From a long time old quitter, if you are struggling, sitting there thinking that you can't quit. If you question yourself because you've quit so many times, maybe right here on this forum, only to cave the next day, or the day after that. If you are nervous because you've quit so many times on this forum and caved afterwards that you became the laughing stock of the forum I want you to know: you are not alone.
I was you.
it took me 5 years on these forums to finally kick the can. I joined the original quit smokeless forum ran by a guy named Matt in 2004. Got excited. Quit. Then Caved. Then Got Depressed. Then Quit Again. Then Started Jonsing. Then Caved. I've probably quit and caved over 100 times publicly on quit forums. Caved many many more times (by a factor of 10), privately. Fortunately, many of those caves got deleted when Matt shut down the old original quitsmokeless site. There are still plenty available over at Killthecan's sister site, but not many.
I've been laughed at. Told to never come back. Told that I was a coward. Told that I didn't have what it took to quit. Been told that I wasn't serious enough. Been told to go away by past members of forums. Been told that I was a detriment to a quit group. I've been urged to keep chewing by even past leaders of HOF groups when I was trying to quit. I've had tears in my eyes as my son picked up my can of chew and wanted to emulate me.
I know the void that chewing fills. It took me many more years after chewing to learn the real secret about chewing and the void: chewing (one of many) is a causation of the void.
I'm here to tell you to never give up. Don't listen to the people who tell you that you can't quit. I had a friend who told me that I'd never be able to quit chewing. He's not a friend of mine anymore. If you have a girlfriend or a wife that doesn't support you, divorce the wife that tells you to go ahead and buy that can of chew because she can't stand you without a dip in your mouth. Do whatever it takes to quit chewing. What does it take? Well the biggest one is that you can't give up on quitting. If you stumble, get back up, post Day 1 and keep going. I tore up my credit cards many times on my journey to quitting to not allow me to have the temptation within reach. I began carrying only a Starbucks card and could get coffee, but buy nothing else while out and about in my day. But I quit. Was it easy? Fuck No. I've made all the mistakes. Tried to "replace" chewing with food. Alcohol. Tried to have the "trophy" can of chew. You name it. Gained 50 pounds and then had to lose it. But I did. And you can too.
I'm reaching out to you my friend on Day 2,307 to urge you to become the man you were meant to be. Not the pussy who hides behind the can. Not man that doesn't want to stay at his girlfriend's late because he wants to make sure he gets a dip in before bed. The real man. The winner. The guy that isn't afraid to smile because he isn't worried anymore that he will embarrass himself because he has kodiak in his mouth or seriously stained teeth. You can choose freedom. I'm living breathing proof that there is a day when Nicotine no longer controls you. When it no longer has power over you.
But you've got to want it. All my failures, all my caves, all the negativity could not overcome one thing: desire. I desired to be free. Join me and become free with me.
