NO NICOTINE (Cope)since 2/19/09

gsganzer · Feb 20, 2009

I quit dipping cope amost 5 years ago. I used to dip a can and a half a day. I constantly had a dip in my mouth.

I quit about a week after my first daughter was born. I decided I wanted to be around to watch over my kids for as long as possible. Dipping was counterproductive to that goal, so I kicked the habit.

It wasn't easy, but I did it. You'll have waves of cravings. They all pass within a few minutes. Even to this day, five years after quitting, I'll get the urge now and then. They're less frequent and less severe.

I have to remind myself that nicotine addiction is like alcoholism. You can never let your guard down and think "just one" will be alright. I quit and will never touch it again, for any excuse, because I know I'll be right back to dipping full-time again if I cave to a moment of weakness.

A couple of tips. Chew regular gum, drink lots of water and be very careful around friends and alcohol (this is when you'll cave in and have "just one").

hunterridgefarm · Feb 20, 2009

johndeere4300 said:
You are doing a great job and i thank you for starting this, because it
has helped me, every time i reach for the can, i think about this thread.

Seems like smoking was easy for me to quit, but i feel that dipping will be much harder to quit.

I will turn it over to the Lord.
_______________________
Thanks for sharing.

When you are ready to quit let me know. But only you can decide.

I think dipping is harder to quit than smoking even though I have never smoked. I have dipped everywhere. In meetings where I was the speaker, in church, just any and everywhere. I could put a dip in spit twice and never have to spit again, did not bother me. And no one knew I had a dip in. I told some guys out in the plant that I was quiting after 27 years and none of them new I dipped.

hunterridgefarm · Feb 20, 2009

johndeere4300 said:
every time i reach for the can, i think about this thread.

And now everytime I think of this thread I'll think of you reaching for that can...the can I could be reaching for.

hunterridgefarm · Feb 20, 2009

gsganzer said:
You can never let your guard down and think "just one" will be alright. because I know I'll be right back to dipping full-time again if I cave to a moment of weakness. be very careful around friends and alcohol (this is when you'll cave in and have "just one").

BTDT about 100 times in the past!

JohnDeere4300 · Feb 20, 2009

hunterridgefarm said:
And now everytime I think of this thread I'll think of you reaching for that can...the can I could be reaching for.

It is hard to quit right now for me.

Last Wednesday it was around 70 deg. out and my only brother had two hours before going to work in the mines, he took a ride on his motorcycle went around a curve, and there was gravel in the road.

He slid on the gravel, went across the other lane, hit the guard rail and died right there.

He was 32 years old, he has a wife and three girls under 12. I really just can't even think straight right now, just a total shock to the family.

Eagleview · Feb 20, 2009

In the quiet moments , when you find yourself thinking of your loss , know that we are thinking of you .

framer · Feb 21, 2009

Good Luck your quality of life just has to get better.I have lost 3 family members
to tobacco 4 more or suffering from years of abuse.Framer

Bird · Feb 21, 2009

I can only imagine the shock for the family. We'll keep you in our prayers.

DocHeb · Feb 21, 2009

greenmule said:
But all this talk of chewing causing cancer is overblown as far as I'm concerned,I believe we all have the cancer gene in us,but somes might be triggered by chemicals of some kind,some might be triggered by beer,electric magnetic field, smoking,etc,and some rubbing snuff. Thats why you find old men and woman who have smoked for 60 years and still kicking,and old men[generally] who have rubbed or chewed for 60 years and still doing it...

We all have "precancer" every day - damage to our replicating DNA strands that, in the vast, vast, vast majority of cases, gets repaired immediately by DNA repair mechanisms within our cells. This stops the progression from "precancer" to cancer. Some people have fantastic DNA repair mechanisms (your 60 year smokers described above), while the majority of us are not so lucky.

...If it for sure caused cancer,than they wouldn't be here...

This attempt to establish absolute cause and affect is a natural attempt to explain things around us, but your assumptions are incorrect - mostly because of the variable strength of the DNA repair genes. Most population exposure/risk studies are not designed to explain cause, but rather explain risk. People that chew tobacco or smoke have higher cancer rates than those that don't chew tobacco or smoke. That doesn't mean all people that chew or smoke get cancer, and doesn't mean non-chewers/smokers don't get cancer. It is just a statement of risk.