Somebody Pinch Me – THIS SITE REALLY WORKS

No really, go ahead and pinch me. THIS CANT BE REAL, RIGHT?  After suffering through my nicotine addiction for the vast majority of my adult life, I AM ACTUALLY QUIT!!  Somehow, I managed to reach 100 Days of freedom on April 5th.  It wasn’t supposed to be possible, let alone this easy, I’m kinda confused. I mean, my mind always told me it would be impossible……..

I’m too weak, too hooked, a lost cause, its too late in life to change my ways, nicotine is part of my identity, it helps me be me……..

well even if I do get the balls to stop, the withdraw will be a nightmare and I’ll find my way back to the can or smoking……like times before.

But really what do I got to lose? I mean the damage this shit is doing to my body 24×7 is fucking screaming at me to wake up……now I’m having extra anxiety and even panic attacks.  I thought nicotine worked to calm my nerves all these years, but now this addiction has me so tied up in knots…….I’m an adult, its time to act like one and reclaim MY life…….for ME.

The above self-dialogue reflects my mental state that brought me to Kill The Can for help in Dec 2019.

Here is what I found and some recommendations for the many people out there suffering with a seemingly hopeless, long-term nicotine addiction:

• There is no need to reinvent how to quit; tens of thousands of successful quitters at KTC (many of which remain active on the site today) can attest to the power and effectiveness of the KTC quit methodology – it will get the job done, stop looking for something sexier, more modern, civilized or simpler and just go all in today.
  
• If your word actually means something to you, then you will benefit from the Accountability this site will require.
  
• Only interested in support and atta boys even if you fail………..too proud to allow yourself to be accountable to others………don’t waste our time, this place isn’t for you.
  
• Think you can get sufficient Accountability from just your family and friends, think again.
  
• Not all Accountability is equal……..the highest form of accountability comes from fellow addicts. My wife, teenage kids, some great close friends, they all shared the early excitement and total support for my quit……..at first.  But they quickly moved on and forgot (my own wife even cluelessly took up smoking in front of me during my quit, hilarious). Its not their fault, they can never relate to the complex thoughts and feelings that an addict wrestles with day in and day out, in many ways for the rest of our lives. By contrast, to this very day I still communicate with several dozen KTC quitters every day/week…….most of which have not lost one ounce of passion for sharing their Brotherhood and Accountability with me.
  
• Just by joining KTC, your odds of quit success will improve.  But since your going to invest the time and energy to be here, why not significantly improve your odds of success?
  
• HERE’S THE SECRET ON HOW TO GUARANTEE YOU WILL TRULY STAY QUIT……….GO ALL IN AND MAKE SOME TIME TO INVEST IN THE QUIT SUCCESS OF OTHERS (on your team at first and then by supporting other quitters)……YOU’LL FIND YOUR OWN ADDICTION STRUGGLES WILL GREATLY DIMINISH. This is the reason there are hundreds of veteran quitters that log into this site every morning working to Pay It Forward and fortify their own quits even with hundreds or multi thousands of quit days already under their belts.
  
• I was afraid of withdraw symptoms. I found out withdraw is real but not always the same for every quitter. My own symptoms were the most intense for me in the first 2 weeks. I began to experience a sense of normalcy and calm at about 3 weeks.
  
• Coincidently, at about 3 weeks in was the exact same time that I stopped trying to change the system and went all in by embracing the KTC quit methodology. I broke the ice and exchanged contact info with total strangers, began looking out for my quit brothers during the day and forming more intimate, personal relationships, and I began actively supporting both experienced and new quitters……..suddenly everything changed.  Cravings were minimized and my own worries and selfish thoughts faded away – I’m embarrassed to admit my quit has been very easy for months now.  Accident, I think not.
  
• Still I’ve learned enough about addiction and myself in these past 100 days to not get complacent.  I’m not naïve enough to think that my success would continue for long if I were to step away from this Brotherhood permanently.

Joining KTC was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. I enjoy freedom and you can too. The hopelessness and anxiety you feel as you contemplate your own quit………its not reality! No need to be a trailblazer here……….just pick up the well established quit methods of tens of thousands before you.

Can’t wait to meet and support you when you post your first promise – START HERE.

SPECIAL THANKS AND OTHER BULLSHIT

I’d just like to sincerely thank EVERY DAMN ONE of my brothers of the Cobra Kai Quit Dojo – April 2020 HOF Group and our fabulous HOF Conductors @ankape and @Jbash. Grateful and proud to quit with each one of you!!!

Special thanks to all the tremendous veteran quitters that shepherded and nurtured the young Cobra Kai, especially @Bug Guy, @kodiakdeath, @Skolvikings, @Athan, @chris2alaska, @pab1964, and many others. You helped us build one kickass team and showed us how to do things right, forever grateful, hopefully we’ll continue to do you proud.

Special thanks to my earliest of personal connections and for those who continue to reach out making me feel welcome and supporting me to this day. Fine people like @Brad, @Chaotique, @chitownsnus, @Hunter4life, @stillbrewing, @ChickDip, @Allpuck, @JJG009, @MikeW2018, @RAZD611, @arrakisdq, @quitNWinay.

Thanks to innumerable new quitters that keep finding their way here and being open to supporting one another, especially the June Renegades of Quit, July Guts and Glory and August Ajay Crew, and also individual badass quitters like @Thomas, @DevinHeff, @GS9502, @Bagel_Dog, @elizabeth529, @KieranMac17, @DTBrown, @Quitter2019, @Thedumbox, @PackItUp, @menard11, @SID2020, @Cody55, @QuitterJoe …….. keep on quitting one day at a time. NAFAR – with you!

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