I'm almost 32 years old. I have been a tobacco user since I was 10 years old. Hardcore since 16. I smoked a pack a day for 6 years, then switched to natural flavor fine cut redseal. I am obsessed with red seal, I chew two cans a day minimum. And the craziest part? I'm a ninja dipper! I sit on the toilet for hours a day with a quarter can of dip crammed in my mouth!!! I lie to my wife and daughter, of course both know that I do it. I miss out on family events because I can't bear to go without my fix. I hide, lock myself in the can, or stay at home...

The crazy crap I have done for this addiction...

The money I have spent...

the pain I have caused my wife...

I feel like my existence is intertwined with nicotine, quitting scares me...but for the first time in my life I, "I", !!!I!!!!, want to quit.

will I be able to function in my job??????????????

will I be able to function in my life??????????????

I'm scared to quit

Stevebolt,

You probably thought you were the only one in the world huh? Well, there are a bunch of us here. Most of us were ninjas at one point or another. I was scared to even come into this site. You've probably tried to quit for your family too... and failed. And you thought you were the only one...
Well welcome to the beginning of the end. You said you want to quit. That is a must. You are asking the questions about being able to function? Those are the questions of a true addict. We are all addicts. It's just not as glamorous as heroin or cocaine, but every bit as addicting. Less socially accepted than smoking, but tougher to quit, to many people.
There are many tools at your disposal here. The best ones are familiarity, we have all gone through it; and accountability, as we encourage enteraction.
The first thing you need to do is prepare. You have to know what you are going to go through. Everyone's quit is different, so I would suggest going to the Cafe and posting this story there, and reading all the stories that are already posted. You will see a lot of people that post cries for help but you see only one post under their name. Never hear from a lot of them again.

Another part of the preparation is stocking up. Get something to get your mouth used to something else. Get some (non nicotine) gum. Get some straws. You are going to be going through the munchies and probably put on some pounds, but that can come back off. Get some fake snuff if you choose. (Lots of us used it, some still do) Keep some hard candy, sunflower seeds, popcorn, etc by your desk, or in your car.. wherever you are.
Go to the October HOF class and post that you are at day 1. That means today you decided to quit and have removed all tobacco from your presence. The way to do that is to get EVERY can (even the emergency stash under your seat in the car) and take it to the bathroom. Open the can. Pour the contents into the toilet. Make sure every granule gets into the water... Flush. Rinse out the can in the sink, again making sure every granule goes down the drain. Throw the cans away. Avoid all the triggers that you can. Avoid alcohol if you can. Go through the day and "embrace the suck". The next two weeks are going to be hell. Tomorrow will be the only day that gets worse though. After the 3rd full day the nicotine is out of your system, and its all mental from there. It will suck less each day.
Keep that in the back of your mind though. The most important thing to do is to get through TODAY. THIS HOUR. THIS MINUTE. Just promise yourself you will not dip today. Not one. Not half of one. None. Anyone can quit for a day. Come back tomorrow and we will see what tomorrow brings, just keep it out of your mouth today.