Thanks Sci......i really want to be able to quit worrying about it (there's that false sense of security i used to have of 'well, i've been doing this 30 years...if i was gonna get cancer, would already have it by now'). That last article just drove home for me that that isn't the case. (Why do things we enjoy have to be bad for us?)

4 pages is too much to read through to see if this was already suggested...

hypnosis

my dad did it to quit smoking and never touched them since...they do a group session then a follow up private session...dad went to the group session and never needed the private one as he stopped when he was at the group...almost 20 years ago, hasn't had one since...

I'll keep that in mind if this doesn't work. Thanks.

ooh! Do it anyway! most insurancw covers it and is unbelievably relaxing!!!

I wonder if it could help me stop eating when I'm not hungry. Hmmmm. Might have to think about it and see if I can find it locally.

will they make him act like a chicken (or a chick).

I saw that when a Hypnotist was at a club one time. It was historical.

Skittles - they do have a hypnosis session for this, i know someone who went and it was successful for them...

Thanks Happy. Like I said - I may have to check in to this.

our EAP actually has both weight loss and smoking cessation classes as free options for employees...may want to see if your bank does something similar

Full disclosure: i just cheated. I feel bad.

Unfortunately, it happens. Now get right back on the right track.

Here's a thought, what if you wrote in big bold letters, CANCER on the lid of your can. Do you think that will help deter you?

Hmmm...it might. It's something to think about. Thanks.

chew gum instead...keep packs everywhere...car...desk...home...pockets...european handbag...murse...whatever it takes

Someone close to me struggled to come up with a reason to give up smoking for a long time, claiming if George Burns could live so long with a daily cigar and martini habit, then he wasn't concerned about cancer, etc. etc..

Eventually, he says he realized that health reasons aside, he was tired of "being addicted," and knowing that this addiction was in control of certain factors of his life.... Like, how often he needed to go outside in cold weather for a cigarette break, or how often he needed to excuse himself from social occasions to go smoke.

I understand dipping might not have similar "control" aspects of your every day life because you can usually partake in public spaces, but maybe like my friend, if the potential health risks aren't a strong enough factor to influence you, perhaps the desire to take control might be.

It really is the potential health risks that are my primary reason for wanting to quit at this point. The money i would save by quitting runs a distant 2nd. But i'll take any motivation i can at this point....thanks.

how did the weekend go?

Good. I stuck to my plan of only 3 dips a day. Didn't cheat.

I'm an ex-dipper myself. And recently at that (since April). From experience I can tell you it is a tough fight, but you can beat it. The things that tended to help me most were finding suitable substitutes to help with the oral cravings. I used hard candies and sunflower seeds. I also found different ways to occupy my time - whittling for one. I'm not very good at it, but the important part is that I enjoy it and it keeps my mind occupied and distracted. I went "cold turkey," but fell off the wagon a few times. If or when that happens be sure you don't give up. People tend to say that you need to start over again when that happens, but you're not starting over; you're continually moving forward. Some days and temptations will be harder than others, but keep your mindset that you ARE stronger than tobacco!

I won't say Good Luck, because you've already got it!!!

Ohhh. I forgot to mention. I found that drinking a strong cup of coffee helps too.

Thanks for the encouragement burkemi....it's nice coming from an ex-dipper who knows what i'm going thru. (I've noticed in the past--i'm not a big coffee drinker, though i do like coffee--that coffee tends to coat the roof of my mouth or something, and of course, the taste tends to stay in your mouth.....making dipping less enjoyable....is that what you mean by that?)

I've found dipping in general to be less enjoyable also after eating ice cream or dairy products in general.

glad to hear about your successful weekend! awesome news... keep it going!

I love what burkemi said about not starting over, but moving forward... I fall off the wagon a lot with dieting and will use that for sure... will make me feel better about the next move, for sure... and less of a failure (which tends to send me 3 steps back!).

Yeah raitchjay!! It's one day at a time. Keeping moving forward.

^^ what lcrew said, one day at a time. You are doing great!

To be honest, I've never actually tried to examine why the coffee thing worked - I just know it did; but I've been a coffee drinker for a while anyway, I just added an extra couple scoops of grounds into the mix to make it stronger than usual.

From the sounds of it, my habit was much like you described yours. If I was awake and wasn't eating, there was a good chance that I had a dip in my mouth. Mine was about a 20 year habit, about a can per day, about 4 or 5 dips to a can.

Keep posting and keep going. I'll help as much as I can from this end. And talk.....talk about your cravings and the wants. It seemed like it helped me put it in perspective. I read on some early posts about the "control" factor. Talking about the cravings and wants helps you identify just how much control you've allowed this habit to exert in your life.

---And I had never noticed that about ice cream. But even now when I eat something sweet I will immediately eat something salty, even if its just a few crackers. I wonder if maybe that was a subconcious development???? Interesting.....