Drinking and e-cig

[chewy]

So I have noticed when I drink I vape more, which of course happened when smoking also. Vapeing has eliminated smoking from my life, I also drink too much. Is there a similar outlet to help quit drinking or at least cut down? Since college I went from drinking heavy every day to just twice a week but am looking for an easier way to eliminate drinking. I know this may not be the proper forum but have found help quitting smoking which many find to be the hardest to do so I thought I would ask.

 

[Hottody]

Chewy...great questions! I would set a drink maxiumum for yourself, having a goal going into the evening should really help. If you find that you can not stay within your goal you may start thinking about ways to kick the habit completely. Hope this helps, as I too seem to drink alot when out vaping and this strategy seems to work well for me.

 

[sze5003]

I used to drink heavily in college too. But I never felt like it was needed. I guess it is the personality that people have. I enjoy drinking sometimes but its not a must as say nicotine was/is still. What cut me down was when I met my gf, she didn't drink at all and when she did, it wasn't much. It was one or two just for the sake of it. I also started going out less with buddies that all they did was go to bars. Last time I had something to drink would say was 2 months ago maybe.

If I have time with work and everything I will go out but I won't get wasted. As long as you are not getting wasted everytime, it shouldn't be a problem. Once you substitute other activities that don't involve drinking, you will only wanna drink after its been a while, and I mean weeks, even maybe a month. We all enjoy it but I guess you just need to realize there is more to do out there. No offense and all what I'm trying to say is if you don't think about it as a pre-planned activity like "Oh I can't wait to go to the bar and get some beers" then you only really drink when the opportunity seems fit.

I know in college we would take classes and when weekends came, thats it you were in a dorm, there were women and parties and drinking was all there was to do unless you liked staying in on the computer or studying all the time. That's why it gets acclimated to a lot of things after college. I found that work and other hobbies, spending time with others that don't drink every chance they get helps.

 

[chewy]

I get that, it seems like it should have been an easy decision to just ditch my drinking buddies. I suppose if we can't find activities to do that don't revolve around drinking then I'll ditch them. Appreciate the input!

 

[Kyi]

During the weekdays I don't drink much, maybe a glass of wine or two with dinner. But on weekends, I hang out with my "drinking buddies" and we go hardcore on that alcohol. I find that I really only drink a lot more when I hang out with people who drink a lot, same with smoking. All of my friends used to smoke, and then I became a smoker. After I moved, the new friends I made were half and half. I eventually switched to vaping, which encouraged my boyfriend to go on the nicotine patch (he wanted to be done with it completely). After we did this, one of our friends decided to quit smoking as well, and he uses the e-cig, but not seriously like us. He just uses one of those disposable ones from the gas station and its working for him so far!

But yea.. ever since that, it seems like the smokers in my group of friends is the minority. I'm the only vaper really, as my other friend is trying to quit nicotine completely just like my boyfriend, and won't be continuing vaping. I continue to vape low nicotine because I like it and its heck of a lot better than smoking. But yea... we still drink like alcoholics on the weekends.

Here's a dumb suggestion. Buy alcohol that you don't like to drink. And only drink that when you wanna get drunk. It'll make you drink less.

 

[chewy]

Chewy...great questions! I would set a drink maxiumum for yourself, having a goal going into the evening should really help. If you find that you can not stay within your goal you may start thinking about ways to kick the habit completely. Hope this helps, as I too seem to drink alot when out vaping and this strategy seems to work well for me.

I try to set limits yet have no real motivation to stick to them, I guess I need to set conciquences for myself. Wow after reading that I think I may need to stop altogether. I bring lots of extra batts when I'm out, even drunk I resist the urge for a cig but have caved when everything I bring is dead.

 

[sze5003]

I wouldn't say ditch your drinking buddies. Well for me my buddies felt like I ditched them because my gf always wanted me to spend time with her. I would come back from work, tired always busy with something else I need to do at home so it was either I hang out with the woman or go with my buddies to some bar in the middle of the week and then have to go to work like crap.

I did that few times, I have med school friends and friends who are still in school, they go out every tuesday or thursdays for specials. EVERYTIME I went with them I would end up staying later, drinking more, feeling like crap waking up at 6am to go and write code for work. Not a fun time, there were times I felt so bad I had to call out. One night I even got a speeding ticket and I was ....... Thank god I wasnt asked to take a test. I wasn't drunk but you could easily tell by the look of ones eyes, smell, especially if you had lots of hard liquor and a buddy in the passenger seat that won't shut the hell up because he obviously had a good time.

I still hang out with my drinking buddies but its less often and when I do drink I notice that after you have less for a while, you either get a headache because you need to keep drinking when the buzz goes away or you just feel full.

Oh and I have not been able to ditch the e-cig while drinking. I can stay in and drink while my buddies go out for a smoke, but at the end of the night I'm on my e cig.