Ask the Addict: How Long Does it Take to go Cold Turkey?

We received this note from Joe G.

I recently decided that I was going to quit my 4-year Chapstick addiction once and for all, cold turkey. I hadn’t done much research on lip balm addiction, the only thing I knew was that it was a real thing, but I hadn’t seen your website until today. I’m currently in the 48th hour of no Chapstick, and the blood has started to flow out of my lips, but I’m still going strong.

My question is… how long should a cold turkey recovery take? Because while this website is certainly helping, I don’t know how much more I can take of this. If it’s a couple more days, fine. But if it’s any longer than that I might have to consider switching over to weening.

Great site by the way, informative, interesting, and humorous all at once!

Thanks Joe. We’re not sure what you’re talking about with the humor, but we’re always happy to hear from someone who is trying to kick the habit and get their life finally under control.

Cold turkey is a strange thing. There’s no set formula for how long the “withdrawal” of not having Chap Stick will last. But 48 hrs seems like well under what you should expect. I think 4-5 days or maybe up to a week would be most typical. But, seeing how your lips are bleeding, I would say that visiting a doctor might be wise.

Ask the Addict: Making Balm Out of “Safe” Ingredients?

Mikki writes:

I’m just an occasional user of lip balm, but I don’t want to risk becoming addicted. Can I make my own “safe” lip balm out of natural ingredients?

Natural ingredients are certainly better than many of the petroleum-based balms. But, as many have testified, natural balms can be addictive too (especially if you think using more and more is “okay” just because it is natural). So, as with any balm, use sparingly and if you feel you are using habitually be sure to address it but reducing usage or starting our 12 Step Program.