I need some advice/help please. I just read an article about Kurt Schilling (former MLB pitcher) and his battle with oral cancer. He states that he has no doubt it was caused by his tobacco use. The article talks about how the cancer was similar to that of football HOFer Jim Kelly's battle with cancer. For some reason, this time, the articles really spoke to me...."this is gonna be you dummy, if you don't quit dipping".

I need some advice on doing so. I've been dipping for over 30 years. The longest i've ever gone without is no more than a day. Do i try cold turkey? Do i try to do it gradually? Do i buy patches? I have 7 or 8 full cans currently (i dip a can a day). I just know...i need to do something about this....i don't want to get cancer from something that i could totally prevent...if i'll just man up and do it. Thanks for any advice.

Just man up and stop. Fail a day or two, then stop and just start over again.

Don't look down the road or a future with or without, just look between the start and end of each day, and concentrate your efforts on each day as its own. Success will be when they build on top of each other and a new habit of without has been formed.

Not sure what the best plan is, but I applaud you for taking the steps to quit. Best of luck Sir.

Thanks guys. Cold turkey sounds good....I just doubt my ability to do it. It's not going to be easy..i know that.

When I quit smoking I went cold turkey. I don't think anything else would have worked for me. And just think one day at a time, otherwise it could be even more overwhelming.

And congratulations on a great decision!

You've got this. You want to quit, and you will. Be hard on yourself, hold yourself accountable, take away the opportunities to slip up, change your routines so you have other things to think about doing differently instead of just focusing on this one thing that's changed. Start setting aside the funds you would've spent on your habit, and let it build up to reward yourself for a week, two weeks, a month, etc.

Good for you.

Just do it. You're much bigger than a can of tobacco. You can beat it. Don't let something like that control you.

I'm going to make some kind of change....whether it's cold turkey, trying to do it gradually, buying some patches....that's the part that is still up in the air.

Part of the reason i decided to post in here: hoping it will make me accountable.

I got nothing but:

http://www.nidcr.nih.gov/oralhealth/Topics/SmokelessTobacco/SmokelessTobaccoAGuideforQuitting.htm

Best of luck

This. Well said, califgirl! And best of luck to you, we are all here to support you and be proud when you kick the habit!

now I'm hungry for a cold turkey sandwich

Thanks Ed....I like the idea of picking a date to quit, and tapering down my use until that date. Right now, i typically get 6 dips a day. I'm thinking i'm going to make my 'quit date' (it said try not to go beyond a couple of weeks) the end of my 7 or 8 cans i have (which normally, would be 7 or 8 days from now, but if i taper off, say, cutting 2 dips a day out at first....then another 1 or 2 as i go....might be just about 2 weeks).

I have to be honest....cold turkey sounds impossible to me right now.

Thanks all....i think i have my plan......a stop date roughly 2 weeks from now, tapering down my use up to that date. I appreciate the encouragement.

glad I could help

I love this; well stated and with a few twists, you could make this work for many things. Good job MB.

I have no advice, just support. Good luck and hopefully this journey will not be too difficult.

Good luck!! Don't give up!

I think at a can-a-day habit, you're best chance for success is to taper down to a manageable amount like you've stated above. My hubby's dipped for years and has quit several times. I really wish he'd quit for good but he's stubborn as a mule!

Good luck!!!!

I'm going to try to make myself post in here in two weeks or so.....hopefully so i can say "i did it". Thanks again for the support.

What about the old trick of wearing a rubber band on your wrist and every time you feel like taking a dip, you snap the rubber band? (Or a similar concept).

I just don't want to see you in a heap in a corner constantly snapping the rubber band and crying....

Haha. I just finished my after-lunch dip (i'm cutting out my afternoon dip and my before-bed dip..that's the plan), but instead of leaving it in an hour or an hour and a half as i normally would, it only made it maybe 40 minutes. It's a start (i hope).

Progress is progress, no matter how big or small.

I just realized....i miscounted: here are the pathetic number of dips i get in a typical day:

1) Right after i brush my teeth. This dip only stays in for 30 minutes til i get to work. This dip has to go.

2) After i eat breakfast dip (eating is always a trigger). This one will stay for now.

3) After lunch dip.

4) Afternoon (after snack) dip. This one needs to go immediately.

5) On the way home from work dip. (Again, doesn't last long as i eat supper soon after i get home. This dip goes away now.)

6) After supper dip.

7) 9-10 o'clock dip (sadly, i often will eat a little something just to trigger the desire for a dip). This dip is going away immediately.

Find someone to text or email each time you're tempted to cheat. Have them remind you of all the reasons you want to quit.

Or place a bet with someone. That's how I've managed to quit soda since January.