Giving an update after 17 days in. Overall, the quit has been manageable, though I get slammed with craves that penetrate all the way down to my gut and I moan with despair. It seems like the cravings have gotten worse and/or more frequent recently. Maybe the nic bitch thought I was just taking a few days off but got concerned when it seemed like I might actually be quitting. She's come back to get her lost sheep.
On the plus side, I feel like I have a structure that will keep me in quit mode. I'm doing the roll call everyday and I've been keeping in touch with other quitters via PM. I got called out by one of them for reminiscing too much which gave me a new perspective on how to deal with the quit. I'm going to follow the advice.
Additionally, I'm experiencing all the well-documented benefits of quitting. I don't have to deal with having shit in my mouth all day with all the rigmarole attached to it. I don't get the nic pisses throughout the day and just drink water and have actual real pisses. I don't buy all that shit everyday and have actually kept unspent cash in my wallet for several days in a row. I don't need to hide anything from my wife, my mouth feels clean, and I save more time in the day than I had ever expected.
The last thing I'll mention is also a question. I have been brimming with energy the past couple weeks. It is borderline bizarre. I've been a human dynamo getting lots of stuff done, feeling motivated and focused, etc. My question, then is, am I experiencing a nervous reaction to the loss of my dipping? I've heard stories of people who quit any sort of addiction and they respond with obsessive behavior, a focus on something else potentially addictive, etc.; anything to mask the burden of a quit. OR, is this a new normal where my energy should have been all along? I've been poisoning myself for years, so I must have pushed my energy level down after so much abuse. Is this the new me? I hope so, because it feels great.
Okay, in the meantime, I quit today, I will get up and quit tomorrow. All the rest will come as it should. Later quitters.