Can a day for the last 15+ years. I need to quit not just to keep my handsome face, but this shits over 7$ a can in NY.
That's 200 bucks a month to spit in a coffee cup. Anyone have any tricks, cuz not doing it makes me depressed
I was right there with you a little over a year ago. I think I was 16 when I started. Within months I was 1.5 -2 cans per day. Later on when I got into smoking weed and was outta h.s. I would sometimes go thru 3 cans a day. My mouth would get dry from smoking so I'd switch a fresh one. I quit around Christmas time of 2009 so I'm right at about 13 months now. I'd say my daily average over that whole time was pretty much right at 1.5 cans a day. I learned years ago to get away from Skoal, and chewed Tiimberwolf at about 1/3 - 1/2 of the cost so it was an expensive habit by the end at 3+ bucks a can, but not as bad as it could have been.
My sister became a hygienist and was on my ass to quit so that helped to get me started when she looked in my mouth and said "oh my god" Although she was actually shocked at how "kind of decent" my gums were knowing that I had done that for 20 years so heavily and was a heavy drinker too. Anyway, I finally just had enough of the shit and didn't want to lose my face. I had a pic of a guy who lost half his face and his entire jaw that my sister got me........i could only keep it on my fridge a couple of days it was so disgusting, but I started having dreams that that was me so I didn't need to see that shit everyday.
Anyway, first thing you need to do is look up the benefits of nicotine leaving your body. There are timeframes that certain things happen in, and you will notice them like clockwork. I kept that on my fridge up until last month when I hit the year mark, cuz that was all the higher it went up to.
Secondly, and this was most important to me personally, is that you must realize especially at a can or more per day that nicotine is a total mindfuck game. After 72 hours it is cleared from your system. Drink at least a gallon and a half of water a day, and workout out like a man possessed for the first week to help cleanse your body.....and to relieve stress. After those first three days your cravings/needs for a dip are all psychological. Keep telling yourself this over and over, and know that you are strong enough mentally to win.
Third, if you are like me you have "triggers" for when you crave a dip the most. For me....waking up (I literally would grab the can off the nightstand, put a dip in and hit snooze to start every day), driving, after a meal, and right after a workout were absolute musts for me. You have to consciously remember that you will crave it most at these times and find a way to distract yourself from it.
Finally, the oral fixation part of it is also huge. (no homo)
Seriously though, you get used to that texture between your cheek and your gums and teeth. People say to chew gum, and put it over there like a chew but that annoyed me cuz the texture was not the same. It was squeeky like having a cheese curd in your mouth. I tried that fake chew stuff, and it was ok, but it was fine cut and an absolute challenge to get in your mouth, and made a mess that was a bitch to try and brush out from between your teeth. I found that shredded beef jerkey stuff in the chew can to be the closest thing texture wise and I used that regularly for about the first 3 months, and then sporadically for about 4 more after that. I don't use anything anymore at all. Also, my teeth got really fucking sore while I was initially quitting for the first month or so. If you do go through that too, I will mention that is where gum actually came in handy for me when I was around others, but in private I would grab a straw and just chew the fuck outta that thing until the pain in my teeth would start to go away. I'm talking about a straw like they give you at BK for your pop not those puny little mixing straws btw. By the time I'd get done that thing would be a 2 inch wadded up mangled mess of plastic. It was gross, but it worked.
Oh yeah............if they know you by face at the store you go to and have it on the counter by the time you get through the door like the place I went to, then start getting your gas and other things you need from a different convenient store. They are like paid enablers if you don't go somewhere else. If you go to any store and you see the chew section and start to crave, put your shit down and just walk out.
These are the things that helped me. Sorry so long winded, but hey that's me. lol I hope this helps you to get this shit out of your life. It is a horrible addiction, and a disgusting habit. Nothing has ever been as hard for me to quit as tobacco was........but I did it
Hope you can too! Good Luck!