To be completely honest, I don’t think I will ever have an extended time in my life when I don’t think about or miss dipping from time to time. A can of snuff was a sidekick of mine for many years. Although it pretended to be my friend, its little secret was that it is the most addictive stuff on the planet and it was trying to kill my ass one day at a time. At some time during my active addiction I started wondering what freedom from dip would look like.
With that being said, a thought about snuff from time to time is no big deal the longer you go without dipping. Certain things, for me, are associated with heavier use of snuff. For example, I went hunting this weekend and that was always a prime dipping opportunity. I was sure I had multiple cans stocked up in my hunting supplies for the weekend. Back then, I would dip so much my mouth would feel like hamburger meat at the end of a hunt. So when I went hunting this weekend, of course I though about the dip. However, there is a HUGE difference between having a thought about snuff and having a crave. to be clear, I have craves very rarely. I would say I have a crave once or twice a month for a few minutes, no big deal to beat down, especially because I make a daily promise to my quit community.
What does freedom from dip look like? Well, it is hard to put into words but I will try to hit the high points.
I am no longer paranoid about running out of a can when I am going to remote places (hunting).
I no longer have to find excuses to get away from social functions so I can go dip.
I do not have to spend extra time in my truck over lunch to just dip.
I don’t have to worry about my kids seeing daddy use tobacco and want to grow up and be like me.
I don’t have to feel like a failure because I caved again after making a promise to my wife.
I can clearly see what this addiction to tobacco is – pure evil that robs people of years and years of their life.
I am free from worrying about getting oral cancer.
I am free to spend my extra money each month on whatever the hell I want besides buying more tobacco.
I no longer have a tobacco monkey on my back.
I have the knowledge to know that I will always be a tobacco addict, I just choose not to use that crap anymore.
Freedom is not waking up every morning looking for my can of dip and it is not going to bed at night after just…..one….more….dip.
Freedom is knowing that if I die today, I die being a slave to no chemical.
Freedom from dip is hard to explain to someone who is still using everyday. All I can say is that being free is awesome and it is a hard fight to win. Quitting tobacco was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life – it is also one of the most rewarding, hands down.
If you are thinking about quitting – register and join our community of x users. It can be done if you put your mind to it and get involved in the forums.