People with a quit date of 10/25/2005 - 11/21/2005, this is your Quit Group.

Groundhogs Rollcall Saturday, 6/30/2007

Janhawke - day 607 nice ride, Brian! Movie was pretty good...didn't make me scared to go to sleep though, so it wasn't THAT scary... ^_^

Groundhogs Rollcall Saturday, 6/30/2007

Janhawke - day 607 nice ride, Brian! Movie was pretty good...didn't make me scared to go to sleep though, so it wasn't THAT scary... ^_^
Brian expat - day 614 Thanks Jan, It is a 1997, but it only has 45,000 miles and it is near perfect. I have never had a decent car. It feels nice.

Groundhogs Rollcall Saturday, 6/30/2007

Janhawke - day 607 nice ride, Brian! Movie was pretty good...didn't make me scared to go to sleep though, so it wasn't THAT scary... ^_^
Brian expat - day 614 Thanks Jan, It is a 1997, but it only has 45,000 miles and it is near perfect. I have never had a decent car. It feels nice.
Rob aka Indy - Day 592 - congrats on the new car Brian!

Junkie, burn-out, addict, drug abuser,
drunk, alcoholic, chew-a-holic
________________________________________


Some people would argue that chew-a-holic is just a cute euphemism which should not be compared to what they consider degrading syndromes. Contrary to this belief, nicotine addiction can be equally as strong and deadly as any of these other conditions. In fact, if you total the number of people who die yearly of all these other conditions combined, they would not add up to the number of premature deaths attributed to chewing and smoking.

Until recent times, the idea of nicotine being a physiologically addictive substance was controversial in the world-wide medical community. For a drug to be considered addictive, it must meet certain criteria. First, it must be capable of inducing physical withdrawal upon cessation. Nicotine abstinence syndrome is a well documented, established fact.

Second, tolerance to the drug usually develops. Increasingly larger doses become necessary to achieve the same desired effects. Chewers experience this phenomenon as their chew consumption gradually increases from what probably was sporadic occasional use to a required daily consumption of one or more cans.

The third criterion is that an addictive substance becomes a totally consuming necessity to its user, usually resulting in what is considered by a society as anti-social behavior. Many have argued that chewing and smoking fail to fulfill this requirement. True, most chewers do not resort to deviant behaviors to maintain their dependency, but this is because most chewers do manage to easily obtain the full complement of chews they need to satisfy the addiction. When chewers are deprived of easy accessibility to chews, the situation is totally different.

During World War II, in concentration camps in Germany, prisoners were not given enough food to fulfill minimum caloric nutritional requirements. They were literally starving to death. A common practice among smoking prisoners was to trade away their scarce supplies of life sustaining food for smokes. Even today, in underdeveloped countries, such as Bangladesh, parents with starving children barter away essential food for smokes. This is not normal behavior.

During the "stop smoking clinics" I conduct, numerous participants admit to going through ashtrays, garbage cans and, if necessary, gutters looking for butts which may still have a salvageable value of a few dips when their own supplies are depleted due to carelessness or unforeseen circumstances. To them, it is sick to think that they ever performed such a grotesque act, but many realize that if they were currently chewing or smoking and again caught in a similar predicament, they would be fully capable of repeating the repulsive incident.

Nicotine is a drug. It is addictive. And if you let it, it can be a killer. Consider this when you get the urge for a chew. One dip can and most often will reinforce the addiction. Don't take that chance.


Joel

© Joel Spitzer 1982, 2000
Page last updated by Joel Spitzer on August 24, 2003

Groundhogs Rollcall July First 2007

Janhawke - day 608

Groundhogs Rollcall July Second 2007

Janhawke - day 609

Groundhogs Rollcall July Second 2007

Janhawke - day 609
Sioux - Day 758

Groundhogs Rollcall July Second 2007

Janhawke - day 609
Sioux - Day 758
7Days - Day 615 - Just a note to everyone. My dad passed away over the weekend. I'm not going to be around the cumputer much for the next week. Take care and have a safe holiday!

Sorry to hear about your father 7Days.....your family will be in my prayers.

Sioux

Groundhogs Rollcall July Second 2007

Janhawke - day 609
Sioux - Day 758
7Days - Day 615 - Just a note to everyone. My dad passed away over the weekend. I'm not going to be around the cumputer much for the next week. Take care and have a safe holiday!
subC - Day 771 Sorry to hear of your loss 7Days, we'll be thinking of you.

Groundhogs Rollcall July Second 2007

Janhawke - day 609
Sioux - Day 758
7Days - Day 615 - Just a note to everyone. My dad passed away over the weekend. I'm not going to be around the cumputer much for the next week. Take care and have a safe holiday!
subC - Day 771 Sorry to hear of your loss 7Days, we'll be thinking of you.
CHRI7S - Day 613 B) Sorry for your loss 7Days.

Groundhogs Rollcall July Second 2007

Janhawke - day 609
Sioux - Day 758
7Days - Day 615 - Just a note to everyone. My dad passed away over the weekend. I'm not going to be around the cumputer much for the next week. Take care and have a safe holiday!
subC - Day 771 Sorry to hear of your loss 7Days, we'll be thinking of you.
CHRI7S - Day 613 B) Sorry for your loss 7Days.
Rob aka Indy - Day 594 - 7 Days- thanks for sharing and we are here if you need help.

Oh, 7...I'm so sorry for your loss. You and your family are in my prayers.
Jan

Groundhogs Rollcall July Second 2007

Janhawke - day 609
Sioux - Day 758
7Days - Day 615 - Just a note to everyone. My dad passed away over the weekend. I'm not going to be around the cumputer much for the next week. Take care and have a safe holiday!
subC - Day 771 Sorry to hear of your loss 7Days, we'll be thinking of you.
CHRI7S - Day 613 B) Sorry for your loss 7Days.
Rob aka Indy - Day 594 - 7 Days- thanks for sharing and we are here if you need help.
Brian expat - day 616 My prayers go to you 7.

Groundhogs Rollcall July Third 2007

Janhawke - day 610

Sorry to hear about your Dad 7Days.

Groundhogs Rollcall July Third 2007

Janhawke - day 610
Luke's Dad - Day 591 - I'm on vacation until next Monday. Have a great Fourth everyone. B)

Groundhogs Rollcall July Third 2007

Janhawke - day 610
Luke's Dad - Day 591 - I'm on vacation until next Monday. Have a great Fourth everyone. B)
Rob aka Indy - Day 595 - glad to have a day off...whew!

Groundhogs Rollcall July Fourth 2007

Janhawke - day 611 HOpe you all have a wonderful Inbdependence Day :)

Groundhogs Thursday Feels Like Monday :wacko: Rollcall 7/5/2007

Janhawke - 612 saw some nice fireworks last night :) I love fireworks!

Groundhogs Thursday Feels Like Monday :wacko: Rollcall 7/5/2007

Janhawke - 612 saw some nice fireworks last night :) I love fireworks!
Sioux - 761 Forty five minute show in Hastings :fly28:

Groundhogs Thursday Feels Like Monday :wacko: Rollcall 7/5/2007

Janhawke - 612 saw some nice fireworks last night :) I love fireworks!
Sioux - 761 Forty five minute show in Hastings :fly28:
KFboy - Day 618 Heard some nice fireworks while I was trying to get to sleep... Damn when did I turn into such an "Old Fart" ??

Groundhogs Thursday Feels Like Monday :wacko: Rollcall 7/5/2007

Janhawke - 612 saw some nice fireworks last night :) I love fireworks!
Sioux - 761 Forty five minute show in Hastings :fly28:
KFboy - Day 618 Heard some nice fireworks while I was trying to get to sleep... Damn when did I turn into such an "Old Fart" ??
Rob aka Indy - Day 597 - going on vacation so I may not be able to log in until next Tuesday. Not sure what the Internet access will be in Mesa Verde? <_< Ya'll might have to celebrate my entry into the 600's without me... :(

Groundhogs Thursday Feels Like Monday :wacko: Rollcall 7/5/2007

Janhawke - 612 saw some nice fireworks last night :) I love fireworks!
Sioux - 761 Forty five minute show in Hastings :fly28:
KFboy - Day 618 Heard some nice fireworks while I was trying to get to sleep... Damn when did I turn into such an "Old Fart" ??
Rob aka Indy - Day 597 - going on vacation so I may not be able to log in until next Tuesday. Not sure what the Internet access will be in Mesa Verde? <_< Ya'll might have to celebrate my entry into the 600's without me... :(
Brian expat day 619 4th of july in France.This sucks! No fireworks! :(

I Chew Because I Like Chewing!
________________________________________


Ask almost any current chewer why he continues to indulge in such a dangerous activity and he will normally reply, "Because I like chewing." While he may say this in all honesty, it is a very misleading statement, both to the listener and to the chewer himself. He does not chew because he enjoys chewing, rather he chews because he does not enjoy not chewing.
Nicotine is a powerfully addictive drug. The chewer is in a constant battle to maintain a narrow range of nicotine in her blood stream (serum nicotine level). Every time the chewer's serum nicotine level falls below the minimum limit, he experiences drug withdrawal. He becomes tense, irritable, anxious and, in some cases, even shows physical symptoms. He does not enjoy feeling these withdrawals. The only thing that will alleviate these acute symptoms will be a chew. The nicotine loss is then replenished and, hence, the chewer feels better. He enjoyed chewing.
A chewer must also be cautious not to exceed his upper limit of tolerance for nicotine or else suffer varying degrees of nicotine poisoning. Many chewers can attest to this condition. It usually occurs after parties or extremely tense situations when the chewers finds themselves exceeding their normal level of consumption. They feel sick, nauseous, dizzy and generally miserable.
Being a successful chewer is like being an accomplished tightrope walker. The chewer must constantly maintain a balance between these two painful extremes of too much or too little nicotine. The fear which accompanies initial chewing cessation is that the rest of the ex-chewer's entire life will be as horrible as the first few days without chews. What ex-chewers will learn is that within a short period of time, the physical withdrawal will start to diminish. First, the urges will weaken in intensity and then become shorter in duration. There will be longer time intervals between urges. It will eventually reach the point where the ex-chewer will desire a chew very infrequently, if ever. Those who continue to chew will continue to be in a constant battle of maintaining their serum nicotine level.
Included in this battle is the great expense of buying can after can and the dangerous assault on the chewer's body of sucking the poison nicotine along with over 4,000 other toxic chemicals inherent in the tobacco. These chemicals are deadly by themselves and even more so in combination.
So the next time you think of how much you once seemed to enjoy chew, sit back and take a serious, objective look at why you have such an idealization of this dangerous product. Consider all the consequences. You will probably realize that you feel physically and mentally better now than you ever did as a chewer. Consider all of this and - NEVER TAKE ANOTHER DIP!

Joel

© Joel Spitzer 1983, 2000
Page last updated by Joel Spitzer on August 24, 2003

Groundhogs Friday Rollcall 7/6/2007

Janhawke - 613

Groundhogs Friday Rollcall 7/6/2007

Janhawke - 613
CHRI7S - 617 B) have a good weekend everyone!

good article find Rob. i hadn't read that one yet.

Groundhogs Lucky Sevens Rollcall 7/7/7

Janhawke - 614 :)

Groundhogs Lucky Sevens Rollcall 7/7/7

Janhawke - 614 :)
Brian expat - 621 ^_^

Groundhogs Sunday Rollcall 7/8/07

Janhawke - 615

Groundhogs Sunday Rollcall 7/8/07

Janhawke - 615
subC - 777

Groundhogs Rob Hits 600!!! Sunday Rollcall 7/8/07

Janhawke - 615
subC - 777
Rob AKA Indy - 600 (way to go Rob! :) -- Janhawke )

Groundhogs Rollcall Monday, 7/9/07

Janhawke - 616 Happy Birthday, Kittyhawke! :)

Groundhogs Top 3 Jobs You Would Never Do Rollcall Monday, 7/9/07

Janhawke - 616 Happy Birthday, Kittyhawke! :)
1. Anything in a slaughterhouse
2. Commission-only sales
3. Astronaut

Groundhogs Top 3 Jobs You Would Never Do Rollcall Monday, 7/9/07

Janhawke - 616 Happy Birthday, Kittyhawke! :)
1. Anything in a slaughterhouse
2. Commission-only sales
3. Astronaut
subC - 778
1. Wait tables
2. Poultry Farming
3. Hold the Stop/Slow Sign on a roadcrew.

Groundhogs Top 3 Jobs You Would Never Do Rollcall Monday, 7/9/07

Janhawke - 616 Happy Birthday, Kittyhawke! :)
1. Anything in a slaughterhouse
2. Commission-only sales
3. Astronaut

subC - 778
1. Wait tables
2. Poultry Farming
3. Hold the Stop/Slow Sign on a roadcrew.

arbcubed - 981
1. Ballerina (those tu-tus ride up on me and those shoes make my feet hurt)
2. High Rise construction
3. Politician

Groundhogs Rollcall Monday, 7/9/07

Janhawke - 616 Happy Birthday, Kittyhawke! :)
KFboy - Day 622 (Great work Rob on #600 )

Groundhogs Top 3 Jobs You Would Never Do Rollcall Monday, 7/9/07

Janhawke - 616 Happy Birthday, Kittyhawke! :)
1. Anything in a slaughterhouse
2. Commission-only sales
3. Astronaut

subC - 778
1. Wait tables
2. Poultry Farming
3. Hold the Stop/Slow Sign on a roadcrew.

arbcubed - 981
1. Ballerina (those tu-tus ride up on me and those shoes make my feet hurt)
2. High Rise construction
3. Politician

KFboy -622
1. Anything that includes public speaking
I've worked in a slaughterhouse and I'd go back in a second before I'd stand up and give a speech in front of a big room full of people
2. Proctologist
(it's bad enough to work with people who act like assholes, can't imagine working all day with the real thing...)
3. Telemarketer

I did the slaughterhouse thing too back in college for a workstudy job in the Animal Science Dept. Getting chased by a Brahma in that chute is probably the closest I guess I ever got to being a real cowboy! Of course they didn't call it a slaughterhouse, it was a "Meats Laboratory". :rolleyes:

I never worked at a slaughterhouse, but one of my friends back in Electronics School did. I'd drop him off at work every day. On the way over he'd tell me all the grizzley details. It's a wonder I still eat meat. I must admit that I don't eat much pork since then though. :)

Janhawke - 616 Happy Birthday, Kittyhawke! :)
KFboy - Day 622 (Great work Rob on #600 )
bb254447 day 617-- long time no post, glad to see you all here! Bill

Janhawke - 616 Happy Birthday, Kittyhawke! :)
KFboy - Day 622 (Great work Rob on #600 )
bb254447 day 617-- long time no post, glad to see you all here! Bill
Rob aka Indy - Day 601 - Finally hit the big 6. Back from vacation. Good times. Thanks KFBoy!

Caring for Your Recovery

The recovered cocaine addict, the heroin addict, the nicotine addict, each knows the law of addiction. They’ve heard it over and over and over. Just one, just once, that's all it ever takes and it's back! They’ve also read or heard about the relapse study data indicating that 95% to 97% of recovered addicts who take just one chew, one hit, one snort or one injection, experience full and complete relapse. They know the rule of addiction and they know what happens if they break it. Then why do we?
There are three primary factors associated with relapse: (1) rewriting the law of addiction; (2) an excuse; and (3) a vague memory. It doesn’t matter if it happens within two weeks after quitting, two months, two years, or twenty years, the factors remain the same and apply to all of us. Rewriting the law of addiction is easy and you don’t need a pencil, paper or computer to do it.

“Just one chew” and then “do not pass go, do not collect $200, but go directly to the addict’s prison and surrender your freedom for good.” It isn’t that the recovering nicotine addict doesn’t know or believe the law of addiction, because we do. It’s just that we begin to believe that we’re the exception. We convince ourselves that we’re stronger than those who wrote the law, and wiser than the addicts who came before us. We amend the law. We put ourselves above it. “Just one, it’ll be ok, I can handle it, I'm stronger than the others, a little reward, it's been a while, I’ve earned it.”

I’m sorry. As soon as those words are spoken, it's over. Instead of saying that you can handle“ just one ” a truthful statement would have been “I can handle them all, give them all back to me, my entire addiction, all the spittoons, the sore throat and tongue, the bad breath, I want it all back.” It’s far easier to create an exception to the “law” than to admit the truth. A one can a day addiction is approximately 4,000 chews of tobacco a year. Don’t picture chewing just one. Picture taking 4,000 slave-driven chews each and every year. “To thine own self be true.” You deserve the truth - you paid the price - you earned it.

The excuse can be anything. Usually the addict waits for that great excuse to come along, but some get tired of waiting and any old excuse will do. Even joy! A reunion with an old chewing buddy, a few drinks with friends, a wedding, a graduation, or even a baby’s birth and a free nicotine laden cigar, why not! But joyful relapse is harder to explain to yourself and to those you love.

The smart nicotine addict waits for the great excuse, the one that we know we can sell to ourselves and others. As sick as it may sound, the easiest to sell and the best of all is the death of a loved one. Although everyone we love is destined to die and it will happen sooner or later, for the reformed addict it’s the perfect excuse for relapse. I mean, who can blame us for ingesting highly addictive drugs into our bodies upon our mother’s death. Anyone who does would have to be extremely insensitive or totally heartless! Right? Losing a job, the end of a relationship, illness, disease or financial problems are all are great excuses too - it’s drug time again! The addict is back!

But an excuse doesn’t work alone. It needs help. Failing memories of “why” we were willing to climb walls and endure tremendous internal agony in order to break free, breathes fatal life into any excuse. Most of us failed to keep a detailed record of why we quit or what it was like. Instead, we're forced to rely upon our memory to accurately and vividly preserve the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But now, the memory in which we placed all our trust has failed us.

It isn’t that your memory is bad, faulty or doing anything wrong. In fact, it’s working as it should to preserve in as much detail as possible the joyful events of life, while forgetting, as quickly as possible, all the pain and hurt that we’ve felt, including all of the wrong we’ve done. To have our brains do otherwise would make life inside our minds unbearable. If women were forced to remember the true agony and intense pain of childbirth, most would have just one. God blessed us with the gift to forget.

So how does the reformed nicotine addict who failed to keep accurate records of their journey, revive their passion for freedom and recall the price they paid for liberty. If we forget the past, are we destined to repeat it? Not necessarily. It doesn’t have to be. But just as any loving relationship needs nourishment to flourish, we can never take our quit for granted or the flame will eventually die and the fire will go out. We have to want to protect it until the day we die. We have to turn that "want" into action. If we do, we win. If not, our fate may be similar to almost all who don’t - relapse followed by crippling disease or early death.

Whether daily, weekly or monthly our quit needs care. If you don’t have a detailed log to regularly review upon each quit anniversary or birthday, do your best to create one now. Talk to chewing friends and ask for help in revitalizing your memories. Encourage them to be as truthful as possible. Although they may look like they’re enjoying chewing, their primary joy is in keeping their body’s nicotine level within the comfort zone, so as to avoid the onset of early withdrawal. Show them your pen and paper. Let them help make your list. You may even spark their desire for freedom. Be kind and sincere. It wasn't long ago that those were our shoes.

Think about that first week. What was it like? Can you still feel the powerful craves as your body begged and cried to be fed? Can you still feel the pain? Do you see yourself not being able to concentrate, having difficulty sleeping, feeling depressed, angry, irritable, frustrated, restless, with tremendous anxiety, a foggy mind, sweating palms, rapidly cycling emotions, irrational thinking, emotional outbursts or even the shakes? Do you remember these things? Do you remember the price you paid for freedom?

If you have access to a computer, you wont’ need a Chewer’s help. You can go on-line to scores of chewing cessation support groups and find thousands of battles being fought, hear tons of cries and watch hundreds who won’t make it through “Hell Week” to the hope that lies beyond. Visit as often as possible. Make a few posts to those in need. Share your valuable quit wisdom and give the gift of hope. Most don’t know what it’s like to be free. Most have few remaining memories of the days before their addiction. Fear of the unknown is frightening. Help them and in doing so help yourself.

If you find yourself attempting to rewrite the law of addiction, stop, think, remember, read, revisit, revive and give to others, but most important, be honest with you. Terrible and emotional events will happen in each of our lives - such is life. Relapse won’t fix, correct or undo any of them. In your mind, plan for disaster today. How will you cope? What will do? Remember, your addiction is real. Today it sleeps. Will it sleep tomorrow?

John R. Polito

© WhyQuit.Com 2000, 2002

Hi all you groundhog quitters! Just got back from vacation and now I am off and running on a business trip. I'll be able to log in but it will be hit and miss this week. I'll resume my normal annoying logging self next week. :P Ya all stay quit.

:unsure: maybe I need to go back to being vegetarian...

Groundhogs Rollcall Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Janhawke - 617

Groundhogs Rollcall Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Janhawke - 617
7Days - Day 623 - Thanks everyone for the kind words and support related to my Dad. I love you Pops!

Groundhogs Rollcall Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Janhawke - 617
7Days - Day 623 - Thanks everyone for the kind words and support related to my Dad. I love you Pops!
CHRI7S - Day 621 B)