Are you "addicted" to e-cigarettes?

[HotRodCarts]

If nicotine isn't addictive then whatever is addictive in a cigarette is also present in vaping. 40+ years of 2-3 PAD and I tried many, many times to quit and failed. When quitting cold turkey I would get a feeling like something was crawling out of me from the inside. Very similar to the other addictions I had and overcame 20+ years ago. Throughout the years I've tried patches, gum and the deadly prescription med that's advertised on TV all the time and none of them worked for me. I won't even go into my horror story with the prescription poison. I've been clean and sober for over 20 years now but would always fail when I tried to quit smoking. 5-6 years ago I bought my first e-cig and immediately quit smoking without the withdrawal symptoms I had on previous attempts to quit cigarettes. I would always wind up back on cigarettes due to getting frustrated with the leaky tanks that were the only thing available other than the cigalikes which didn't do it for me. This time around (50 some days ago) I bought better hardware and have been smoke free ever since and down to 6, 3 and sometimes 0 mg of nic. I'm chain vaping but I'm not smoking cigarettes. If I go more than a couple hours without vaping (except while sleeping) I start getting the feeling that something is crawling out of me from the inside. As soon as I start vaping my 6mg within a couple minutes the feeling subsides. This time around I'm also making my own e-liquid and my plan is to slowly decrease the nic.

 

[WharfRat1976]

soo... if we have more than 1000 posts here on ECF.. are we addicted to ECF??
Im only up to 15,365 posts....

Of course we are. Anonymous Internet blogging is massively addictive. It quenches the spiritual malady. The loneliness. The restlessness. The irritability. The discontent. It's the same as a cybersex addiction. Espousing views to completely anonymous people and a complete waste of time with zero redeeming quality. The spiritual malady is at the heart of all addiction. The substance used whether vaping, smoking, eating, cyberporn, drinking is merely the SYMPTOM of the problem. It is not the problem itself. That's why when you stop the symptom, the addict usually returns to it since it is NOT the ROOT of the problem. The millions of self help books relating to addiction and all medical and legal views on addiction never address this notion. That's why 99.995% of the information is total BS.

 

[Jman8]

Just wondering, did you not get satisfactory answers from your previous thread on the subject?
Is nicotine a necessity for you?

The only reply in the thread that I can relate to given my observations of OP.

 

[JMarca]

I think people are more addicted to the act of vaping than to the liquid itself.

 

[WharfRat1976]

I think people are more addicted to the act of vaping than to the liquid itself.

The act of vaping includes the liquid itself. Without liquid there is no act of vaping[emoji44]

 

[JMarca]

The act of vaping includes the liquid itself. Without liquid there is no act of vaping[emoji44]

I disagree, if someone invented something this year or next year that let us vape without using e-liquid I bet people would be just as content. The act of having something in your hand and vaping on it is much more powerful than people realize.

 

[Douggro]

Getting your nic via vaping is an essentially harmless vice, much like drinking coffee or other caffeinated beverages.

Other than their effect as stimulants and vasoconstrictors.. I've had one cardiologist (retired) that was from the "no caffeine/nicotine" camp and my current guy who is "just get off the cigarettes, I don't care about the caffeine" type. I like my current guy.

 

[WharfRat1976]

I disagree, if someone invented something this year or next year that let us vape without using e-liquid I bet people would be just as content. The act of having something in your hand and vaping on it is much more powerful than people realize.

I believe as I posted above it is all a symptom anyway. I wonder what could be invented to substitute for liquid. A non liquid? Anyway, so you think the addiction is to "the act of having something in your hand?"

 

[Cobra313]

Well I am about to bare my soul here and I hope I don't get hammered for it.

yes I am addicted to nicotine, yes I vape and yes I feel a heck of a lot better for it. I was smokin two and a half to three packs of cigarettes a day. I was smoking Marlboro Reds usually Marlboro 1 Hundred's actually and I was definitely starting to feel it

I had quit for a long time, but, due to something that happened to me related to a trucking company. I ended up going back to smoking cigarettes. I'm glad I switched to the vaporizer, it was the smartest thing that I ever did my lungs don't feel like they're about to shut down. I got more energy and I feel better. so,it was the smartest thing I ever did.

now this is the part that, I'm going to bare my soul about... nervousness has always ran in my family. It comes from my mother's side. my grandfather was working alcoholic and he smoked too, he used to take nerve pills. but, when he found out he couldn't take them and drink too. he stopped taking them and just drank screwdrivers.

now this part is really personal and I hope I don't get hammered for it. in 2015, I was diagnosed with anxiety and mood disorder.

I take medication for it. I take gabapentin, 300 milligrams twice daily, they help but the I still have a slight edge.

the vaping helps with that edge and keeps me from being keyed up and nervous all the time.

my mom doesn't like it that I vape. but she figures it better that I do this, then be all keyed up and nervous all the time. so, yes I'm addicted to nicotine. I use the maximum level that the shop is allowed to give me which is 2.4% and I puff quite a bit.

I use a kangertech sub-tank plus wish lasts me 3 days, because of the huge size. I roll my own coils and put my own cotton in that way, I get the extra bit of flavor and it helps trust me.

sorry about this post being so long. but I had to tell my story.

Sent from my Galaxy S6. on taptotalk

 

[MsLoud]

I use to leave my smokes in the car at work after it became a law we could no longer smoke at our desk. It forced me to walk out there to smoke one. I left them outside on the balcony or again in my car so I would need to get off my bum to smoke. I didn't smoke in the car or house (kids) and never in a restaurant even when it was allowed if my children were with us.

Vaping is completely different for me. I need to have my mod with me - pocket - as in on my person at all times...I will panic. I've done it. I have no idea why it is different but it is. I have an emergency bag that goes across my shoulder and out to the car every time I leave the house. I have accepted this and it in no way hinders my activities. I just know it's there and that makes me feel good.

 

[Robino1]

in 2015, I was diagnosed with anxiety and mood disorder.

I take medication for it. I take gabapentin, 300 milligrams twice daily, they help but the I still have a slight edge.

There is a medical reason that the nicotine helps you. Scientists are studying the affects of nicotine on matters dealing with what you are dealing with and also ADD/ADHD, Alzheimer's and others.

You were just able to figure it out on your own That deserves a very hearty Congratulations!

Nicotine is NOT the big bad wolf in the equation. Burning a combustible product, rolled in paper and sealed with a glue that is supposed to make the cigarette self extinguish....THAT is the bad stuff. Not nicotine.

 

[Douggro]

Well I am about to bare my soul here and I hope I don't get hammered for it.

yes I am addicted to nicotine, yes I vape and yes I feel a heck of a lot better for it. I was smokin two and a half to three packs of cigarettes a day. I was smoking Marlboro Reds usually Marlboro 1 Hundred's actually and I was definitely starting to feel it

I had quit for a long time, but, due to something that happened to me related to a trucking company. I ended up going back to smoking cigarettes. I'm glad I switched to the vaporizer, it was the smartest thing that I ever did my lungs don't feel like they're about to shut down. I got more energy and I feel better. so,it was the smartest thing I ever did.

now this is the part that, I'm going to bare my soul about... nervousness has always ran in my family. It comes from my mother's side. my grandfather was working alcoholic and he smoked too, he used to take nerve pills. but, when he found out he couldn't take them and drink too. he stopped taking them and just drank screwdrivers.

now this part is really personal and I hope I don't get hammered for it. in 2015, I was diagnosed with anxiety and mood disorder.

I take medication for it. I take gabapentin, 300 milligrams twice daily, they help but the I still have a slight edge.

the vaping helps with that edge and keeps me from being keyed up and nervous all the time.

my mom doesn't like it that I vape. but she figures it better that I do this, then be all keyed up and nervous all the time. so, yes I'm addicted to nicotine. I use the maximum level that the shop is allowed to give me which is 2.4% and I puff quite a bit.

I use a kangertech sub-tank plus wish lasts me 3 days, because of the huge size. I roll my own coils and put my own cotton in that way, I get the extra bit of flavor and it helps trust me.

sorry about this post being so long. but I had to tell my story.

Sent from my Galaxy S6. on taptotalk

Absolutely nothing there to be worth pulling out a hammer for. Thanks for sharing your story.

 

[Robino1]

I use to leave my smokes in the car at work after it became a law we could no longer smoke at our desk. It forced me to walk out there to smoke one. I left them outside on the balcony or again in my car so I would need to get off my bum to smoke. I didn't smoke in the car or house (kids) and never in a restaurant even when it was allowed if my children were with us.

Vaping is completely different for me. I need to have my mod with me - pocket - as in on my person at all times...I will panic. I've done it. I have no idea why it is different but it is. I have an emergency bag that goes across my shoulder and out to the car every time I leave the house. I have accepted this and it in no way hinders my activities. I just know it's there and that makes me feel good.

I think it may have something to do with the fear that if the vapes were not near or on you, something may happen to them and you would be tempted to go back to smoking. I used to have that fear but slowly...very slowly and in baby steps, decided to do some things without my crutch. I got through them and survived

If it weren't so hot here, I would be tempted to leave my PV in the car while shopping. Alas, I would have a leaky mess when I got back to it. Some day (hopefully soon) I will see if I can actually go to the store without carrying my PV with me and actually leave it at home !

 

[herb]

For quite some time now i have left my e cig in my car and even forgot to take it out with me and i don't freak out . That would never happen with real cigs , i would kill an innocent chap (maybe not kill, lets go with seriously injure) if he got in my way if i was craving a real cig and didn't have any .

It's an amazing thing and convinces me that real cigs are loaded with far more " must have immediately or will kill" chemicals than e cigs have thats for sure.

 

[AndriaD]

I'm never tempted to leave my mod anywhere that I'm not, just as I didn't leave my cigarettes anywhere that I wasn't -- always in my purse, if I'm out of the house, and that purse is always on my shoulder. My thinking was, what if an opportunity to smoke comes up, and I don't have them?? HORRORS! Pretty much the same thinking with vaping, and with vaping, there are surely a lot more potential opportunities -- just having to use a public restroom being one. Which gives me the opportunity to practice my sneaky stealth vaping, producing no vapor.

I wouldn't have dreamed of leaving my cigarettes in the vehicle, nor my mods either, and for the same reason -- what if someone steals them??? Probably a bigger temptation with a shiny mod than a pack of cigarettes. The truck has full-coverage insurance -- the cigarettes and now the mods do NOT.

Andria

 

[skoony]

Of course we are. Anonymous Internet blogging is massively addictive. It quenches the spiritual malady. The loneliness. The restlessness. The irritability. The discontent. It's the same as a cybersex addiction. Espousing views to completely anonymous people and a complete waste of time with zero redeeming quality. The spiritual malady is at the heart of all addiction. The substance used whether vaping, smoking, eating, cyberporn, drinking is merely the SYMPTOM of the problem. It is not the problem itself. That's why when you stop the symptom, the addict usually returns to it since it is NOT the ROOT of the problem. The millions of self help books relating to addiction and all medical and legal views on addiction never address this notion. That's why 99.995% of the information is total BS.

mike

 

[MsLoud]

I did and spent so much to hide/disguise my smoking - omg the money spent on perfume, Lysol, Febreze, car detailing, dry cleaning - I don't give a rip if you only smoked outside you still smell like an ashtray and carried that into your home on your clothes, in your hair, etc. I gave away a $400 Coach purse when I finally stopped smoking. I hated smoking. I think that's why I started separating myself from them.

When the opportunity came for me to try vaping - I was hooked. I still had my smokes sitting in the car - there for "if" - but I always had my vape on me. The morning were/are the worse. That is the only time of day I doubted myself. I came up with tricks of the mind to get through them - change my wake-up routine - have high mg nic right beside my bed for that half-conscience first vape of the day. Though far less challenging now - I remember where I came from and the struggles to get to this point - I will not go back.

 

[Cobra313]

There is a medical reason that the nicotine helps you. Scientists are studying the affects of nicotine on matters dealing with what you are dealing with and also ADD/ADHD, Alzheimer's and others.

You were just able to figure it out on your own That deserves a very hearty Congratulations!

Nicotine is NOT the big bad wolf in the equation. Burning a combustible product, rolled in paper and sealed with a glue that is supposed to make the cigarette self extinguish....THAT is the bad stuff. Not nicotine.

I hear you and you're right about that it does help me a lot. I also have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. I was diagnosed at 5 years old. now, I ain't saying the nicotine helps with my ADHD. but it keeps me from being pretty jittery. I will tell you that.

Sent from my Galaxy S6. on taptotalk

 

[Cobra313]

Absolutely nothing there to be worth pulling out a hammer for. Thanks for sharing your story.

Thank you very much I do appreciate that. [emoji4]

There is a bit of a stigma with being diagnosed with something such as a anxiety and mood disorder. it sometimes get you lumped in with the people with multiple personalities and bipolar and stuff like that. it's nowhere near that, it just has a little bit of a stigma attached to it though.

My anxiety manifested itself in panic attacks, which started in 2006 and progressively got worse to the point where I almost couldn't control it. that's why I said something to the doctor, who also treats me for ADHD and the mood disorder part is, I can't watch any violence on TV like any kind of videos of people being beat up by police, sor any kind of like courtroom brawls or anything like that man.

I start shaking and hyperventilating and want to swing my fists around. so, that's what I got. Hence the reason for the vaporizer and the pills. [emoji20]

Sent from my Galaxy S6. on taptotalk

 

[AndriaD]

I hear you and you're right about that it does help me a lot. I also have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. I was diagnosed at 5 years old. now, I ain't saying the nicotine helps with my ADHD. but it keeps me from being pretty jittery. I will tell you that.

Sent from my Galaxy S6. on taptotalk

Nicotine has an "organizing" effect on neurotransmitters, making them all work better -- which is why it can both stimulate and relax. I've had ADD since before they knew what ADD was, my son too, and we both do a lot better WITH nicotine than without it.

Andria