SoonerBread
5/19/2012, 01:01 AM
After 20 years, I've finally stopped dipping. I started when I was 13, have been without it now for 10 weeks as of right today. I was using about a can and a half a day.
Anxiety was up, but I got over that. Blood pressure is way lower now. Mouth is healing. I feel better. Every once in a while, I get a massive craving. Other than that, I think it's behind me.
I had "quit" before, only to go back to using. It was always more of an extended break than anything else. This is the longest I've been without since before I first tried it. I never really understood what people meant when they said I'd never be able to quit for good until I did it for myself. They were right, as I had tried to kick it before because either one of my kids or my spouse or someone else thought it would be a good idea for me to quit. I don't know why, but I had an epiphany one morning to just stop doing it. And I haven't looked back since.
Not that anyone on this forum knows me personally, but I know there are some smokers and former-smokers and dippers and former-dippers who've all been in various stages of quitting or cutting back. I just wanted to share this for those of you who fall into that category: It can be done. There's no magic quitting device. Patches, gum, electronic cigs, pills; all that **** just prolongs the misery, and most people go back to using anyway. I tried the gum. Only made me want to do it more. I know of guys who've tried the electronic cigs - they do both now because they like the flavors of the electronic ones.
It's a mental problem, nicotine. If you can get past the initial 36 or so hours, and then the next 3 days, you're home free. The cravings are mental and psychological. If you can replace the craving with some other activity, you will eventually have the will power to ignore it. My addiction was a weakness. Now it helps motivate me to do things (anything) to put the cravings to bed. That has been the coolest affect of quitting.
If you recently quit or are trying to quit tobacco, much love and fight your *** off to quit. It's worth it. If someone you know is trying to quit or recently did, support them in any way they need. There's no better friend you can be to them than to deny them when they try to bum a dip or a smoke.
Boomer
Anxiety was up, but I got over that. Blood pressure is way lower now. Mouth is healing. I feel better. Every once in a while, I get a massive craving. Other than that, I think it's behind me.
I had "quit" before, only to go back to using. It was always more of an extended break than anything else. This is the longest I've been without since before I first tried it. I never really understood what people meant when they said I'd never be able to quit for good until I did it for myself. They were right, as I had tried to kick it before because either one of my kids or my spouse or someone else thought it would be a good idea for me to quit. I don't know why, but I had an epiphany one morning to just stop doing it. And I haven't looked back since.
Not that anyone on this forum knows me personally, but I know there are some smokers and former-smokers and dippers and former-dippers who've all been in various stages of quitting or cutting back. I just wanted to share this for those of you who fall into that category: It can be done. There's no magic quitting device. Patches, gum, electronic cigs, pills; all that **** just prolongs the misery, and most people go back to using anyway. I tried the gum. Only made me want to do it more. I know of guys who've tried the electronic cigs - they do both now because they like the flavors of the electronic ones.
It's a mental problem, nicotine. If you can get past the initial 36 or so hours, and then the next 3 days, you're home free. The cravings are mental and psychological. If you can replace the craving with some other activity, you will eventually have the will power to ignore it. My addiction was a weakness. Now it helps motivate me to do things (anything) to put the cravings to bed. That has been the coolest affect of quitting.
If you recently quit or are trying to quit tobacco, much love and fight your *** off to quit. It's worth it. If someone you know is trying to quit or recently did, support them in any way they need. There's no better friend you can be to them than to deny them when they try to bum a dip or a smoke.
Boomer