I quite chewing Copenhagen Long Cut almost two years ago now. I chewed for about 15 years, never spit and got to the point that I could eat and sleep with it in. There isn’t a morning that goes by that I still don’t crave a pinch. It is really, really hard for a while, but does get better.
Scare tactics of your face falling off did not work for me, although the threat of cancer and losing time with my familiy scared me a lot. I used Technology to assist. At first I used the 4mg patches and would be lying if I told you that there weren’t multiple patches at times. For the first couple months, I would use patches in combination of a quick burst such as a gum or the lozenges battled the urges. I was told by a consultant that adding additional nicotine via patches, gum or lozenges are by far better than chewing. Nicotine is not the bad substance as it is all the other bad stuff.
Now even after almost two years I still use 2mg lozenges at times. Although the lozenges taste horrible and often times give you a chalky ring around your mouth that is embarrasing, putting them between the cheeks and gum seems to feel good.
Unless you have the will power of Monk, I recommend trying these three items. Now I don’t worry as much about cancer and my daughter stopped asking me why I put dirt in my mouth.
The first few months absolutely SUCKS!!! You will get the shakes a little, cold sweats and be really crabby at times. Just remember….IT GETS A LOT BETTER!!!!!!!
Here are a couple additional helpful hints….
1. Pay for gas at the pump and avoid going into the gas stations. Then you won’t even see the deliciousness sitting there.
2. Tell people you are quitting and are trying to quite. This will give you a sense of accountability and help keep you on track. Most chewers will be the most supportive of your journey.
3. Try not to cheat. Don’t tell yourself that if I go all weekend, I’ll just have a little bit. Your brain will go into overload craving. Cheating with just a little pinch sets you back a lot.
I wish you the best of luck.