Ok here I go. Someone recommended a mutual friend contact me about struggling to stop smoking even though they've been vaping for some time already. After I replied to their "Conversation" I thought I'd share it here too, in case it helps anyone else 'on' or 'coming' to the porch. So, it's a little long, but here's,
My story getting over the last few smokes a day.
oh my, oh my ... my friends my have oversold me. Ok - I was smoking heavily at the end of my 45 years of smoking - like almost 3 packs a day. I was also still under a lot of anxiety and stress not only from my daughters situation (lost her husband after just being married 3 weeks) and losing my job (that I had for 40 years w/ the same company). That's my brief background leading up to starting with vaping.
Janet quit smokes from day 1. Me, I thought this could work, but I'm going to have to work at it. I did have a mental set that I wanted to quit. Had mentioned it many times over the years to Janet - but she just never was ready to give it a try. So, I'm thinking - it worked for her. It can work for me.
I set my mind to not stress over quiting entirely or set a date / time limit on giving up the smokes. I was telling myself you smoked for 40 years - you ain't gonna quit cold turkey. Just start working w/ this e-cig thing to form a new habit. For the 1st couple months, I was probably smoking 1/2 pack a cigs a day. For me that was great - considering I was basically a chain smoker. And between smokes I was chain vaping (still do whenever I'm sitting down not doing anything - I'm an anxiety machine - my nerves are always on edge over something & and if there's nothing I make something up to be anxious about)
Then I read some study that said a minority of smokers are more addicted to the minor alkaloids in tobacco smoke then the nicotine itself. This was the time frame I 1st heard of WTA. It made sense to me, that I'm likely in that minority. No matter how much I vaped (18 mg nic) I just couldn't get near that satisfying feeling from having a smoke.
Enter WTA. We ran across a vendor right here in PA, that was great. He was one of the 1st to get into producing WTA juice. (He's no longer in business). He was great to talk with and we talked a number of times on the phone. His juice was expensive compared to just nic but we got some. It still didn't satisfy me like a cigarette but it was closer. I used WTA juice exclusively for at least a year. Even though it was costly it was less than a 3 PPD cig habit. Janet used it too - but only occasionally throughout the day.
So once I started vaping just WTA I was able get down to 4 or 5 smokes a day. Had to have 1 or 2 in the morning and after meals and before bed. This was well into the 3rd month. I was still was telling myself - don't hurry it - don't set a dead line. Be happy you're only smoking 4-5 cigs a day instead of close to 60. It was a major win in my mind, even though I was still smoking. Then I started working on not having a smoke for 30-60 minutes after waking and eating. Do this for a couple few weeks to break the habit part of grabbing a smoke. I was able to get by with 3 smokes a day - mid morning - mid after noon and mid evening.
So that pattern was going on for a few more weeks at 3 smokes per day. Still wasn't setting an end date - just getting by. OK some days was 3+, but basically I was at 3 a day. Then one day I realized it was going onto supper time and I didn't have a smoke yet - hmmm? Yikes! What's going on. T
That was the day it clicked - you can be smoke free tomorrow if you want. And I was - it was my son's birthday and that evening at his birthday dinner I said to him. "I haven't had a cigarette all day". I do believe I'm done with them. He said "Pop that's the best birthday present you could give me"
Honestly his reply was the encouragement to keep going forward smoke free. It's 3 1/2 years since then and I'm so happy to be smoke free.
If I can give any advice - make a commitment to be smoke free - stick with it - don't stress yourself to stop tomorrow. With commitment we can all do it at our own pace. It's often said - its the ones you don't smoke that count and that's the truth. Don't stress if you still smoke - be happy you smoke less.
My story getting over the last few smokes a day.
oh my, oh my ... my friends my have oversold me. Ok - I was smoking heavily at the end of my 45 years of smoking - like almost 3 packs a day. I was also still under a lot of anxiety and stress not only from my daughters situation (lost her husband after just being married 3 weeks) and losing my job (that I had for 40 years w/ the same company). That's my brief background leading up to starting with vaping.
Janet quit smokes from day 1. Me, I thought this could work, but I'm going to have to work at it. I did have a mental set that I wanted to quit. Had mentioned it many times over the years to Janet - but she just never was ready to give it a try. So, I'm thinking - it worked for her. It can work for me.
I set my mind to not stress over quiting entirely or set a date / time limit on giving up the smokes. I was telling myself you smoked for 40 years - you ain't gonna quit cold turkey. Just start working w/ this e-cig thing to form a new habit. For the 1st couple months, I was probably smoking 1/2 pack a cigs a day. For me that was great - considering I was basically a chain smoker. And between smokes I was chain vaping (still do whenever I'm sitting down not doing anything - I'm an anxiety machine - my nerves are always on edge over something & and if there's nothing I make something up to be anxious about)
Then I read some study that said a minority of smokers are more addicted to the minor alkaloids in tobacco smoke then the nicotine itself. This was the time frame I 1st heard of WTA. It made sense to me, that I'm likely in that minority. No matter how much I vaped (18 mg nic) I just couldn't get near that satisfying feeling from having a smoke.
Enter WTA. We ran across a vendor right here in PA, that was great. He was one of the 1st to get into producing WTA juice. (He's no longer in business). He was great to talk with and we talked a number of times on the phone. His juice was expensive compared to just nic but we got some. It still didn't satisfy me like a cigarette but it was closer. I used WTA juice exclusively for at least a year. Even though it was costly it was less than a 3 PPD cig habit. Janet used it too - but only occasionally throughout the day.
So once I started vaping just WTA I was able get down to 4 or 5 smokes a day. Had to have 1 or 2 in the morning and after meals and before bed. This was well into the 3rd month. I was still was telling myself - don't hurry it - don't set a dead line. Be happy you're only smoking 4-5 cigs a day instead of close to 60. It was a major win in my mind, even though I was still smoking. Then I started working on not having a smoke for 30-60 minutes after waking and eating. Do this for a couple few weeks to break the habit part of grabbing a smoke. I was able to get by with 3 smokes a day - mid morning - mid after noon and mid evening.
So that pattern was going on for a few more weeks at 3 smokes per day. Still wasn't setting an end date - just getting by. OK some days was 3+, but basically I was at 3 a day. Then one day I realized it was going onto supper time and I didn't have a smoke yet - hmmm? Yikes! What's going on. T
That was the day it clicked - you can be smoke free tomorrow if you want. And I was - it was my son's birthday and that evening at his birthday dinner I said to him. "I haven't had a cigarette all day". I do believe I'm done with them. He said "Pop that's the best birthday present you could give me"
Honestly his reply was the encouragement to keep going forward smoke free. It's 3 1/2 years since then and I'm so happy to be smoke free.
If I can give any advice - make a commitment to be smoke free - stick with it - don't stress yourself to stop tomorrow. With commitment we can all do it at our own pace. It's often said - its the ones you don't smoke that count and that's the truth. Don't stress if you still smoke - be happy you smoke less.
