No Parade, But It Feels Great To Quit – Finally Done

The summer of my 16th year I started driving and I started dipping. I was introduced to it by a parent that lived down the street. He came over to shoot baskets with us from time to time. He put in a dip and let the rest of us try it. Boom I was hooked.

I met my bride at college and shortly after we started dating she caught me dipping. I promised to quit but didn’t. I’d get caught from time to time but explain it away as “it’s no big deal, when I’m stressed I dip”, “I’m not addicted”, “I can stop anytime”, and on and on. Well my bride chose to believe me. For the next 28 years I hid or lied about dipping.

I promised myself I’d quit when
-Lent season
-Hit 25
-First kid was born
-Second kid was born
-10th anniversary
-Next week
-When I hit 30, then 40, then oh hell who was I fooling?

The really bad part was every time I tried to quit I came back dipping even harder. I went from a few times a day I’d sneak away, to finding ways to avoid people so I could dip. Then I learned to gut it. I could dip all day long and no one really knew.

Fast forward after 30 years of dipping, my mouth hurts, I have so many fillings in my teeth it’s not funny. I’m realizing that if I don’t take control of this it will be the “defining memory” of me once it kills me. My kids would say, “He was a great Dad; wish he would have quit chew”. “I couldn’t look at him in the final days.” So I developed my plan, found this web site, started reading and prepared myself.

On June 14th 2010 I quit tobacco for good. I started running two weeks prior, I started Atkins diet 2 months prior and I started my new life that day.

Why is the quit any different than before?

1) This website has been a blessing from God. The vets and fellow quitters are a great support system. JPine, FHY, PeteN2,Quittin2Day and the rest of Sept provided support and entertainment. When I needed to get a laugh, I just needed to pull up the sept group. FHY helped me stay posted during an early vacation via text messages. JPine kept our group engaged. Thanks Captain JPine. Thanks to the founding quiters for creating and running this site.

2) I went public with this quit. I told my wife and daughter, my sister, friends… I didn’t “hide” the quit. Keep in mind my wife didn’t think I was “hooked” so she still doesn’t really understand what this was like. When I hit day 100 I told her and she just said “well that’s good”. I came to understand that if you hide and lie about this habit for all those years, don’t expect a parade in your honor when you quit.

3) I had a plan. I had focus. Exercise, fake stuff and prayer

Now I’m enjoying learning what it feels like to be dip free. I still use the fake stuff, but I don’t miss the demands that dip put on me. I know I can’t ever go back and I know I still will face challenges down the road. I’m finding out what kind of person I should have been. I now feel more relaxed, in control, and able to handle stress better. It’s weird but it’s amazing. You will get there. If I can quit, you can too. See you around the web site.

I quit for Today. Today I give my word. One day at a time.

Quit on, Quit Strong

Rob (RWM)

NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member RWM