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Quitting a bad habit

January 21st, 2016 at 04:19 pm

I have a bad habit that I've not discussed here before. I'm a nicotine addict. I don't smoke. I use smokeless spit tobacco. Gross, I know. Expensive, and bad for my health, too.

I've not used smokeless since December 28, 24 days ago. That date had more to do with the schedule around my holiday break than an actual New Year resolution, but you could call it a New Year resolution, too.

This is the third time in that I've been serious about quitting. I'd say the last time was about 2011, also tried around 2007, and about 2002. So, that's about every five years that I try to quit. Obviously, I hope it sticks this time. This time I hope I'm mature enough and serious enough that I will stay quit. I probably thought that same way last time.

To help quit, I'm using nicotine gum. From a financial cost standpoint, I'm spending about 60% of what I spent on tobacco on the gum. So, that's a positive. I've been chewing a piece with a minimum of two hours between each piece from 8-5. And maybe, but not always one piece in the evening. When I hit 30 days I'll extend that to three hours between each piece.

The recommendation is to use the gum for 12 weeks. That takes me through the third week of March. We'll see, but I hope I can kick the gum habit. I'll have to conscious and deliberate about extending the period between pieces. So far I've had little problem with the two hours between pieces. When I say "little problem", I mean I start craving one at the hour and a half mark, but I've been able to hold off until the two hour mark without fail.

So, it seems as if I'm rambling at this point.

The reasons to quit are many, and the only reason to not quit is to satisfy an addiction.

Obviously at this point, I've replaced one nicotine delivery agent with another, but my total daily dose is much less. The first two 20 piece boxes of gum that I bought were the 4mg dose. My most recent purchase was a box of 110 2mg dose pieces. So I've stepped down my gum dosage already.

That's it for now. My plan is to be nicotine free by March 21.

9 Responses to “Quitting a bad habit”

  1. Carol Says:
    1453393925

    I am cheering you on!

  2. Livingalmostlarge Says:
    1453394180

    I am cheering for you. Also chewing isn't just nicotine problem. It's really bad for your teeth worse than smoking so a dentist told me. My cousins chew and they said oral cancer is high in chewers.

    But this time I feel you have finances in control time typo can't role the chew.

  3. ceejay74 Says:
    1453397887

    Good luck! When I quit smoking, the gum helped for sure, but I found there were other addictive elements besides the nicotine. The feel of pulling smoke into my lungs had a pleasurable association, as did the smell of the smoke and just the motions I went through to take out, light and smoke the cigarette. So giving up the ritual of smoking felt harder than giving up the nicotine itself. I temporarily started chewing cinnamon-flavored toothpicks to give myself a mini-ritual to replace it. I still feel a little twinge sometimes when I smell cigarette smoke in the air (not indoors or on people's clothes though--I can't stand that smell now!) But you can do it--I believe it's been almost 10 years since I quit, and I'm so glad I did!

  4. Ima saver Says:
    1453398061

    I am cheering you on also. I started smoking at age 12 and kept it up for over 30 years. One day, I decided to quit cold turkey. Cigarettes were about 25 cents a pack when I started and 75 cents a pack when I quit. I have saved a lot of money over the years! Good luck, you can do it!

  5. turning a new leaf Says:
    1453403324

    Good luck!

  6. creditcardfree Says:
    1453406984

    My husband quit years ago. There's much more to his story, but I can say he did it! Wishing you well as you taper off entirely. Any plans for the savings?

  7. crazyliblady Says:
    1453411706

    Congrats. It is very difficult to quite habits like that. I echo creditcardfree when I also ask if you have any plans for the savings from not using once you quit? Maybe that could be your motivation. Good luck! It sounds like you are doing very well.

  8. patientsaver Says:
    1453422377

    Throat or mouth cancer is really, really bad.

    I smoked from ages 16 to 21 and after trying to quit and failing a few times, I finally quit cold turkey after recovering from a bad cold. Remember how disgusting smoking seems when you're sick? Don't know if smokeless tobacco is the same, but it seemed like a good time to quit for me.

    Studies show that those who try and fail to quit a bad habit to eventually quit altogether, so the fact that you tried before and it didn't stick has no bearing on succeeding this time.

    If it were me trying to quit, I'd post a few articles or graphic photos about cancer, etc on the fridge or wherever you'll see them daily.

    You can do it!!!

  9. alice4now Says:
    1453423015

    Good for you, you've already been tobacco-free for 3 weeks. You are right, there are so many reasons to quit, you can do this.

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