Hey there...making this speech I never thought I'd make, about an addiction I never thought I'd stop. Time to pass on my history and wisdom...just hoping someone will get some good quittin' out of it. 'Popcorn'
I started dipping 27 years ago as a sophomore in high school. First dip was regular Skoal...what a rush, and what a mistake! Over the next few years, I tried all the major (and minor) brands, then finally settled on Copenhagen. I look back, and I realize the stupid things I did to obtain my dirt...borrowing money to buy cans of the stuff, selling and pawning my stuff, etc. Amazing how much of a hold this stuff had on me, and I had no plans to stop...I did "enjoy" dipping. It was also during this time that my best friend said "lemme try some of that." Of course, I let him, and he was hooked as well. I will NEVER again condone dipping to anyone!
When the price of 'Hagen started to skyrocket, I switched to Red Seal FCN. Hey! This is a bigger can AND it's cheaper! Wow...now I don't ever have to quit!
Well, I tried quitting seriously in 2007...my cravings (and my attitudes toward my wife and son) got SO bad after just 1 day...my wife went and bought me a can so I would start acting nice again. I knew I was almost at the bottom...but kept on dipping.
Finally, last August, my wife and I sat down and did a written family budget. My addiction had reached a point that it was consuming about 1/10 of my monthly take-home pay. HOLY CRIPES! Then I paused and calculated how much I've spent on this stuff over the last 27 years. The result was just under $50k. That was it...that was what I needed to see. :angry:
On August 29, 2009, I woked up determined to never EVER put that dirt in my mouth again. With the support of my family AND this forum, I am now successfully quit. The first week SUCKED...dip dreams, fog, and insomnia almost drove me back to the can. But, I was at the point that I really wanted to quit. I persevered, the cravings and fog went away, and now I'm nic free.
Do I have a single piece of good advice? Yeah...don't ever start! Otherwise, just keep on with your quit with the understanding that each day is a challenge, but each day it WILL get better.
I owe a lot of thanks to all of the guys gals on the Dec. 2009 boards. I didn't talk a whole lot, but I read and observed...just seeing everyone else get through it was more support than I needed. Let's all remember to help out those needing support. If we can do it, so can they...it's humbling!
