The Lies We Tell Ourselves About Quitting Nicotine | #63

The Lies We Tell Ourselves About Quitting Nicotine – Episode 63

The Kill The Can Podcast
Recorded: October 20th, 2026

Read the Full Episode Transcript
Kill The Can Podcast — Episode 63: The Lies We Tell Ourselves About Quitting Nicotine. Transcript lightly edited for readability.

Introduction: The Lies We Tell Ourselves (00:00)
It’s time now for the Kill The Can podcast. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Kill The Can podcast. I’m your host, Chewie, and as always, it’s an honor to be quit with you. Today I want to talk about something that I think every single one of us has dealt with at one point or another. Lies. Not the lies that you tell our wives. Not the lies that we tell our bosses. Not even the lies that we tell our doctors when they ask us how much we drink or whether we use tobacco.

Although, let’s be honest, some of us have probably gotten pretty creative with those answers over the years. Now, today I’m talking about the lies that we tell ourselves. Specifically, the lies we tell ourselves about nicotine, about quitting, and about why today just isn’t the right day to stop. You know the ones. I’ll quit after the weekend. I’ve got too much stress in my life right now. I I’ve been dipping for 20 years. What’s the point of quitting now? Just one won’t hurt. And my personal favorite, I can quit whenever I want.

Really? And why haven’t you? Now, I’m not saying this to be a jerk. I’m saying it because I spent nearly 20 years dipping tobacco, and I understand exactly how convincing those lies can be. I quit on July 24th, 2006. And I can tell you that the guy who was dipping the day before that had an almost unlimited supply of reasons why quitting was not going to work. But here’s the thing, folks. Most of those reasons weren’t reasons at all. They were just excuses.

And until I learned to recognize them for what they were, nicotine was always going to have the upper hand. So today, let’s talk about some of the biggest lies we tell ourselves, why they’re so convincing, and what we can do to stop believing them.

I’ll Quit When the Time Is Right (02:18)
Let’s start with probably the biggest lie of them all. I’ll quit when the time is right. How many times have you said that? Or maybe you’ve said some version of it, right? I’ll quit after this vacation. I’ll quit after the holidays. I’ll quit when work slows down, after baseball season, when the kids are older. You know, those kind of things. I’ve got news for you. The perfect time to quit does not exist. Never has and it never will. There’s always going to be another stressful day at work. There’s always going to be another election.

There’s always going to be another vacation, a holiday, a wedding, a funeral, etc., etc. Life doesn’t stop being life just because you decide to quit dipping. Think about how many times you’ve set a quit date and then moved it. Maybe you said January 1st, new year, new me, right? Then January 1st rolls around and you still had that half a can left. Well, you can’t waste it, right? Okay. So maybe January 2nd. Well, January 2nd’s a Thursday and you know who starts something this difficult in the middle of the work week.

I better wait until Monday. Monday rolls around and you’ve got a huge project due at work or a big test. Yeah, you better wait until that’s finished. And before you know it, six more months have gone by and you’re still stuffing that same poison into your face. Sound familiar? The problem with waiting for the right time is that we’re putting our addiction in charge of our calendar. We’re allowing nicotine to tell us when we’re allowed to quit nicotine. I mean, just think about how ridiculous that sounds.

You wouldn’t ask a burglar to help you decide when to change your locks. Why are you asking your addiction for permission to end your addiction? And here’s the truth. The right time to quit is when you decide that you’re done. Not when your schedule clears up. Not when life becomes less stressful. Not when the stars magically align. When you decide that you’re done. And for those of you who are listening who are thinking, “Well, maybe tomorrow.” I would say, “Why not today?” And I’m being totally serious. Why not today?

What does tomorrow have that today doesn’t? All right, so here’s the big one.

Nicotine Helps Me Deal With Stress (04:58)
Nicotine helps me deal with stress. I need my dip because it helps me deal with that stress. I hear I can’t tell you how often I hear this. And I’ll be honest with you, I get it. I understand it. You’ve had a terrible day at work. Your boss is on your case. The kids are driving you nuts. The car needs brakes. the bills keep piling up and all you want to do sit down, turn on the game, turn on the video game, throw in a dip and relax because dip makes everything better, right? Except it doesn’t.

So, let’s think about what’s actually happening here. Nicotine is an addictive drug. As the level of nicotine in your body drops, you can start experiencing withdrawal symptoms, including irritability, restlessness, and anxiety. And then you pop in that dip. Bang. You deliver the nicotine back into your system that it was so re I mean, it was really craving. And then for a little while, those withdrawal symptoms ease up and suddenly you feel better.

And your brain says, “See, nicotine helps me relax.” But a big part of what just happened is that nicotine relieved the discomfort created by nicotine dependence in the first place. It’s a pretty sweet racket, isn’t it? Imagine this. Somebody walks into your house every morning, turns off your air conditioning, and then charge you 20 bucks to turn it back on. After a while, you might think that guy’s doing you a favor. He’s not. He’s the one causing the problems.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that quitting magically eliminates stress because it absolutely 100% does not. I’ve been quit 20 years, and I can assure you that life still finds plenty of ways to kick me in the balls almost daily. Work, family situations, bad days happen. But you know what? I’ve been able to deal with every single one of those situations for the last 20 years without nicotine. And so can you.

Quitting doesn’t remove life’s problems, but it removes the addiction that convinced you that nicotine was necessary to survive them.

Just One Won’t Hurt (07:27)
And that is a massive difference. Just one won’t hurt. Boy, oh boy. This has probably destroyed more quits than just about anything else. Just one won’t hurt. So, let me lay out a scenario. You’ve been a quit a few days, maybe a few weeks, maybe even a few months. You’re feeling pretty good about yourself. The cravings are easier. Starting to get your confidence back. And then bam, it happens. You’re out fishing with the buddies. You’re playing golf. You’re sitting around the campfire. You’re sitting at the poker table.

And somebody opens a can. You catch that familiar smell. And suddenly that little voice in your heads says, “Come on, man. You’ve been doing great. One little dip isn’t going to erase all that progress.” And technically, one dip doesn’t erase the nicotine-free days that you’ve already earned, right? But that’s not the point. The danger is what one dip restarts. And here’s something that I want everybody to understand. Your addiction doesn’t necessarily need you to go back to the can a day immediately. It just has to open the door.

Just a crack. Just one. Because once you’ve made that exception, the next exception becomes a whole lot easier to justify. Well, you know, I had one yesterday. What’s one more? And then it becomes I’ll just dip on the weekends. And then it becomes I’ll just buy one more can. And eventually you’re standing at the same gas station buying the same Kodiak wondering how in the hell you ended up right where you started. Now, let me be clear.

If you’ve slipped, it doesn’t mean you’re worthless, and it doesn’t mean all that hard work disappears. It means you need to stop the slip before it becomes a full-blown return to your addiction. Own it, learn from it, and get back to being quit. But please, please, please do not confuse that with permission to experiment. I’m also not suggesting that you can continue to fail over and over again. That’s not what I’m saying. One of the greatest tricks your addiction plays is convincing you that the rules don’t apply.

And then somehow, even after nicotine-free time, you’ve earned that right to use nicotine without consequences. For some of us nicotine addict, that is a very expensive lesson to learn. Don’t test it. You quit for a reason. Remember that reason before you decide to put a dip in your mouth.

I’ve Been Dipping Too Long to Quit (10:38)
I’ve been doing this for too long to quit. Here’s another one that I hear, especially from people who were, you know, were dipping longer than me. the damage is already done. What’s the point of quitting? You know, those kind of things. And I’ll tell you what the point is. Your future. That’s the point. Listen, I’m not a doctor and I’m not going to pretend that quitting automatically reverses every bit of damage tobacco may have caused. But we know smokeless tobacco increases the risk of serious health problems.

This includes cancers of the mouth, esophagus, pancreas. Continuing to use it means continuing to expose yourself to those risks. So stopping matters no matter how long you’ve used. Your body doesn’t care whether you’ve been using tobacco for 5 years, 15 years, or 40 years. Ending it, ending the exposure is a meaningful decision for you. But there’s something else that I want to address here. Because for a lot of longtime dippers, I think the real issue isn’t that they believe quitting has no benefit. I think deep down they know that.

It’s that they can’t imagine themselves without tobacco. That was me. Think about that. If you started when you were 15 years old and now you’re 50, you’ve spent 35 years with tobacco as part of your daily life. That’s longer than some marriages. That’s longer than probably most relationships you have with maybe the exception of your parents and your family. You dipped while driving. You dipped while hunting. You dipped while fishing. You dipped after meals. Some people dip during meals. You dip working in the yard.

You dipped when you’re happy. You dipped when you’re sad. You dipped when you’re bored. You’re dipped when you’re angry. You get it. For decade upon decade, it’s been there. And the idea of removing it feels like you’ve lost a part of your identity. I I think I’ve told this story before. I know people I have people in my life that I went to school with for four years during college that genuinely didn’t know my name. I got wedding invitations in the mail to Mr. and Mrs. Chewie. And it wasn’t them being funny. They didn’t know my name.

It was my identity. But here’s what I want you to hear. You are not your addiction. You’re not a better father because of DIP. You’re not a better husband. You’re not a better fisherman, hunter, coach, employee, or friend because of nicotine. That is your addiction talking. You were a better person before tobacco became part of your routine. And I’m convinced that you’ll be a better person long after it’s gone. A better version of yourself. Not because quitting makes you perfect.

Far from it. but because you finally leapt stopped letting a chemical dependency make decisions for you and there is no expiration on that decision.

I’ve Already Failed — Why Try Again? (14:08)
This one hits close for a lot of people. I’ve already failed so why should I try again? So, you tried to quit before, maybe once, 10 times, 20 times, 100 times. Maybe so many times you lost count. And every single time, you’ve eventually gone back to dipping. So, now you tell yourself, “I’ve tried everything. I just can’t do it.” First of all, let’s get something straight here, folks. Just because your previous quit didn’t last, doesn’t mean this one won’t. it.

All it means is that the approaches you’ve tried in the past haven’t gotten you where you want to be yet. And that’s valuable. Understanding that is valuable. Ask yourself what happened last time. Did you try to quit on your own without telling anybody? Did you keep a can in the truck just in case? Did you maybe convince yourself that nicotine pouches were a harmless way to handle cravings? Did you make an exception at a wedding or at a poker game? Did you decide that after 30 days you had things you had it licked?

Every failed attempt has a story and somewhere in that story there’s something a little nugget that you can learn. One of the things that I’ve always loved about the Kill The Can community is that we don’t expect people to show up as experts at quitting. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Most people find us because they’re struggling. They’re scared. They’re pissed off. They’re embarrassed. They’re frustrated that something as small as a can of tobacco or nicotine pouches has so much control over their lives.

And then they find a bunch of strangers who understand exactly what they’re going through. People who’ve been there, people who call them out on their excuses, people who congratulate them on their victories, and people will help them through the days when quitting just plain sucks. And that is the power of the Kill The Can community. Because sometimes the difference between another failed quit and a successful one isn’t just willpower. Sometimes it’s knowing that you’ve got somebody in your back.

Somebody who’s not going to let you down. Somebody who can tell you, “Yep, today sucks. I know exactly how you feel, but you don’t have to dip.” And maybe that’s exactly what you need to hear.

I Can Quit Whenever I Want (16:55)
Now, let’s talk about the granddaddy of all nicotine lies. I can quit whenever I want. I think about just I think just about every tobacco user has said that at some point. I know I certainly did. And you know what? There was part of me that genuinely believed that. I I I don’t know that I thought of myself as addicted. I thought about I thought about myself as somebody who enjoyed dipping. And at least in my mind, there was a difference there. And I know that’s just addict speak. I get it. I don’t know that I thought I needed tobacco.

I just liked it, you know? I I like the routine. I like that feeling. I liked having a dip when I was driving or hanging out with my friends. I could really quit anytime, right? I just didn’t want to. I hadn’t made my decision. Except, you know, if I’m being truthful with myself, the thought of going that entire day without tobacco was really uncomfortable.

And then suddenly, you know, if I start to think about no dip in the morning, no dip at lunch, no dip on the way home, and I start like really freaking out, then that thing that I didn’t need started to sound pretty important. And that should tell you something. If the thought of going without it makes you anxious, angry, or genuinely afraid, it’s worth asking yourself how much control you really have over it. There is no shame in recognizing that you’re addicted to nicotine. It is an extremely addictive substance.

Admitting that is not a character flaw. It is a starting point and it’s a beautiful starting point because you can’t solve a problem that you refuse to acknowledge and that’s why I think the phrase I can quit whenever I want is so dangerous because what it does is it allows you to avoid answering the question that really matters. If you can quit whenever you want, why aren’t you quitting? and per perhaps most importantly, what are you afraid is going to happen if you do?

Those are difficult questions and they’re questions that are worth asking.

The Truth About Quitting Nicotine (19:42)
So, I’ve talked about a bunch of lies today, but let’s finish with a few truths. Number one, quitting can be hard. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say quitting will be hard. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. Nicotine withdrawal can be really uncomfortable. If you’re like most people, your mood will swing. Your concentration will take a hit. You might have trouble sleeping.

You might have problems going to the bathroom. might there’s a bunch of things you can go to the site and look about all the withdrawal symptoms and there will probably be moments during that quit when putting a dip in sounds like the greatest idea in the history of mankind. I’m here to tell you those feelings are temporary and you can get through them. You just have to give yourself a chance to get through them. Truth number two, you don’t have to feel confident to quit. And this is really important.

I think too many people sit around waiting for some magical wave of motivation to wash over them. I got this. I got it. I’m ready. They’re waiting to wake up one morning and suddenly feel completely ready to quit. No more fear, no doubt, no hesitation. And and maybe that does happen for some people, but I think it’s pretty rare. I’m here to tell you, you don’t need to be that person. You can be terrified and still quit. You can be uncertain and still quit. You can wake up in a terrible mood and still choose not to dip.

Quitting isn’t about feeling perfect. It’s about making a decision and following through even when that decision is uncomfortable. That’s why we post roll. That’s why we don’t worry about quitting forever. We quit today. We make a decision today. Even if that decision is uncomfortable and we stick with it.

A Craving Is Not a Command (22:02)
Truth number three, a craving is not a command. Let me repeat, a craving is not a command. Just because your brain tells you it wants nicotine doesn’t mean you have to give it nicotine. You can notice a craving. You can acknowledge it. You can get irritated and pissed off by it. Swear if that makes you feel better. Trust me, I used some super colorful language over the years when it came to my quit. But you don’t have to act on it. Get up. Take a walk. Take a run. Drink some water. Call somebody. Get on the Discord server.

Get on the forums. Do something to put a little distance between that craving and your next decision. Before you know it, that craving will change. Your job as a quitter is to stay quit while it does.

One Day at a Time (23:20)
Truth number four, you don’t have to quit forever today. I mentioned it before. This is the foundation of everything we talk about at Kill The Can. One day at a time. When you wake up tomorrow, you don’t need to worry about how you’re going to stay quit for the next 20 years. You don’t need to worry about Thanksgiving or Christmas or your birthday or the fishing trip that you’ve got planned. Worry about today. Can you get through today without nicotine? That’s the question. And when tomorrow comes, ask the question again.

You build your quit one day at a time, day after day after day, until one day you look back and you realized how much you’ve accomplished. You’ve accomplished something you thought was once impossible.

Stop Negotiating With Addiction (24:24)
So before I wrap things up, there’s one more thing I want to say. Stop negotiating with your addiction. Seriously, stop sitting there trying to work out a deal. I can’t tell you how many times I see this. I’ll only dip when I’m drinking. I’ll only dip when I’m golfing. I’ll switch to pouches. I’ll switch to vape. I’ll cut back to two dips a day. Now to be clear, some people use this kind of structured reduction plan um which is called titration. Some people use approved quitting medications.

Some people you know there there are success stories out there doing those things. But that’s different from making endless deals with yourself so you never have to stop. And I think it’s important that you know the difference. If if you’re doing the tit titration method or the cut down method or you’re using quit medications, you know, to wean yourself off, that’s great. That’s fine. But when you come and join the Kill The Can community, posting roll means you are nicotine free.

So, if you’re going to do that, come and post day one with us when you’re finally nicotine free. Here’s what I want you to remember. You don’t owe nicotine anything. Not another dip, not another pouch, not another dollar, not another minute of your life. You don’t have to give it a going away party. You don’t have to finish the can. You don’t have to wait till Monday. You can simply decide that you’re done and then start doing the work. Will it be uncomfortable? Yeah, probably it will. Will you have difficult days? Almost certainly.

Will your brain come up with a hundred reasons why you should go back? Absolutely. It doesn’t mean those reasons are true. What it means is you’re breaking a powerful habit and you’re dealing with an addiction that you have spent years reinforcing and that takes effort. But I’m here to tell you it can be done.

There are people already already done all over the world who have done exactly that. people who once believed they couldn’t drive a car without a dip, couldn’t get through the workday without a dip, couldn’t watch football, couldn’t play golf, and now now they do all of those things without thinking twice about it. They don’t even consider dip and nicotine anymore. It’s not an option. I’m one of those people. And I’m here to tell you, there’s absolutely nothing special about me.

I wasn’t born with some superhuman ability to quit tobacco. I was a guy who dipped for almost 20 years. I had excuses. I had cravings. I had to learn how to live without something that had been a part of my daily routine for a very long time. And I didn’t do it by winning an argument with my addiction. I did it by making a decision not to dip today and then making that decision tomorrow and the next day and the next day.

Question the Lies You Tell Yourself (28:18)
So, here’s what I want to leave you with today. Think about the story you’ve been telling yourself about nicotine. Maybe you’ve been telling yourself that you’re too stressed to quit. Maybe you’ve been telling yourself that you’ve been dipping too long. Maybe you’ve convinced that you’re the only person who can handle an occasional dip. Or maybe you’ve tried quitting before and somewhere along the way you decided that you’re just not capable. Whatever your story is, I want you to question it. I want you to really question it.

Because there is a very good chance that the thing standing between you and your quit is not a lack of strength. It’s a lie that you’ve believed for so long that it’s started to sound like the truth. You don’t need another excuse. You don’t need another perfect quit day. You don’t need another can. You just need to decide what you want. And if what you want is to be free of nicotine, then you’ve got an entire community of people at Kill The Can who understand what that means, who are ready to stand right next to you.

If you’re listening to this and you’re just getting started, I’d like to say welcome. If you’re on day one, congratulations. If you’re on day one for the 10th time, welcome back. And if you’ve got 10 days, a 100 days, a thousand days, or 20 years under your belt, keep doing what you’re doing. No matter where you are in your quit, the decision is in front of you is the same. Don’t use nicotine today. That’s it. That’s the whole deal.

Final Thoughts and Outro (30:24)
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one. What’s the biggest lie you told yourself when you were dipping? What excuse kept you from quitting? And what made you finally realize that it was just that, an excuse? Head over to Kill The Can and let us know because somebody out there might be struggling with the exact same thing and your experience might be exactly what they need to hear. And with that, I will wrap up this episode of the Kill The Can podcast. Remember, you don’t have to quit forever.

You just have to quit today and repeat tomorrow. Cheers. Join us again next time for another edition of the Kill The Can.