discouragement

[chloe2t]

I have been having a lot of urges to smoke, despite vaping, but I have been able to resist. Today I realized that I really needed a lower nicotine and switched to medium. Starting to worry about my budget with the need to experiment to figure out what will really work for me. So far I have spent more money than I did on cigarettes. When I spilled e-liquid on my hand, trying to refill my e-cig while my fifteen year old argued with her BF on the phone, my son was throwing a terror of a tantrum, my husband called to tell me that He had problems on the job ,missing us, running low on supplies and a shipment gone wrong....I saw a pack of Pall Malls still sitting on the shelf where I kept them for easy access to go outside to smoke. I wanted to do that, but I didn't

I KNOW it's about learning what works for me and the experience is not going to be as simple in the beginning as just lighting up and choking it down. I know it's worth it. I'm not doing it to be like the cool kids. LOL i never was one of those. I'm doing it to live. to take care of my kids and be with my husband as long as I can. I'm not going to give up. I just hope I don't have too many days like this.

 

[metro3pilot]

once you figure out what works for you ...the savings will pile up .....congrats

 

[meloyo]

I just started vaping last week and I have yet to set the day to give up my cigarettes once and for all. They taste awful now and I've drastically reduced my intake to less than half of what I used to smoke. Still, it isn't easy to just drop it. Anyway, I think your reasons for vaping are great and I sincerely hope you keep going. Good luck!

 

[NuLLMyndZ]

Time and willpower are the key factors to staying healthy and saving money in the end.

 

[SissySpike]

Hang in there it dose get better I promise! These days get further apart and one day you just kind of realize wow I dont need or even want cigarettes any longer! That is a good feeling and worth every penny you will spend. I agree about the cool thing better to be a square today and youll be a round tomorrow is what my mother always told me;-).
Before long you will start feeling better you probably already smell better. Your on the right track just dont get discouraged!

 

[cags]

when I first started vaping I just cut down on smoking. when I wanted a cig, I vaped for a while. if I still wanted a cig, I had it. guilt free.
with that method, I went from 50+ cigs a day to 15 a day in the first week. some people are more successful using the method I did and some do better putting cigs down immediately.

hang in there, be proud when you resist the urge for a cig, don't beat yourself up if you have one.

count the cigs you don't smoke, not the ones you do.
good luck!!

 

[Baditude]

Sounds like you are under more stress than usual, so that certainly doesn't help. You showed great restraint and fortitude by avoiding the smokes, even thought they were in plain site. Praise where praise is due, young lass.

I don't know if you planned on going cold turkey off smokes while beginning to vape or not, I haven't read your story. Having said that, I'm sure you are aware that not everyone was able to quite cold turkey with vaping. Many continued to smoke as they eased into vaping, gradually replacing the smokes for a vape. No way is the right way. What ever works for you.

Just don't give up on vaping, because it has worked for so many. If you do break down and have a smoke, it won't be the end of the world. I've read a wise statement: It's not the number of cigarettes that you smoke, it's the ones that you don't."

 

[sawlight]

Going against the grain here, but if you REALLY feel you NEED a cig, have one, but I doubt it will taste good and will be that much more reinforcement to not want another in the future! We all break down and relapse, it happens, don't beat yourself up if you do! Remember, it's not about how many cigs you've had, it's all about how many cigs you HAVEN'T had!! Stay strong!
The initial investment is hard to understand and justify, but after watching a lady pay $150 for three cartons of cigs the other day, I can't say it will take much to return the investment!
It's one day at a time, and some days are better than others!

 

[sawlight]

Isn't that ironic! Baditude and I agree on something for once!

 

[Baditude]

Isn't that ironic! Baditude and I agree on something for once!

Stranger things have happened.

 

[PansSiren]

Any sort of motivator to quit is a great one, and to be with your family longer is especially true. Congrats on NOT picking the pack up, and I like Sawlight's comments. It's all about progress, don't beat yourself up!

 

[kiwivap]

I've found that each time I didn't smoke in a stressful situation it made it easier the next time something stressful happened. I was in a car accident two weeks ago and straight after I didn't want a cigarette, I wanted to vape. I chain vaped. Hang in there - after a while instead of thinking you want a cig, you think you want to vape.

 

[MayLovesMetal]

Chloe you sound like a much younger version of myself with the kids and the husband and the stress and finding it hard to get time for yourself to figure out anything more tricky than getting dressed and through each day after caring for everyone else. My kids are pretty much grown now (although my husband and my beagle are eternal toddlers) but it was still not as easy for me as it seems to be for some people to get everything working well with this and I had lots of days in the beginning where I thought I was just too stupid or too busy to ever get it right. And I smoked the first week or two while I was getting it together though in the second week I was definitely finding my cigarettes tasted pretty foul. Everything posted before me was spot on, I can only add two thoughts. One is that I smoked until I had no more analogs (of my own-dh still smokes) You might want to finish those Pall Malls and put some vape stuff in their spot. The second thing I can add is that I am truly sorry I didn't have vaping 20 years ago at what I am guessing is your age to hurt my brain with because I unfortunately have COPD, which I almost surely would not have had I not smoked all that time. Vaping seems to have halted the progression of the disease for me..but the reality is there is no cure, once you have it, it's yours forever and my quality of life as well as lifespan are not what they might have been as a result of smoking. Stick with trying to figure it out! It took me time. It takes a lot of people time and trial but if I can get it, anyone can. It's so worth it.

 

[chloe2t]

thank you all! To be honest yesterday was a tougher day than usual and today wasnt much better. I did realize that I didnt waste the money on the higher nic, which actually helped. My husband sacrifices a lot, being away from his family and traveling a long way to work, so I try to be respectful and not wasteful. Idiscovered hat right now what works for me is to use the high nic in the morning to get a good base of nic then just vape continuously on medium... which I can do easily because I bought a bunch of clearomizers on sale. As long as I don't waste the liquid, the money wasn't wasted...even if I need to eventually cut it with some 4 or even 0 mg liquid.

as to the cigs. I lit one this morning and yes it was nasty. and surprisingly, that was just what i needed. Then it wasn't such a big deal and I put it out and picked up my PV.

Vaping is helping me learn to be kinder to myself. Without a doubt I have a high stress life and it wasn't until I startedcoming here and reading that I really felt that I had something that was just for me. LOL but every mom needs a half hour locked in the bathroom now and then, and a few minutes here.

 

[DaveP]

Many of us transitioned from cigarettes to vaping by allowing the vape to gradually take over and edge out the cigarettes. Quitting cold turkey is stressful in itself. If the urge to smoke becomes overpowering, it's not a mortal sin to have one. When you do, hold your cig in one hand and your ecig in the other. Take alternate hits off both and evaluate. One will taste nasty and the other one should taste good (if you have found the right juice).

Eventually, your brain will make the right decision and you will decide that you don't need the one with burning tobacco anymore. It worked for me. Most of quitting is about getting your mindset right about the mental addiction of inhaling burning tobacco from a paper tube. The rest is just the satisfaction of knowing you made the right decision in switching to vaping. Once you do that, vaping will completely satisfy the nicotine urge.

 

[AttyPops]

Good for you! You can do it. It DOES get better.

1) DIY e-juice saves a ton of $$ if you need to. The flavors may not be as good in some recipes, but the simple ones can even be better since they are "homemade" and customized. It's not too hard.
2) You're referring to "Medium" and "strong" liquids. Are you buying pre-filled carts? That's mega $$$$. Fill your own. See vendor list for e-juices on front page.

 

[mistchance]

Idiscovered hat right now what works for me is to use the high nic in the morning to get a good base of nic then just vape continuously on medium...

That's exactly what I've discovered too...vaping is much slower in getting the nicotine to your brain than analogs and it builds gradually. I've found that I need a good long vaping session in the morning on 18 mg to get a base nic dose level established, then switch to 14 or eleven for the rest of the day. But you definitely don't get the high speed 'nic-kick' you get from smoking a ciggy...just something that requires some adjustment.

 

[chloe2t]

Good for you! You can do it. It DOES get better.

1) DIY e-juice saves a ton of $$ if you need to. The flavors may not be as good in some recipes, but the simple ones can even be better since they are "homemade" and customized. It's not too hard.
2) You're referring to "Medium" and "strong" liquids. Are you buying pre-filled carts? That's mega $$$$. Fill your own. See vendor list for e-juices on front page.

not buying prefilled carts. I'm just referring to the e-liquid strengths. 24 and 11. once in a while 36. DIY is tempting but im worried about trying that with kids around. not sure when i would get a chance to make them as I function as a single parent when my husband is out of state working.

 

[chloe2t]

reall appreciate the help from all of you. thanks for taking the time to help

 

[zuzette]

actually its the cool kids who vape now. just see my signature.

you are doing well but don't go it alone. my first reaction to not adapting well is that you may need more nic....not less.

i know you understand that nic.is a poison but you would have to consume 60mg to cause death. a little on your hands is.no big deal St all. just wash.