D-Day 02/01/08 2:45 PST

[Ready]

(builderchad @ Aug 7, 2008, 5:19 pm)

My fella bros,

You almost lost an Aug member and gained a Nov. addict the last 2 days...

The homebuilding co. I work for went thru another round of layoffs yesterday. I had to layoff a guy I consider a good friend. I'm down from 14 to 3 guys now if that gives you a pic of what the fucking economy is like. 

I have almost used nic 4 times in the last 2 days. I had EVERY opportunity to smoke. I've stopped at the store 3 times in 2 days, trying my DAMNEST to talk myself into nic. I've called JW 3 times today only to get his voicemail. I almost called smokes, brent, and mule but I didn't. WHY?!?! B/c I had control. I had control over an addiction that's kicked my ass for too damn long.

I'm hurting guys. I pissed the wife off, work/life is harder than fuck right now but even with that, I won't use nic. I didn't post this morning to give myself an excuse. That didn't work. I'm still on day 85, hitting 86 tomorrow.

Without this site, my own willpower and GOD above, I'd be a day 1er today.

You're gonna need a wheel barrel to carry around those big ole balls you got there.

Whatever it takes.

Caving is not an aption, do something else. I suspect you know this. I also suspect you know what kind of damage you would do, not only to yourself, but to so many on this site. Including me, you fucking retard.

Now stay quit, or else. Yeah it's a fucking threat!

[Ready]

Everyone should read this; (Reprinted with Tamado's permission)

Oh Canada
By: Leighton Krahn (tamado)
My name is Leighton and I am a nicotine addict. So, what motivates a person to take on their addiction? What separates an addict from someone with a bad habit? What is there to gain, what is there to lose? These are all questions we asked ourselves in one way or another when we decided to quit. There are a few primary motivators for a quit, some seem to end better than others. The main categories for me are control, health, financial and peer pressure. It seems there are many people that take on quitting (or overcoming addiction) for one of these reasons and some quits seem to stick better than others. They say you have to be ready to quit, but I also believe you can move yourself to a place where you are ready to quit if you want to quit. In other words, wanting to quit and being ready are not the same thing. When you “want to quit” – a term used by most nicotine addicts followed by “it’s hard” or “I can’t” – you have not yet found your motivation. I find that when someone wants to quit, they need to focus on a reason why quitting is important to them and use that motivation as a goal. If it is health, you have to see yourself healthier in the future. If it is money, you see what your ill-spent funds will be better served on and so on. Until you pick a strong motivating factor and truly believe you want to see your way to the other side of it, you will not stay quit.

Control was truly what made me want to quit. I have focussed on the Garth Brooks line “I have never let anything have this much control over me, I’ve worked too hard to call this life my own...” throughout my quit. I have also thought how God is the only one who should be able to control me as much as this addiction and that reminds me to pray. I was avoiding occasions, manufacturing times to feed my addiction and generally giving complete control of my time and life to nicotine. When I worked in a corporate office, I squandered time outside with the smokers. When I went to visit my parents I walked the dog 12 times a day – I think the dog wanted me to screw off by the end of a weekend. If I needed to travel for something I would find a reason why it was better to go alone so I could dip in the car without being nagged by my wife. Whenever a situation presented itself, my mind would start calculating how Copenhagen could be accommodated. So, control was and is my long term motivation. The reason I am ready to quit.

The next motivating category that I see is health. This can be a powerful motivator for some, but a short term one for others. The reality is, we abuse our bodies in many ways in our life and it has to hit and maintain a certain level of reality before it can be the motivation for a long term quit. I have met some great quitters on qs.org and ktc.org who have motivated by health reasons. I think of ODT who’s struggle with cancer has made him a motivation to others. Who has taken his battle with a hideous disease and used it to give to others. I think of people like chewlessjim who live a healthy and active lifestyle that is not congruent with a nicotine addiction. I think of Rose who came as close to a full cancer diagnoses as any of us would ever want to come. Health concerns can make you ready but can also be a trap. For many, when the fear of immediate health concerns are alleviated (it was just a bump, coldsore, etc) the motivation is also gone and they decide that one more will not hurt. All of us quitters know where that leads – right back where we left off.

We often think of peer pressure as a negative thing, but it can be equally positive. Who are our peers? Our co-workers, our friends, our spouses and families, our congregations, etc. When nicotine and tobacco are de-normalized our peers begin to tell us in one way or another that what we are doing is disturbing to them. They see us wasting our time and money for something disgusting. They see the control it has in our lives. When they are honest with us, it is like a mirror reflecting our lives and we cannot help see nicotine for the beast it really is. A lot will say we have to quit for ourselves and to a degree that is true, but part of being self-serving is maintaining our relationships. If nicotine is causing my wife to not want to kiss me, my buddies to not want to drive with me (and stare at my spitter) and me to be distracted when visiting with others because I do not want to go dip that is a consequence of my choice to feed my addiction. If I do not like that consequence I can chose to take on the addiction so I can restore right relationships with those people. The less distractions there are, the more honest the relationships can be and that makes them fulfilling.

So what motivated me to start writing this? Well, I saw a sign in my local convenience store to warn people of the new prices. It read “Smokeless Tobacco: $10.90 +tax”. Which by the way is just sales tax, there are many taxes in the price already. That works out to $12 even for a tin. Now before you go thinking that is high, remember, I am Canadian. The tins here are 15g to the US 35g tin making that price the equivalent to $28 for a tin in the US. We have all said at some point that we will stop when the price hits $x.xx. What is x? Well, it is a moving target. It is always just high enough to console ourselves. Addictions do not respond to money well, they do not care if they break you. Money does; however, come more into play when you are already quit. When I realize that I would be spending over $20/day if I were still dipping I cannot imagine how insane it would be to go back. Yet the night I saw that and started thinking about it I had a dream I dropped a big fat dip in my mouth. I went in the store and saw the sign but decided I would never really go back at those prices so I would give it a try. I figured I better not risk it and buy my brand so I played it safe and got some goofy skoal flavour. Surely that would not get me back on my addiction. I threw in a big fat dip and could feel the calm surge through me. Man, I felt confused when I woke up.
I am trying to decide how to draw a point out of the money issue and here is what I find interesting. Canada has 100% publically funded health care. In other words, you get sick, you do not pay. The spin doctors talk about what an incredible burden the “smokers” (they never talk about dippers) put on the healthcare system but they fail to mention the revenue. The reason prices are so high here are the government putting on hidden “sin taxes” as we like to call them. They sell the bill in the government houses by showing how it will deter people from taking up “the habit”. They treat it like it is gum or jerky or nail biting. A habit, so if you raise the price, people will break the habit. The reality is it is not breaking a habit, it is confronting an addiction and by strictly raising the prices the government is just extorting the weak. As long as we do not take on nicotine as an addiction, we will not overcome it.

So what made you ready to quit? What keeps you ready? We must live in a perpetual state of readiness. We remain alert to the enemy. We are at war and if we grow weary and lay down our arms and stop fighting then it is just a matter of time until the enemy finds us in a vulnerable state and takes control of us again. Continual readiness is called vigilance. We hold vigil as quitters. That is the power of the support networks. In war, everyone must rest. At times I grow weary and need to lean against a tree and take a drink of water. When I need to do that, I ask one of my fellow soldiers to keep an eye out for me and I hope to do the same for him or her sometime. Let us all fight tirelessly, let us support the weak and weary, let us admit when we are weak and weary and swallow our pride. We shall overcome as a united force against addiction and a society that teaches us instant self-serving gratification.

Tamado
~Leighton Krahn

Some fine words of wisdom Leighton. I particularly like the last paragraph.

[Ready]

...I have to admit it, I really enjoyed dipping.  RIGHT AFTER making the previous statement, I realized that I had not enjoyed dipping for many many years.  As a matter of fact, for the last several years I actually did not like it at all.

YOU SEE how she works.  She whispered about the good old days.  Knowing that it was the time I most enjoyed.  She made me conveniently forget how fucking miserable dipping has been for many years.

This is your column.. but I am adding an 'amen' to this statement..

I am ecouraged by your statement. May I humbly disagree as to this being my "Column." It belongs to you. And so many others just like you. I could not have done this on my own. I am only trying to pay back a fraction of what I owe.

For those of you browsing the site, It works. I have no reason to lie to you. I have every reason to help every one of you who take that first step.

I know. I know how you are feeling.

You have the balls. I know you do. Jump off that fucking cliff, throw your hands wide out and embrace the quit.

Freedom is only your word of Honor away.

You can do this Blue. I will help.

[Bluetiereign]

...I have to admit it, I really enjoyed dipping.  RIGHT AFTER making the previous statement, I realized that I had not enjoyed dipping for many many years.  As a matter of fact, for the last several years I actually did not like it at all.

YOU SEE how she works.  She whispered about the good old days.  Knowing that it was the time I most enjoyed.  She made me conveniently forget how fucking miserable dipping has been for many years.

This is your column.. but I am adding an 'amen' to this statement..

[Ready]

Ready - Day 162.

I had an epiphany today. They don't come along for me often so please bare with me. It hit me like a ton of bricks.

I was in live chat this evening. A quitter, with many many more days quit than me, let it slip that he was in a minnie funk. Those continue to get farther and farther apart for me and I have not had one in a long time.

I told him that he was an inspiration to me and I suspected that this was true for many others on this site. This particular quitter happens to be very wise in the way of the quit and deftly slips in the voice of reason during turmoil on the site. Well done my friend, well done.

Okay, enough of the background, here's the good part. I realized at the moment I was conversing with this quitter, That I was no longer scared of the funk. Or the crave for that matter. You heard me. I was not concerned one bit about the funk or the crave I know will come. Why? Because I have no doubt whatsoever in my mind that the people on this site will not let me fail. EVER.

You have no idea how comforting and liberating that is.

Thanks 11X4.

[mns36]

Ready Day 154.

Tomorrow will be my first dip free 4th of July in a very long time, perhaps 20 years maybe more, I don't remember. I will celebrate our nation's freedom and think of those that have sacrificed to keep me and my family safe and free. I will also celebrate my freedom from dip.

For most of you browsing this site, I would say that you do not remember what it was like not to dip. I understand. Dipping to me was as natural as breathing. I could not and did not think about what things would be like without dip.

After about fifteen or twenty years of dipping, I became acutely aware that I needed to quit. It's a hard feeling to describe. But there was a problem. I was addicted. I wanted to quit but I did not know how. I did not have the tools. I equated quitting to cutting off my arm or my leg. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the feeling.

Yes, It will be difficult for the first few days. Things will get better after that. Every several weeks you will need to buckle down and fight for your freedom from dip. Then, more and more time will go by between fights. I have no illusions, my fight will never be over. I will just not have to fight as often. I can live with that, literaly.

Then there will come a time, a time where I am right now. I think more about living life rather than when I can have my next dip. I don't have the anxiety that comes with the fact that I know I was hurting myself. I smile now, a full tooth one at that. I laugh out loud now. I have not done these things for as long as I can remember. I enjoy life so much more without dip. I enjoy everything so much more without dip.

I quit. This time, I did not fail. This time I had this site and the fine men and women on this site. This site works. I am proof.

If by chance you have found this site and my humble little post. And you have read this far, Welcome. You are ready to quit.

Take that first step, honor your word and we will not let you fail.

Well said Ready, well said!

[Ready]

Ready Day 154.

Tomorrow will be my first dip free 4th of July in a very long time, perhaps 20 years maybe more, I don't remember. I will celebrate our nation's freedom and think of those that have sacrificed to keep me and my family safe and free. I will also celebrate my freedom from dip.

For most of you browsing this site, I would say that you do not remember what it was like not to dip. I understand. Dipping to me was as natural as breathing. I could not and did not think about what things would be like without dip.

After about fifteen or twenty years of dipping, I became acutely aware that I needed to quit. It's a hard feeling to describe. But there was a problem. I was addicted. I wanted to quit but I did not know how. I did not have the tools. I equated quitting to cutting off my arm or my leg. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the feeling.

Yes, It will be difficult for the first few days. Things will get better after that. Every several weeks you will need to buckle down and fight for your freedom from dip. Then, more and more time will go by between fights. I have no illusions, my fight will never be over. I will just not have to fight as often. I can live with that, literaly.

Then there will come a time, a time where I am right now. I think more about living life rather than when I can have my next dip. I don't have the anxiety that comes with the fact that I know I was hurting myself. I smile now, a full tooth one at that. I laugh out loud now. I have not done these things for as long as I can remember. I enjoy life so much more without dip. I enjoy everything so much more without dip.

I quit. This time, I did not fail. This time I had this site and the fine men and women on this site. This site works. I am proof.

If by chance you have found this site and my humble little post. And you have read this far, Welcome. You are ready to quit.

Take that first step, honor your word and we will not let you fail.

[Ready]

Another blast from the past, straightening my ass out.


CCM

This is for READY....AGAIN. And you better read it asshole....it took 15 minutes of flipping back through this thread to find it.


An Open Letter to Ready:

Dear Ready,

You recent posts have me concerned. You have now been quit for well over 80 days. In case you don't know it, your physical addiction has long passed. You should have found a suitable oral substitute or gained 80 pounds by now. If not, please head on down to your local 7-11 and buy all the gum, seeds, twinkies and ding-dongs you like. If you need money for snacks or a couple of pairs of "stretchy pants", let me know. I'll wire it to you.

In the wise words of my wife..."do you have any idea how pissed at yourself you'd be if you gave up now. You're such a dumbass." So buddy...suck it up and just realize that you have quit. I know it's tough for you given that your subconscience is bigger than you conscience, but you can do it!

Love,
CCM

P.S. (THIS IS NEW STUFF).....if I see more posts about you waffling, I'm gonna openly start calling you a drama queen and get Who Dey to change your Avatar to a little girl in a tu-tu!

You're always in other groups helping others out. Now help yourself, dammit. You're done. Quit. It's Over. You won. Be happy, you frickin' retard.

[Ready]

So, if you have decide that you are ready to quit being a slave, this is the type of support you can expect. CCM wrote this in response to a dip dream I posted earlier that Day: Day 75 I believe.

I just read what you posted in the introduction section.

You're lucky that had a happy ending. I swear in the first paragraph I was ready to find you and beat the living hell out of you. My heart rate went up. Fuck. Don't ever do that to me again.

What else can I say. I have never met him. However, I am accountable to him. I am accountable to him out of respect, honor, pride and integrity. He is accountable to me for the same.

If any of these things mean anything to you, you can quit. We can and will help. Join us, Join us now. Now is a good day to quit.

[Ready]

A blast from the past. Don't worry. I got straightend out by several people on this site. This was at day 75.

I really don't have time for her right now. I have things to get done. Important things. Many things. Things that I do not want to do. Things that can no longer wait. Maybe that's why she is here. She knows I need a blanky right now. She probably thinks that while I am distracted with so many things, she can get one in there.

She's on her A game today.

You wanna hear what that bitch just said. She said that this site is probably distracting me too much, taking up too much of my time. And that's why I am not getting anything done.

She's pulling out the bigs guns now.

Fuck me.

Wait, She's not done yet. She said that I can come back to her for just a week, till things blow over. Then I could quit again if I really wanted to. Why not. Already proved I could.

Double fuck me.

[Ready]

Link Courtesy of Brent. I defy you not to feel just a bit better afterwords.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RntL-2uwt_g

Life is good. Don't piss it away bein a crabby ass. Now get out there and start livin.

Brought to you and made possible by KillTheCan.org.

[bubblehed668]

Ready - 135 Days quit and just a little pissed off.

Come on over here and sit down my friend, lets have a little talk. Yes you.  The Guest that is browsing the site.  I know you want to quit and you are looking for the inspiration to do it.  Well my friend, you have come to the right place.  You will most likely find everything you need right here on this site to quit and stay that way.  BUT, There is a catch.

When you sign up and post roll, you are giving your WORD of HONOR that you will not dip for that day.  That's all we ask.  That you give your word and keep it.  It is a very simple concept.  Pride, Honor, Integrity.  These words mean something here.

When you are taken under the wing of a quitter, a group and the site, We expect you to live up to your word.  When you do not, it affects all of us. Especially the other quitters who have gotten close to you.  All of us have been betrayed and we all know how it feels.  It's a big fuck you right to the face.

Having said all of that, DON'T come in here and try us on like a fucking shirt.  Have the respect for others not to just "Give it a try".

We are some serious fucking quitters here.  This is not a game to us.  Have the respect to be sincere and you will find a tremendous amount of support here.

Done rambling.

P.S.  I would like to find all of those people I invested time with, who caved after one fucking day, and poke them in the eye with a stick.  Does that seem harsh?  never mind, I'm just a little pissed.

'clap' Bravo Bravo Bravo.'clap' You hit the nail right smack on the head. I have that perfect stick for you to use if needed.

[redtrain14]

Ready - 135 Days quit and just a little pissed off.

Come on over here and sit down my friend, lets have a little talk. Yes you.  The Guest that is browsing the site.  I know you want to quit and you are looking for the inspiration to do it.  Well my friend, you have come to the right place.  You will most likely find everything you need right here on this site to quit and stay that way.  BUT, There is a catch.

When you sign up and post roll, you are giving your WORD of HONOR that you will not dip for that day.  That's all we ask.  That you give your word and keep it.  It is a very simple concept.  Pride, Honor, Integrity.  These words mean something here.

When you are taken under the wing of a quitter, a group and the site, We expect you to live up to your word.  When you do not, it affects all of us. Especially the other quitters who have gotten close to you.  All of us have been betrayed and we all know how it feels.  It's a big fuck you right to the face.

Having said all of that, DON'T come in here and try us on like a fucking shirt.  Have the respect for others not to just "Give it a try".

We are some serious fucking quitters here.  This is not a game to us.  Have the respect to be sincere and you will find a tremendous amount of support here.

Done rambling.

P.S.  I would like to find all of those people I invested time with, who caved after one fucking day, and poke them in the eye with a stick.  Does that seem harsh?  never mind, I'm just a little pissed.

Very Well Said Sir.


'clap'

Well said, my man...well said!

[mule]

Ready - 135 Days quit and just a little pissed off.

Come on over here and sit down my friend, lets have a little talk. Yes you. The Guest that is browsing the site. I know you want to quit and you are looking for the inspiration to do it. Well my friend, you have come to the right place. You will most likely find everything you need right here on this site to quit and stay that way. BUT, There is a catch.

When you sign up and post roll, you are giving your WORD of HONOR that you will not dip for that day. That's all we ask. That you give your word and keep it. It is a very simple concept. Pride, Honor, Integrity. These words mean something here.

When you are taken under the wing of a quitter, a group and the site, We expect you to live up to your word. When you do not, it affects all of us. Especially the other quitters who have gotten close to you. All of us have been betrayed and we all know how it feels. It's a big fuck you right to the face.

Having said all of that, DON'T come in here and try us on like a fucking shirt. Have the respect for others not to just "Give it a try".

We are some serious fucking quitters here. This is not a game to us. Have the respect to be sincere and you will find a tremendous amount of support here.

Done rambling.

P.S. I would like to find all of those people I invested time with, who caved after one fucking day, and poke them in the eye with a stick. Does that seem harsh? never mind, I'm just a little pissed.

Very Well Said Sir.


'clap'

[Ready]

Ready - 135 Days quit and just a little pissed off.

Come on over here and sit down my friend, lets have a little talk. Yes you. The Guest that is browsing the site. I know you want to quit and you are looking for the inspiration to do it. Well my friend, you have come to the right place. You will most likely find everything you need right here on this site to quit and stay that way. BUT, There is a catch.

When you sign up and post roll, you are giving your WORD of HONOR that you will not dip for that day. That's all we ask. That you give your word and keep it. It is a very simple concept. Pride, Honor, Integrity. These words mean something here.

When you are taken under the wing of a quitter, a group and the site, We expect you to live up to your word. When you do not, it affects all of us. Especially the other quitters who have gotten close to you. All of us have been betrayed and we all know how it feels. It's a big fuck you right to the face.

Having said all of that, DON'T come in here and try us on like a fucking shirt. Have the respect for others not to just "Give it a try".

We are some serious fucking quitters here. This is not a game to us. Have the respect to be sincere and you will find a tremendous amount of support here.

Done rambling.

P.S. I would like to find all of those people I invested time with, who caved after one fucking day, and poke them in the eye with a stick. Does that seem harsh? never mind, I'm just a little pissed.