General Discussion - 2015

[chewie]

As new quitters, and long time bad ass quitters, at lease for me, I hate the dentist. I have probably avoided the dentist for 18 months, and now I have built up a crazy nervousness about it that I can't even call the damn dentist. How did you get over it and just go in. We all as dippers have felt around in our mouths over the years and pondered, freaked out, straight up lost it because of a bump, a cut, a mark or really anything that wasn't just as it was the last time we looked. How do you put this fear away, sack up, and just go to the dentist. Someone help me!

I'll simply say this...

What's scarier... the dentist or cancer?

Make the call. Go in, get some peace of mind. You'll be glad you did.

[JMacBigQuit]

As new quitters, and long time bad ass quitters, at lease for me, I hate the dentist. I have probably avoided the dentist for 18 months, and now I have built up a crazy nervousness about it that I can't even call the damn dentist. How did you get over it and just go in. We all as dippers have felt around in our mouths over the years and pondered, freaked out, straight up lost it because of a bump, a cut, a mark or really anything that wasn't just as it was the last time we looked. How do you put this fear away, sack up, and just go to the dentist. Someone help me!

[Nomore1959]

Have lots of water handy. Have fellow quitter numbers you can text when you stop for gas and the nic display is talking to you. Beat nicotine today.

[JMacBigQuit]

Getting ready for the first drive without chew, without that crap that has been in my lip for the better part of a decade. This will be one of the hardest things for me. I've already prepared with lots of gum, hard candy, sunflower seeds, but I imagine it will still suck, and it will be the first big crave that I have in this journey, because I'm already dreading it. But reading through comments and some of the literature I know that I can make it, mostly because a ton of bad ass quitters already have. So time to turn the key, set the cruise, and kick the dip!

[drstober]

Is half strength nicotine non tobacco a good idea for like a week or two and then zero strength or nicotine gum?
'bang head'

I hate to break it to you, but we quit nicotine free and advocate cold turkey. The only thing you're doing is prolonging the change you're body chemistry makes when you quit. I don't have the links handy, but basically, there's little to no improvement in quitting success rates by using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT: gum, patches, etc.).

If you're using NRT, you haven't quit. You need to actually quit using nicotine.

If you're craving, drink water. Chew sunflower seeds. Do some pushups. Go for a jog. Chew regular gum. Suck on hard candies. You can try an herbal, fake chew (e.g. Baccoff, Smokey Mountain, etc. - see the main site for reviews). I never used to chew gum (largely because it didn't go well with the constant cat turd in my mouth), but O went through Dentyne Ice like nobody's business for the first 3 months of my quit. I still make sure I keep some handy, just in case.

Just quit. Promise not to use nicotine in any form today. Keep your promise.

We'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here.

[shawnnnnn]

Is half strength nicotine non tobacco a good idea for like a week or two and then zero strength or nicotine gum?
'bang head'

[chewie]

My quit lasted two weeks before I craved ughhhhhh...... Do they craving ever go away?

Shawn, the cravings last but get less intense (mostly). Our addiction to nicotine is for a lifetime.

The path is to build up a plan to deal with each trigger: like driving or after dinner.

We also join a quit group and make a promise to use no nicotine for 24 hours. Then have a group to bitch at when craves hit / support eachother to keep nicotine at bay.

Two weeks is a good start (even if you caved rather than craved -- we have all been there). Go to the March 2016 quit group -- a bunch of strangers who have quit in the past couple weeks. They are fighting addiction and getting lots of support. You can get help there too.

Also, look into fake dip (non-tobacco no nicotine like Smokey Mountain) seeds, hard candy, gum to separate the oral fixation from the nicotine addiction. Do what it takes to keep nicotine out of your system.

Yep. They go away. But definitely not i two weeks. In fact, that two week mark can be particularly brutal.

http://www.killthecan.org/facts-figures ... -weakness/

Take Nomore1959's advice... get involved. You'll be happy you did.

Chewie

[Nomore1959]

My quit lasted two weeks before I craved ughhhhhh...... Do they craving ever go away?

Shawn, the cravings last but get less intense (mostly). Our addiction to nicotine is for a lifetime.

The path is to build up a plan to deal with each trigger: like driving or after dinner.

We also join a quit group and make a promise to use no nicotine for 24 hours. Then have a group to bitch at when craves hit / support eachother to keep nicotine at bay.

Two weeks is a good start (even if you caved rather than craved -- we have all been there). Go to the March 2016 quit group -- a bunch of strangers who have quit in the past couple weeks. They are fighting addiction and getting lots of support. You can get help there too.

Also, look into fake dip (non-tobacco no nicotine like Smokey Mountain) seeds, hard candy, gum to separate the oral fixation from the nicotine addiction. Do what it takes to keep nicotine out of your system.

[shawnnnnn]

My quit lasted two weeks before I craved ughhhhhh...... Do they craving ever go away?

[drstober]

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2 ... e-smokers/

Who'da thunk it that vaporizing a chemical mixture made for a market that's still way ahead of it's regulation could have possible negative health effects.

It's almost like when people started dying from the synthetic THC alternatives that were constantly being reformulated to avoid drug screening. They tend to run out of "safe" variants long before they run out of desire to make money.

[Diesel2112]

http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2 ... e-smokers/

[Idaho Spuds]

http://fox8.com/2015/12/07/tobacco-sale ... cleveland/

Nice move, Cleveland.

I'm also intrigued by the City's decision to only hire non-smoking users. I wonder if that applies to smokeless and vape users as well.

On the cynical side, how many people here started using nicotine before they were 18? I didn't, but it seems to be a pretty common theme, especially among dippers (purely anecdotal of course).

I know a number of companies that don't allow their employees to use tobacco products, lumber companies, etc. Smart business move especially since insurance companies will give better rates to the employer and employees.

[drstober]

http://fox8.com/2015/12/07/tobacco-sale ... cleveland/

Nice move, Cleveland.

I'm also intrigued by the City's decision to only hire non-smoking users. I wonder if that applies to smokeless and vape users as well.

On the cynical side, how many people here started using nicotine before they were 18? I didn't, but it seems to be a pretty common theme, especially among dippers (purely anecdotal of course).

[Idaho Spuds]

http://fox8.com/2015/12/07/tobacco-sale ... cleveland/

[chewie]

Hey guys and gals, today is the day i am throwing the can away. I was sitting in my recliner watching the dallas and redskins game last night and my daughter ran over and grabbed my spit bottle and drank it and become very sick. After seeing that i tossed the can. If anyone has any tips or tricks to help out id love to hear them. Its been 11 hours since my last dip and im hurting, i have so many triggers, driving to work, work in general, hunting, fishing and all my friends dip. Thoughts and prayers are appreciated.

Terrible wake up call.

As for suggestions:

join the March 2016 quit group, post your promise to not use nicotine for 24 hours there (aka post roll, don't worry if it is technically perfect, just make the promise and get your name and day 1 out there). You will do this every morning when you wake.

create an intro to journal your quit, track how bad the withdrawal symptoms are, track your victories. Include your reasons for quit. Include this post as a permanent reminder to yourself.

exchange phone numbers with other quitters. I helps to have people to talk to on bad days.

drink lots of water,exercise, and read the HOF speeches and words of wisdom... everything on this site to learn how to free yourself from nicotine. We remain addicts, but are not controlled by our addiction.

There will be a time during your quit when you're craving. Your brain will play some crazy tricks on you and will do anything to get you to feed it dip.

Your brain will trick you into remembering the episode with your daughter as "cute" and something to laugh at.

Remember it for what it was... your daughter drinking your dip spit.

Use that memory to feed your success. You've taken the right step. And believe it or not, your daughter just gave you an early Christmas present.

Welcome aboard.

Chewie