Quitting for real

[shampooshark]

same here, got introduced to dip during high school sports. I was a wrestler, but all of the rugby players and baseball players dipped. It was just so deeply rooted in the high school culture. I remember thinking when i first started taking dips that "im never going to get addicted" and sure enough i became hooked. im sure most addicts started in high school

[Dagranger]

I have been away on business for 2 weeks but got home this Sunday morning, just in time to coach my son's first little league practice of the year. As soon as I got out on the field my jaw started getting all worked up, and I realized I was jonesing for a dip like I haven't been in well over 100 days. Despite having 285 days of quit under my belt I had yet to deal with being on a baseball field yet. I guess being away from home then rushing to the field left me unprepared for what hit me. In fighting off the urge it brought me back to ninth grade baseball where I was given a tin of skoal by an older kid...a tradition I passed along myself a couple of years later to other unsuspecting kids. Why? Because baseball and dipping go together. For years that's what I believed. From playing baseball in high school, to softball leagues later and ultimately to coaching my kids, if I was on a baseball field I had a dip in my mouth, because that's what baseball was about.

What a crock of horseshit that is!

Of all the things dip did for me, playing baseball better was not one of them. In fact I can remember plenty of times where I had trouble focusing on the game because i was worrying too much of the spit building up in my mouth. Baseball and dipping are not like peanut butter and jelly, they are more like peanut butter and dip. Unlike my Dad, here's one Dad who is going to crack down on his kids if they start associating the game of baseball with dipping. It's a disgrace that America's past time has been tied so tightly to an addictive drug.

[Mike from AB]

Congrats Dagranger!

[FIGHTIN-IGNORANCE]

Today we head to Connecticut to pick up Dagranger who started using Kodiak at the tender age of 16 while tromping along in Badger country Wisconsin. Andy is married with 3 children, he trades stocks by day and enjoys playing and coaching basketball. When he's not doing that he enjoys gambling and, in his youth, the dancing girls at the strip clubs! He says the craziest thing he has ever done was a road trip from Vegas to Myrtle Beach to Tijuana- no details- what happens in Vegas to Tijuana stays in Vegas-Tijuana!
To celebrate Dagranger is going to keep it pretty low-key with his wife and just keep on adding days. He says the only way to quit is to have a greater will to be quit than the will to dip. Which kind of falls in line with his favorite movie quote "Via Con dios Brah", Roadhouse. Sir Derek has been a great inspiration to Dagranger's quit and Cbird helped him figure out how to use this crazy ass site!
Great job Dagranger! Welcome aboard the HOF train!

Congrats on hitting the HOF today brother!

QFQQ,
Pinched

Great Job Dagranger! You did it brutha! 'oh yeah'

[Pinched]

Today we head to Connecticut to pick up Dagranger who started using Kodiak at the tender age of 16 while tromping along in Badger country Wisconsin. Andy is married with 3 children, he trades stocks by day and enjoys playing and coaching basketball. When he's not doing that he enjoys gambling and, in his youth, the dancing girls at the strip clubs! He says the craziest thing he has ever done was a road trip from Vegas to Myrtle Beach to Tijuana- no details- what happens in Vegas to Tijuana stays in Vegas-Tijuana!
To celebrate Dagranger is going to keep it pretty low-key with his wife and just keep on adding days. He says the only way to quit is to have a greater will to be quit than the will to dip. Which kind of falls in line with his favorite movie quote "Via Con dios Brah", Roadhouse. Sir Derek has been a great inspiration to Dagranger's quit and Cbird helped him figure out how to use this crazy ass site!
Great job Dagranger! Welcome aboard the HOF train!

Congrats on hitting the HOF today brother!

QFQQ,
Pinched

[duathman]

Today we head to Connecticut to pick up Dagranger who started using Kodiak at the tender age of 16 while tromping along in Badger country Wisconsin. Andy is married with 3 children, he trades stocks by day and enjoys playing and coaching basketball. When he's not doing that he enjoys gambling and, in his youth, the dancing girls at the strip clubs! He says the craziest thing he has ever done was a road trip from Vegas to Myrtle Beach to Tijuana- no details- what happens in Vegas to Tijuana stays in Vegas-Tijuana!
To celebrate Dagranger is going to keep it pretty low-key with his wife and just keep on adding days. He says the only way to quit is to have a greater will to be quit than the will to dip. Which kind of falls in line with his favorite movie quote "Via Con dios Brah", Roadhouse. Sir Derek has been a great inspiration to Dagranger's quit and Cbird helped him figure out how to use this crazy ass site!
Great job Dagranger! Welcome aboard the HOF train!

[B-loMatt]

Hey quick question to a couple of the longer term quitters.  I am on day 85, and my quit is strong, but I have had a 5 or 6 day stretch where I can barely keep my eyes open at work.  My mind seems really jumbled.   Even though I'm getting plenty of sleep at night.  A lot like the fog period I had at the beginning.   Anybody else go through this?   If so, how long did it last?

I can't specifically say that the tiredness is dip related. Could be many things causing it. But is it possible? Sure. Funks are very real and they do different things to different people. I had various bouts of dongiveashits and fog well into 100+. It will pass.

I suspect you dipped a lot longer than 85 days. Takes a while to really balance out. It's all about establishing a new normal. Time and patience. You will get there. You have all the tools -- just have to choose to use them.

Agreed with the last response. All of us have different experiences, but here is mine... The first 30-40 days were shrouded in a crazy thick fog. From about 40-110 - I was in survival mode. Posted roll and that was it. Wasn't so much the craves as really the rewiring part. Driving long distances. At the house alone for a long time. You know the times when you could really ninja thru a can... Those were tough until about 110.

Then one day it just got easier. There were still little bumps here and there, but one day it was like all of that rewiring finally managed to turn on the light bulb. At 80+ days, you are getting there. Hof is now in site. That was a great day, but every day since has been better.

Hit me up if you would like to talk. Congratulations on taking your life back.

Hey Dagranger, Can't add much wisdom to what's already been shared except to say that as fellow Oct '13 quitter, hang in and battle through the funk. We've come so far and I can't wait to see what lies ahead for us beyond the HOF. The HOF is not our ultimate destination but a milestone in taking our lives back. Proud to quit with you today brother!

Lots of us have gone through funks in the 80s; I know I did. Read some intro threads and see what people were going through b/w days 75 and 100. Just keep fighting like you have for the last 85 days and you will get through it.

[Jlud007]

Hey quick question to a couple of the longer term quitters.  I am on day 85, and my quit is strong, but I have had a 5 or 6 day stretch where I can barely keep my eyes open at work.  My mind seems really jumbled.   Even though I'm getting plenty of sleep at night.  A lot like the fog period I had at the beginning.   Anybody else go through this?   If so, how long did it last?

I can't specifically say that the tiredness is dip related. Could be many things causing it. But is it possible? Sure. Funks are very real and they do different things to different people. I had various bouts of dongiveashits and fog well into 100+. It will pass.

I suspect you dipped a lot longer than 85 days. Takes a while to really balance out. It's all about establishing a new normal. Time and patience. You will get there. You have all the tools -- just have to choose to use them.

Agreed with the last response. All of us have different experiences, but here is mine... The first 30-40 days were shrouded in a crazy thick fog. From about 40-110 - I was in survival mode. Posted roll and that was it. Wasn't so much the craves as really the rewiring part. Driving long distances. At the house alone for a long time. You know the times when you could really ninja thru a can... Those were tough until about 110.

Then one day it just got easier. There were still little bumps here and there, but one day it was like all of that rewiring finally managed to turn on the light bulb. At 80+ days, you are getting there. Hof is now in site. That was a great day, but every day since has been better.

Hit me up if you would like to talk. Congratulations on taking your life back.

Hey Dagranger, Can't add much wisdom to what's already been shared except to say that as fellow Oct '13 quitter, hang in and battle through the funk. We've come so far and I can't wait to see what lies ahead for us beyond the HOF. The HOF is not our ultimate destination but a milestone in taking our lives back. Proud to quit with you today brother!

[worktowin]

Hey quick question to a couple of the longer term quitters.  I am on day 85, and my quit is strong, but I have had a 5 or 6 day stretch where I can barely keep my eyes open at work.  My mind seems really jumbled.  Even though I'm getting plenty of sleep at night.  A lot like the fog period I had at the beginning.  Anybody else go through this?  If so, how long did it last?

I can't specifically say that the tiredness is dip related. Could be many things causing it. But is it possible? Sure. Funks are very real and they do different things to different people. I had various bouts of dongiveashits and fog well into 100+. It will pass.

I suspect you dipped a lot longer than 85 days. Takes a while to really balance out. It's all about establishing a new normal. Time and patience. You will get there. You have all the tools -- just have to choose to use them.

Agreed with the last response. All of us have different experiences, but here is mine... The first 30-40 days were shrouded in a crazy thick fog. From about 40-110 - I was in survival mode. Posted roll and that was it. Wasn't so much the craves as really the rewiring part. Driving long distances. At the house alone for a long time. You know the times when you could really ninja thru a can... Those were tough until about 110.

Then one day it just got easier. There were still little bumps here and there, but one day it was like all of that rewiring finally managed to turn on the light bulb. At 80+ days, you are getting there. Hof is now in site. That was a great day, but every day since has been better.

Hit me up if you would like to talk. Congratulations on taking your life back.

[bigbamadan]

Hey quick question to a couple of the longer term quitters. I am on day 85, and my quit is strong, but I have had a 5 or 6 day stretch where I can barely keep my eyes open at work. My mind seems really jumbled. Even though I'm getting plenty of sleep at night. A lot like the fog period I had at the beginning. Anybody else go through this? If so, how long did it last?

I can't specifically say that the tiredness is dip related. Could be many things causing it. But is it possible? Sure. Funks are very real and they do different things to different people. I had various bouts of dongiveashits and fog well into 100+. It will pass.

I suspect you dipped a lot longer than 85 days. Takes a while to really balance out. It's all about establishing a new normal. Time and patience. You will get there. You have all the tools -- just have to choose to use them.

[Dagranger]

Hey quick question to a couple of the longer term quitters. I am on day 85, and my quit is strong, but I have had a 5 or 6 day stretch where I can barely keep my eyes open at work. My mind seems really jumbled. Even though I'm getting plenty of sleep at night. A lot like the fog period I had at the beginning. Anybody else go through this? If so, how long did it last?

[copingwithoutcopen]

Day 50 sees me a lot more humble than day 20. After day 20 I felt like a winning boxer stepping out of the ring. I"d made it through the first 10 days and the next 10 was definitely about flexing my muscles. I had faced my addiction head on and punched it square in the balls. I remember writing about my triumphs and having a few of the more veteran guys warn me to keep focused.....words of wisdom. I think once you really come to the reality that you are quit, and going to stay that way, you expect the craves to start to weaken.....wrong asshole! The nic bitch doesn't care about your resolve or past triumphs....there were the same 5 to 10 craves every day trying to test my will power. To make matters worse I had to travel two different times between days 20 and 40. On my own, thousands of miles from my wife buying some extra gum at gas station staring up at my old buddy....Kodiak. For some reason the woman in front of me was having some sort of problem with the cashier that seemed to last for an hour....giving the nic bitch time to creep into my thoughts, "buy a can have one dip and throw it away"....the truth is she never had a chance because I posted role that day and I had a shitload of other quitters behind me. But god damned it sure would have helped if the craves backed off a little...on day 40 it seemed like the clouds parted a little and the last 10 days things have gotten easier. I have no doubt that KTC is the reason I am writing this journal now instead of back to my old ways of hiding a tin a day from my wife, kids, friends and coworkers. Posting role every damn day has made me a new and stronger man. Even though I don't post a ton I do read a lot on the site, and the words of cbird, Derk, worktowin, pinched and in my October class Haas, Boomersooner and Fighting Ignorance, have helped me on my weaker days. (i could have listed another 25 guys here) Keep up the fight I hope to be reading your thoughts for years to come. 50 days strong! With a lifetime to go.

-Granger

You're right but a lifetime is a long time coming, maybe just today will do? Congrats on half a Hof. That's no small accomplishment. Keep calm and quit on! I'm right there with you, every day for 423 of em.

[Dagranger]

Day 50 sees me a lot more humble than day 20. After day 20 I felt like a winning boxer stepping out of the ring. I"d made it through the first 10 days and the next 10 was definitely about flexing my muscles. I had faced my addiction head on and punched it square in the balls. I remember writing about my triumphs and having a few of the more veteran guys warn me to keep focused.....words of wisdom. I think once you really come to the reality that you are quit, and going to stay that way, you expect the craves to start to weaken.....wrong asshole! The nic bitch doesn't care about your resolve or past triumphs....there were the same 5 to 10 craves every day trying to test my will power. To make matters worse I had to travel two different times between days 20 and 40. On my own, thousands of miles from my wife buying some extra gum at gas station staring up at my old buddy....Kodiak. For some reason the woman in front of me was having some sort of problem with the cashier that seemed to last for an hour....giving the nic bitch time to creep into my thoughts, "buy a can have one dip and throw it away"....the truth is she never had a chance because I posted role that day and I had a shitload of other quitters behind me. But god damned it sure would have helped if the craves backed off a little...on day 40 it seemed like the clouds parted a little and the last 10 days things have gotten easier. I have no doubt that KTC is the reason I am writing this journal now instead of back to my old ways of hiding a tin a day from my wife, kids, friends and coworkers. Posting role every damn day has made me a new and stronger man. Even though I don't post a ton I do read a lot on the site, and the words of cbird, Derk, worktowin, pinched and in my October class Haas, Boomersooner and Fighting Ignorance, have helped me on my weaker days. (i could have listed another 25 guys here) Keep up the fight I hope to be reading your thoughts for years to come. 50 days strong! With a lifetime to go.

-Granger

[Wt57]

Day 20 of my quit and I thought I would add some thoughts on the journey.
First, this quit seems so much different than my past weak assed attempts, and KTC is responsible for a lot of that. (more on that later) Unlike past times my mind is not trying to play stupid tricks on me. Like, "You should have a dip now and then quit again tomorrow" Or "you are gaining weight, why don't you dip to get your weight down than quit again" etc. In the past my mind used to come up with all sorts of nonsense to why I should buy a tin of Kodiak. This time....not once. It's as if my subconscience knows how committed I am and isn't trying to play games. I still have craves, but they don't come with my mind making up fake justifications for dipping again.
Second reading stories about other people quitting has been a huge motivator for me. It seems like all of us have the same basic background...started dipping in highschool (usually due to peer pressure or sports) Dipped for years...tried multiple times to unsuccessfully quit. Either got health scares, or got sick of hiding and being caught dipping by a family member. Came to this site because we couldn't figure out a way to quit. Then started kicking ass quitting.
All the reasons for starting, the problems quiting, and the symptoms experienced when quiting has made me realize this is not a process unique to me, and if you guys can quit, I can as well.
What I love most about this sight is the anger. I have never really unleashed my anger at my addiction until I came to KTC. Up until 20 days ago I mainly just felt sorry for myself (what can I do I'm addicted)...or worse yet nothing at all. I don't want to chew tobacco, and yet something else is making me. Imagine that happening in any other facet of your life. Being forced to do anything that is harmful to you and hurtful or threatening to your family! Would that piss you off? You're God damned right it would, and that is exactly what nicotine is... harmful to you combined with lying to your loved ones and threathening your family should the dip bring about health troubles or death. So get angry boys! and stay angry! its helped me focus like nothing else has.
I thought my hardest moments would be to see other people dipping in front of me....Totally wrong. For some reason that hasn't been a problem at all. What I have a hard time with is breaking my dip habits...mainly after meals, on drives, and first thing in the morning. Each of which is when I have learned to "embrace the suck!" I have taken a perverse liking to taking on my hardest and most trying moments and winning that battle...so even though I am chewing gum and early on chewing mint pouches, I am trying more and more to just deal with these cravings head on...Not using anything...embracing the suck and getting after it. FYI when I first read that phrase (embrace the suck) I thought it sounded stupid. Now I am living by that motto.
I have read some guys talk about feeling more healthy. That hasn't really happened to me. I never had mouth aches or sores while dipping and therefore quitting hasn't made my mouth feel better. Also its not like I am more energetic or active, if anything I am more tired. (what about you long time quitters? Do you feel healthier? and how?) To me it seems that is the one advantage smokers have when quitting over us...the longer they quit the healthier they feel. Anyway just a few thoughts on my journey...Would love to hear yours.

-Granger

Granger For me I feel healthier in many ways; first and foremost I'm healthier mentally I feel better about myself, second after 40+ years of using my mouth suffered from the abuse and is looking healthier, third I've stated sleeping more because before I spent most of the night dipping rather than sleeping or dipped while I slept. If you don't see any improvement in your health be glad to know that you will have a better chance of staying health as a quit addict. I remember all the times I paused till mouth sores healed and then justified resuming.

[Wade]

Enjoy life without dipping, instead of learning to do shit without dipping. Dipping is just chaining you down and making you it's little bitch. Stand up, break the chains and take back your life. Or take the easy out, dip your short pathetic addicted life away. Your choice

THIS is good shit.