ODAAT – Listen To That Other Voice

ODAAT.
One Day At A Time.

This 100 day post is for all you guys and gals who pop their head in on this website because you are disappointed in yourself and want to try and quit chewing tobacco…the exact same thing I did a few months ago. I got tired of the whole ordeal…running out of chew and having to go to the store, hiding my spitter if I was driving someone, concerned about my gums or teeth, etc. I won’t lie, I loved to chew, and I would venture to guess that everyone here loved to chew. Chewing fucking kicked ass!! And I was just like all these other posters in this Hall, with all very similar stories….but a small voice inside me started whispering just a bit louder, everyday…for 27 chewing years it finally grew loud enough for me to hear….which I will explain if you choose to keep reading, as I’m sure you have started to hear it, hence why you are here.

I was a little different than some of these others in that I never considered myself a ‘ninja chewer’. I made myself not hide it from people. Sure, I would be discreet putting one in, but I had made a decision that if I was going to do it, than I wasn’t going to hide it. In fact, if I went on a second date, I would flat out tell the lady (but not chew on the date). Only person I did hide it from was my mom and dad….not because I was afraid to get in trouble, but to avoid the nagging….bleh, no thanks. I’d never hear the end of it, even when quit.

Everyone on this website talks about how the Nic bitch will whisper in your ear…..well it’s true. But I also believe you have another voice in your head and that is why you are here, looking over this website. It’s just like the good angel and the evil devil on your shoulder. But let’s focus on that voice that represents the good angel, as the evil devil has spoken too long. Let it be heard, think on it, and when YOU are ready, then make a commitment to YOURSELF, no one else, that NOW is the time to quit.

I listened one day to that good angel….I set a date…a goal. I stressed so hard the day before, which quickly became night. I plowed through my can and was out of chew by 9pm. Skoal Straight. I battled with myself…should I go out and buy another one for the last 3 hours? Yuck. Weak. I didn’t. I quit the next day, but I was ready for it. I was actually excited about it….I turned it into an event! Told my girlfriend, ‘watch out!, there will be some hulkin out going on and nic rage!’. Was gearing her up so that I could get a few free ‘hall passes’. I had read some of the stuff on the forums, just like you are doing right now to prepare yourself. I knew what was to be expected….the fog, nic rage, hard to go to sleep, dip dreams…I planned accordingly as best I could and laid out a plan….work out when angry, play computer games or work late at night if I couldn’t sleep…whatever it took.

1st day was easy….it’s when you are fired up about it. 2nd day you may still have some steam. 3rd and 4th days…that’s when the WTF!!! thoughts start pouring in. Literally you start noticing bullshit, like that car with a bumper sticker on it that says “Be Tough, Chew Snuff.” Or the road sign that says ‘Dip.’ Are you fucking serious right now?!

Some swear by the fake chew when the nic rage starts coming. I always hated that stuff…because I expected it to taste just like my chew, but never did, so made me want to buy the real stuff. I stuck with jerky chew and lollipops instead and then dove into work stuff, or any type of stuff that got my mind off nicotine. Gaining weight? oh well–that will be the next project. Do what you got to do, stuff your face with food if you have too. That’s one reason why this place is great…the forums. I was able to dish out all my nic rage at vets and people in my group—the DoG’s, instead of at my family, which I am grateful for.

But the one thing that really stuck with me and made my quit so much easier was ODAAT. I wish I could remember the post or story I read that had ODAAT in it so that I could thank the author. ODAAT–One Day At A Time. What a ridiculously simple statement—I’ve heard it so many times in my life…but this time, it sunk in….I understood it. Suddenly it all made sense to me. You see, that is why I was so stressed the night before. I was going to quit nicotine forever!!!!….But that is not accurate at all, and in my opinion, the wrong approach. No…I was just going to quit today. One day only. Anyone can do almost anything for one day. And know what? You can too.

So, it’s been 100 days for me…whoopity doo. Doesn’t matter to me anymore, I’m only focused on one number and one day now. 1 and Today. I would say that I only had 3 freak-outs during my journey when I really wanted to chew, and they lasted about 5-10 agonizing minutes. I toughed it out by myself or nerd rage typed shit on the forums. It’s not going to be easy, I’d be lying if I said it was, but it does get easier over time. I’ll always crave it, but it’s so much easier to ignore those craves…last week it was only about 5- 10 seconds…and today, about 2 seconds. It’s like squashing a mosquito. Easy….Those craves bounce off me like ping pong balls. So fight it…use your tools. You CAN do this, it doesn’t own you.

The journey was interesting. I ended up telling my father I quit and that I actually had been a chewer all those years (still not my mom…seriously, the nagging…). And yesterday, I was able to put $500 in my savings account…..not boasting about it, but I bring it up because it just literally dawned on me that $5 bucks a day on a can…100 days…$500. Boom. Unplanned, but how fitting!

Thanks to the DoG’s for putting up with me for 100 days. Thanks to all the Vets, especially Waste Panel, Kramer, Pab, and my personal favorite Normjr– that guy pisses excellence. For you new people who are exploring this website, the worriers…the guilters, the ninja’s…the ashamed—I won’t wish you luck or give you ‘hopes’…that’s bullshit and leads to openings to cave…No, I just leave you with my best tool and how to use it which I know will lead you to success when you are ready to begin your own journey………ODAAT.

Actually, I need to take that tool with me, but we can share it.

NOTE: This piece written by KillTheCan.org forum member Malrex