Apparently some are having difficulty accessing the paper so here it is in forum format. Not quite the same as in a word processor program but you'll still get the gist.
Christopher Russell
Darrel Lawrence
ENG101
December 7, 2020
Nicotine Addiction: How to Live a Nicotine Free Life.
I am a nicotine addict. Nicotine, however, does not control my life any longer. I quit nicotine 1,055 days ago and will not ever use it again. Are you a nicotine addict? Do you want to learn how to live with your addiction, nicotine free? We will learn about the many forms that nicotine is available in as well as the many ways that people use to try and quit. We will also talk about the way that I, and thousands of others have successfully quit nicotine and why our way, in my opinion, is the best way to quit. Follow along as we learn what our addiction is and how we can manage it, so it does not manage us.
“What is Addiction? Addiction is a complex condition, a brain disease that is manifested by compulsive substance use despite harmful consequences.” (Parekh, Par 1) So, even though nicotine and the delivery methods we get the nicotine from are very harmful to us and others around us, and we know it, we still go out of our way to get our fix regardless of the consequences. How many heroin or crack addicts have you seen or heard about that put themselves, and many times their children, in harm’s way to get that next fix? No matter what the drug is, alcohol, heroin, cocaine, marijuana, or nicotine, they are all the same in that they make our minds believe we cannot live without them.
Most nicotine addicts get their drug of choice from tobacco products. Mine was smokeless tobacco, otherwise known as dip. I chewed for over thirty-one years and was up to three cans a day when I decided it was time to quit. There are many tobacco products out there, the most common being the cigarette. Other products are smokeless tobaccos such as pouches, snuff, leaf and plug tobacco, cigars, and cigarillos (mini cigars), roll-your-own tobacco, and the newest line of nicotine, the e-cigarette or electronic cigarette (aka vaping). These come in a variety of sweet flavors that appeal to kids. They are a liquid tobacco that you drop into a pipe like metal smoking device that runs on batteries. It heats the liquid producing smoke that is inhaled into the lungs. (NIDA, Par. 1) Other non-tobacco products are also available such as Zyn, which is a nicotine pouch.
The tobacco companies are very well informed about the addictiveness of nicotine. They have been doing research since the 1950’s about nicotine’s addictiveness and how it benefits their business. This was decades before the scientific community understood what nicotine was. (Prochaska, p. 1) Everyday the cycle continues is another day that you are a slave to nicotine and the tobacco companies.
[The Graph that is supposed to be here will not transfer over to the forum. It is a picture of the nicotine cycle]
(Prochaska, p.5) [edited the first bubble to include other forms of nicotine ingestion]
Quitting nicotine is a very difficult process. There is physical as well as mental withdrawals that one will go through when quitting nicotine. Many people have moderate to severe anxiety as well as stomach and bowel problems. Shakes and sweats are common in a lot of quitters as well. Many people try using some kind of ‘Nicotine Replacement Therapy’ (NRT) which is basically replacing their normal method of nicotine ingestion with a lozenge or patch. This, in my opinion, is the dumbest thing anyone can do to quit. All you are doing at this point is prolonging the inevitable withdrawals that you are still going to have if and when you stop using the patches or lozenges. The best way to quit is cold turkey. Rip that band aid right off. It may hurt a little bit at the beginning, but it is far better than drawing out the pain for a prolonged period.
The following outlines what to expect in the first one hundred days when quitting cold turkey and mostly falls in line with what I experienced when I quit:
The first three days are the worst. Your mind will be in a fog and you will find it very difficult to concentrate on anything for very long. The cravings for nicotine will be very strong. Drinking lots of water and finding things to take your mind and body off the fact that you are depriving it of what it wants goes a long way towards a successful quit.
The residual nicotine is all but gone after seventy-two hours and you will still have some physical withdrawals to deal with such as cravings, insomnia, headache, constipation, sore throat, irritability, and fatigue. As your brain begins to rewire itself and is immersed in much more of an oxygen rich environment than it has been used to, everything becomes a mind game of sorts. All your cravings you have are due to triggers. Things and events, you would normally be doing while using nicotine products, mowing the grass, working on the car, playing golf, etc. All these things you used to do with a dip in or smoking a cigarette, you now need to figure out how to do while staying clean. Keep drinking lots of water and use any alternative that works for you like gum or sunflower seeds or fake (zero tobacco and zero nicotine) dip. This will go on for about two to three weeks. As each day progresses, your sleep will improve, and the cravings will become less severe. One thing to note here is that it is important to try and not drink alcohol during the first fifty or so days of quitting nicotine. Alcohol weakens your resolve to stay quit and, for many people, it is a huge trigger to using nicotine products.
Days fifty through seventy are usually pretty good for most people. Kind of a cruise control stage. You still think about smoking or dipping but that is about it. Some people experienced heightened anxiety at this stage and could possibly need to see a doctor for some kind of anxiety relief. Just make sure your doctor does not prescribe Nicotine Replacement Therapy. If you know you are prone to anxiety, seeing your doctor before you get to this stage is a wise choice on your part.
The next three weeks or so are usually rough on most people. It is almost like you are back at day one again. The fog and cravings come back and anxiety levels peak. There have been many people that have succumbed to nicotine’s pull at this stage. For me, it was worse than the first week of quitting. Doubling down on your efforts, keeping hydrated and exercise are all great ways to get through this phase.
This brings us to the final ten days before one hundred days quit. These are easy days and a good time to plan a celebration for yourself for your one hundredth day of being quit. The reason for one hundred days is it is a huge accomplishment. Most people who attempt to quit never reach this milestone so it most definitely should be celebrated. It is also a time to stay vigilant in what you have learned so far. Keep doing what you have been doing and do not let complacency deter your efforts. Continuing this path of one day at a time, as you have been doing for the last one hundred days, will keep you focused on your quit and will ensure you are still quit every day. “What To Expect When You Quit [Nicotine]”
The concept of “one day at a time” is used by many programs to battle different substance abuses. It is also one of the backbone mantras of KillTheCanOrg (KTC). KTC is a website dedicated to informing and supporting those who want to quit using nicotine products, mainly dip in this case, but the process works for any type of nicotine user. The main page has various links to information about planning your quit, alternatives to tobacco, stories from previous quitters, facts about cancer and tobacco, etc. Here you can register for the forum. Inside the forum is a community of nicotine addicts that have quit nicotine and continue to quit nicotine one day at a time. In order to participate in the forum, one must not be currently using any form of nicotine, including NRT’s. The other rule is you must post your promise each day that you will not use nicotine, in any form, for the next twenty-four hours. This process of making a stated promise to not use nicotine is a very powerful deterrent to using nicotine if the person making the promise is a person of some morals. Obviously, a person that has no compunction to lying will not fare very well in this environment, but most people do have some sort of moral compass.
KTC runs on the premise of accountability within the forum. Each member is held accountable to their promise. If someone is late in getting onto the forum to post their promise, they are held accountable as someone, usually several someones, will be calling and/or texting that person to find out what is going on and why they haven’t posted yet. This community of quitters forms a natural brotherhood between its members. Many long-term friendships have been formed throughout the years and the tagline that appears at the top of the forum page has led thousands of people to freedom from nicotine, “Brotherhood + Accountability = Success”.
But do not take my word for it. I asked several KTC forum members why KTC has worked for them when other forms of quitting have not and these are there responses:
“KTC has worked for me, because it allows me to be part of a community that understands addiction and how to stop it. My wife, although awesome and understanding, does not fully understand the addiction. The accountability + brotherhood = success mantra is powerful.” (Jbuck0506)
“The fact that I could get on the forum, live chat or text a comrade was the key to me getting through the toughest times of craves, funks, rages, tears, freak-outs, and it was that that built me back up. Now I am 2073 days quit, heading into my 6th year quit in March 2021 and it’s much easier. But, I enter the site daily and guarantee my quit with a simple daily promise.” (ChickDip)
“I am a nicotine addict. I have been addicted to nicotine for 39 years. In the past, I tried Chantix and Wellbutrin for assistance in nicotine cessation. I felt that Chantix adversely affected my cognitive thought and discontinued it use after only a few days. The Wellbutrin was effective at 'taking the edge off' withdrawals. Alas, once I was free, I ended up using again after maybe a year being clean. KTC has worked for me thus far. First by getting clean. The method of a support group was very effective getting past cravings and into territory where nicotine cessation stopped being a daily grind.
I have found that this method (posting a promise every day) embodies the One Day At A Time methodology that has worked so well for recovering alcoholics. Once the initial hurdles are overcome, however, the mind begins to reminisce about previous use; positive things are associated with usage and the addict forgets the servitude component of it. In parlance of addiction, a 'relapse' occurs. For members of KTC, the response to this is harsh and rightfully so. This is where KTC has helped me STAY CLEAN. This is done, again, by making a daily promise. I do it first thing in the morning to the original group that I quit with.
I know this to be true as I have experienced many 'just one' moments where I would have succumbed to a temptation to use again.” (Athan)
“I dipped for roughly 38 years… I was married a few months before my wife discovered I dipped… I “tried” to quit several times. I used gum and coffee grinds as the oral fixation controlled me. I never thought I would be successful as my heart wasn’t in to quitting… As time passed, I started to realize I really was killing myself. Thought about all the things I would miss out on if I wasn’t here. I started thinking about actually quitting and my son said if you want a different result maybe try something different… I googled and ended up finding KTC… That Friday I woke up and posted roll and a have never gone back to the friend that wants to kill me… KTC has helped me in numerous ways. The knowledge I have gained has been really beneficial. I understand the addiction so much better and why I act or handle things a certain way makes sense even though I may not like it. Growing up with sports and the military, my attitude really is about not leaving anyone behind. That led me to becoming a leader in my group. Focusing on others really has helped my quit and taken the spotlight off me. Focusing on quitting ODAAT (One day at a time) was huge. I still don’t think about quitting forever. That causes stress and anxiety for me. I tried to make my daily routine one that I could do but also one that would cause me to be successful… The KTC family, the accountability, increased knowledge from the site, the fear of dying if I cave, and the guilt of letting people down is what keeps me quit for today and I’ll get up and do the same thing again tomorrow, I’ll wake up, text a bunch of fellow addicts, post roll, take the dog for a walk and then come home and post roll in other groups for support.” (Keith0617)
“I have been addicted to nicotine for about 17 years. Before KTC, I tried almost every method to quit...cold turkey, tapering, nicotine replacement, non-tobacco replacements. But it wasn’t until KTC that I talked to people about it. KTC has given me knowledge about the addiction and the effects of nicotine itself. KTC has also, through the people I have met, taught me about my personality and the emotional connections to the addiction.” (ankape)
“To the best of my estimation, I have been a nicotine addict for 10.5 years. I was a slave to nicotine in the form of chewing tobacco for 6 years before finding KTC and now have enjoyed the freedom of being quit for the past 4.5 years… KTC has worked for me for a variety of reasons. First, it helped identify the real enemy: nicotine. Through KTC I was able to confront and accept my addiction to nicotine through chewing tobacco. Secondly, it broke down the process into manageable pieces. The focus at KTC is quitting one day at a time (ODAAT). Quitting for forever is incredibly daunting and, in my opinion, unreasonable. We have zero control over tomorrow. I truly believe anyone can quit for one day. String them together and you begin to build an unbreakable foundation that continues to grow over time. Third, KTC provided a community of like-minded individuals to dish out generous helpings of accountability. KTC isn't just a support forum. The relationships formed with other quitters creates a web of accountability that further pushes failure out of the picture. KTC has held me accountable and provided me a platform to do the same for others. I am a strong believe that helping others in their quit journey is one of the best ways to strengthen a person's own quit. Finally, KTC has worked so well for me since one of the foundational aspects of the site is making a promise and being a man/woman of your word. I am beyond blessed that my parents raised me right and taught me early on the value of your word. As such, this quality made it impossible for me to make my daily promise on the site and then break my word. And because of this, as long as I post early every day, I can almost guarantee I will never cave.” (MNxEngineer)
As we have learned, nicotine is a very powerful drug that has a hold on the lives of millions of people in the world. The tobacco companies are fully aware of nicotine’s addictive properties and fully intend to keep on exploiting it to keep those chains shackled around as many people as they can. Yes, they may have to put warnings on their labels stating that their product is addictive and may kill you, but that is a small price to pay for the billions upon billions of dollars that they rake in each year in pure profit. If you are gripped by nicotine’s hold and have not found a way to break free, if you are tired of living your life around your addiction, you are not alone. There are many of us who were in your exact place and we found a way to rid ourselves of nicotine’s grasp and learned how to live life free of nicotine. You can to, just ask me how.
References:
Ankape, Annette. KillTheCan forum member. Email Interview. 30 Nov. 2020
Athan, Athan. KillTheCan forum member. Email Interview. 30 Nov. 2020
ChickDip, Lisa. KillTheCan forum member. Email Interview. 30 Nov. 2020
Jbuck0506, Jared. KillTheCan forum member. Email Interview. 30 Nov. 2020
Keith0617, Keith. KillTheCan forum member. Email Interview. 30 Nov. 2020
MNxEngineer, Jared. KillTheCan forum member. Email Interview. 30 Nov. 2020
NIDA. "Vaping Devices (Electronic Cigarettes) DrugFacts." National Institute on Drug Abuse, 8 Jan. 2020, Par 1,
www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/vaping-devices-electronic-cigarettes Accessed 7 Dec. 2020.
Parekh, Ranna, M.D., M.P.H., “What is Addiction?”, American Psychiatric Association, Jan. 2017, Par 1,
www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/addiction/what-is-addiction, Accessed 7 Dec. 2020
Prochaska, Judith J. & Benowitz, Neal L., “Current advances in research in treatment and recovery: Nicotine addiction”, Science Advances, 16 Oct 2019:Vol. 5, no. 10, eaay9763 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay9763
“What To Expect When You Quit [Nicotine]”, KillTheCanOrg,
www.killthecan.org/your-quit/what-to-expect-when-you-quit-dipping/ Edit: I got an A on the paper. Woot Woot
