I quit smokeless tobacco over a month ago now. I did it after more than 40 years of using.
Started as a young teenager and done it ever since. That's a long time to have something be part of your daily routine. Reaching for the can of dip was automatic. Bored? Dip. Stressed? Dip. Driving? Dip. It was just what I did. Didn't think about it anymore.
Then I got sick with Fungal laryngitis. Didn't know what it was at first. Something wrong with my throat. Big lumpy feeling in it. For a minute there I thought it might be throat cancer. Scared the hell out of me. It made me take a hard look at what I was doing to myself.
That was enough of the shit and I was done.
Not cold turkey though because I'm not a hero. The VA hooked me up with nicotine gum and that's been my crutch through the transition. The plan is to wean off the gum eventually. One step at a time though.
The first few days were the hardest. Not because of cravings really. It was the habit. 40 years of reaching for a can when I'm bored. My hand didn't know what to do with itself. Used to having something in my gums. That part was weird. But it passed.
Now? No struggles and no desire to go back. I feel fine and better actually knowing I'm not putting that crap in my body anymore. The gum handles the nicotine part and I don't miss the rest of it.
My wife and kids were supportive the whole time. That helped more than they probably know. Having people in your corner makes the hard stuff easier.
40 years is a long time to do something stupid. But it's never too late to stop. Sometimes it takes a scare to wake you up. Whatever works.
If you're thinking about quitting something, just do it. Find your crutch if you need one. Lean on your people and take it one day at a time.
Anyone else quit a long term habit? What finally made you stop?
Thanks for reading,
Joe
Notes:
-All content is mine unless otherwise annotated.
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