitting dip lead me to getting my real estate license? Over the past few months I've realized that I had (and still have) a lot of bad habits and addictions. Quitting dip has forced my to face many of these head-on, as the majority have become entangled over the past 14 years of dipping.

My nightly routine for a few years looked something like this: Play video games, dip, and drink. My rotation was typically drink a beer, put in a dip, spit into that bottle or can until I wanted another beer, rinse and repeat. This rotation would keep me up late into the night just having 1 more beer and then 1 more dip (repeatedly). Then I'd wake up in the morning feeling like shit, and end up doing the same thing the next day. I used to tell myself that I deserved to stay up and have fun because I didn't get to do anything I wanted to do during the day. I'd put off going to sleep because I dreaded waking up in the morning and having to face the reality of the daily grind.

When I quit dipping, I started drinking even more because there was nothing to do in between beers. (Spoiler Alert! Eventually this led me to confront the drinking problem I'd had for years). A few weeks into my quit I had to stop playing video games. It was just too much of a trigger. Honestly I never realized how much time I spent playing until I had to quit.

With no video games to play, no '1 last dip' or '1 last beer', I had nothing to do in the evenings. In the beginning I was going to bed as early as possible as a coping mechanism to keep me from craving nicotine. After a while, though, I started waking up a little earlier. I was feeling better every day that I was off the nicotine. I didn't hate myself every day because I wasn't a slave to the can. It was still hard but I was moving in the right direction. As the cravings lessened, I was still going to bed earlier. I was still waking up earlier. I still had nothing to do in the evenings (except drink), and I was looking for anything to keep my mind off dip. Looking for something to do, I finally signed up for an online Real Estate Broker class.

I poked away at that in my free time for about 2 months or so, as my HOF grew nearer. Even as I quit playing video games, and quit dipping, and was feeling better in most ways - my drinking (already high) was ticking up. Quitting dip and video games made me really face my drinking as well. I decided that if I could quit dip with the simple formula of B+A=S, then I could quit beer also.

Well, it's been a lot harder than I thought it'd be, and I'm only at 44 days which is by no means a huge accomplishment. Every day is still a struggle. But when I also got off the booze, that's when things started to really take off. Now I had literally nothing to do in the evenings. I had to find something to do. I had already paid for the real estate course so I started hitting that any time I wasn't working, playing with my daughter, doing something with (or for) my wife, or making dinner/doing housework.

As time went by, each day off the dip, off the games, and off the booze, I started feeling better. Waking up earlier. Going to bed earlier. Enjoying life more. I even started exercising in the morning. I finished my coursework, signed up for the test, took it and passed it on the first try. Next week I'll be a licensed real estate broker. I have a baby, I'm in the Army Reserve, and I have a full-time job. I've told some of my friends that I passed the test and they don't understand.

"How did you do that? How do you have time to take 90 hours of coursework?!"

I never knew how much of my life I was wasting on shit that was either killing me (at worst) or was a total waste of time (at best) until I quit dipping. It's crazy to me that the 1 change of quitting dip was such a catalyst for change in my life.

I am humbled by the support I've received on this site by total strangers, and eternally grateful for the positive changes that are taking place in my life. I just wanted to take some time out to say thanks to everyone here. Without you all I'd have a quarter-can of grizzly in my mouth right now, sitting in front a tv with a beer and a PlayStation controller, looking forward to spending the weekend that way. Instead I'm celebrating a huge win, another day off the nic, another day sober, and looking forward spending some time with my wife and daughter tonight.

Oh and I'll be up early exercising tomorrow on the bicycle trainer that I bought with some of the money I've saved, even though it'll be Saturday. Because now I look forward to tomorrow, and I wake up excited to face the day. Thanks for that, too.

Zombo Funk - 143 / 44 - NAFAR

You mentioned to me the circle of quit. I realize that now. I feel everything you laid out in this post. I was in a horrible mental/emotional state the last few years, dont know if it was depression, resentment, or whatever.  I was ready for positive changes in my life when I quit.  I find it absolutely amazing the domino effect of positive changes that happens. All a person needs to do is tip the first domino over. I'm at 150 days today, close to where you were when you wrote this. It hit home, is what I'm trying to say. Thank you.

[Zombo Funk]

Independence Day. It's an American holiday celebrating freedom from the Tyranny of Colonial Rule. Or an incredible movie staring Will Smith. Either way.

I didn't catch it last year, but this year the name of the day really stuck out as I was posting. I don't know what it was like to live under British rule and then declare independence. But I do know what it's like to be ruled, without representation, by substances. Today I'm grateful to be independent from nicotine and from alcohol. Neither of which would be possible without KTC or the people here.

Thanks all. I hope your own Independence Days are great. Let freedom ring!

[Zombo Funk]

WILLWIN - 365 NNT 1 Yr feels good but no time to rest. Time to stay out of gas stations Period.

Sage advice. There is no cure. No reason to play with fire.  Design your environment to reduce temptations and triggers, and it's that much easier.

[Zombo Funk]

Note to self: If you're ever considering a cave, read this.

https://ktcforum.org/index.php?topic=17044.msg8586649#msg8586649

If I'm being honest, I don't know that I have what it takes to come back after a cave and take all the shit from the folks here. One of my biggest fears is that, if I ever do cave, I'll never manufacture the strength of will to stop again. Knowing that helps me keep going - One Day At A Time.