Feeling Out of Control and Lost and Need Some Help

[StarreLabelle]

I quit smoking almost a month ago (the 21st of August) and have solely vaping since then. As a matter of fact, I switched to vaping without an pomp or circumstance, I simply went into a B&M without a pack and never looked back. It was easy-ish at first -- I had cravings, learned how to control them and I've been good. I've upgraded my starter set up as rewards for making it a week, two weeks, three weeks; moved from a nautilus to a Russian 91 with a Science of vaping nano kit, switched from a Smoktech Zmax Mini to a ZNA20, and I'm absolutely getting a better flavor, better vape quality, all of the stuff that goes with an upgrade.

But ...

For the last three days I've been battling myself full force. I've been feeling all the frustration and taking little joy away from the experience. I've thought about going to buy cigarettes, oh, only about a hundred times -- but as now I've yet to do it. Before I revert to my old ways, I thought I'd post here and seek some help -- maybe I'm missing something that you all can help with.

1. I hate the complicated nature of vaping (which I completely own since it's complicated by design and my own doing). It's true that I'm not running to the store every day or every other day for smokes, but it's been a trade for having to constantly worry that I have enough stuff to get me through. Do I have an extra tank? Do I have a screw driver? How about a fully charged secondary battery? How about a new coil for my Nautilus? Oh, my wick (on the RBA) tastes burnt! Oh, the tanks is stuck on the adapter! Let's take ten minutes before I walk out the door to be sure I have my stuff in order...

2. The ZNA itself is awesome, but it's CONSTANTLY chewing up my fingers from the sharp threads.

3. I find myself becoming annoyed easily... at others. I'm usually a very easy going, laid back sort of person, but that's changed. I get agitated easily and I hate that, but it's like I can't temper the feelings of "leave me alone." It's like I'm feeling everything times 10.

4. I started vaping on 12nic, and I'm still vaping on 12nic... but the satisfaction isn't there. I'm not calming down, even when I double my vaping time. This is new.

I know that I have enough comments to be posting elsewhere, but this feels like a noob sort of question... Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

I can't emphasize enough that I think you need to increase your nicotine level; I know people who need 36mg of nicotine at first. I knew it was time to decrease from 24mg to 18mg when I started getting a real buzz from the nicotine, but it was the main thing that kept me off tobacco. Your body is telling you it craves nicotine!

 

[Thomas granada]

Hi .
Perhaps a silly question , but are you using the Ecig in the right way . It is quite different from smoking a stinkie . Draw slowly and gently for about 4 seconds . Hold in mouth for a few more seconds and then blow out through nose . Inhale just a little of the vapor . Don't draw straight into the lungs as you might with a cigarette . Sit and relax with it and enjoy the sensation . It's different from cigs but very satisfying once you get used to it . I was the same as you until I got the hang of it . We all develop our own ways of vaping but it takes a little time . Don't worry too much about all the different terms used and all the different batteries and vaporisers . I just use a variable volts battery and a fairly cheap vaporiser . Ice mint is my favorite liquid . I have 2 units and I always keep the second ready for use , Easy and takes very little time . Do be patient ....... It's worth it and you WILL be OK with it .
Best regards from Thomas .

 

[OldGoose52]

One of the things I like about vaping... you can French inhale and not have that nasty smoke stench in your nostrils for the next three hours. I do keep an e cig (stick) handy as a backup. One at the house and one in the truck.
Ash If you can tell we`re all in your corner hoping the best for you in this trying time. You can Do IT.

 

[AshMPWrites]

Hi All!

I thought I'd pop in and just touch base.

I bought a pack of cigarettes -- actually my husband bought them for me, I was a sobbing, soppy mess -- I didn't smoke right away, it was a couple hours later. When I did I took four drags, hated it and haven't touched them since. I'm not tempted to even try again, the experience of smoking was very odd and almost foreign to me (the way it felt between my lips, holding it in my hand, even the taste was completely different than what I remembered), after two drags you know what I did? I vaped, then took two more puffs and I was spent. D-O-N-E done. It's incredible to me how quickly I no longer enjoyed something was such a part of my life. It's sort of sad to know the door is closed in a nostalgic-wistful way, and sort of invigorating. I feel a sense of calm having an emergency pack, and sense of accomplishment knowing I'm not a slave to them any longer.

I think I just a hit a wall. Here's where I'll get all deep and personal, but I feel like I should further explain and that involves a measure of truth.

Smoking, in my life, was a crutch -- I had my triggers and I had my cravings. For me, they were never the same things. For six years my husband and I have tried to get pregnant - as a matter of the fact, the only other time I tried to quit was when we were starting down the baby-highway, all green and optimistic. We learned in more recent years that I cannot conceive; it's been an emotional roller-coaster for me as I'm sure anyone can imagine. Over the weekend was one cousin's baby shower, yesterday I learned another cousin is pregnant. A close family member who knows my struggle asked me "do you have any news of your own?" I think my heart just broke and everything that wasn't "all that big" suddenly because crushing. Smoking was crutch -- it was twelve minutes of zen where I could disconnect and go off the grid. I wanted that desperately and not having it made me tally up all the hassles and frustrations.

I'm better today. I've realigned myself. I want to sincerely and from the bottom of heart thank you all so much for bearing with me on my worst day. I appreciate the advice, suggestions, warmth, and kindness that each of you put into your replies more than I could ever truly say. I hope some day to be as supportive to someone else as you all were to me. Thank you, thank you, a million times, thank you. XX

 

[ScandaLeX]

Ash ~ Thank you for sharing your story; your life!
As for the cigarettes- I tell everyone this- do not kick yourself for having smoked 1 or a whole pack. No one is perfect.

I have friends who vape & smoke (not at the same time) & they think cause I strictly vape that I'm going to be that person whose going to criticize them.

I'm not what I refer to as a hypocrite vaper- don't beat yourself up.

Sent from a BIG phone.....Galaxy Note 3

 

[Robino1]

{{{{{{{ Hugs }}}}}}}} 'Cause every one needs one once in a while.

 

[3mg Meniere]

I didn't smoke right away, it was a couple hours later. When I did I took four drags, hated it and haven't touched them since. I'm not tempted to even try again, the experience of smoking was very odd and almost foreign to me (the way it felt between my lips, holding it in my hand, even the taste was completely different than what I remembered), after two drags you know what I did? I vaped, then took two more puffs and I was spent. D-O-N-E done. It's incredible to me how quickly I no longer enjoyed something was such a part of my life. It's sort of sad to know the door is closed in a nostalgic-wistful way, and sort of invigorating. I feel a sense of calm having an emergency pack, and sense of accomplishment knowing I'm not a slave to them any longer.

Most of us have had that last cig and discovered that it was disgusting. Definitely the way to go. I also had that nostalgia. I found myself saying "It was an accident. Really-- I didn't mean to quit." As if I were apologizing to Lorillard and their ilk. Silly me. No longer a slave to BT.

One suggestion-- tobacco and caffeine are twin addictions. Cut your caffeine intake, you now are more sensitive to it. I allow myself only three cups of coffee a day, otherwise I can't sleep that night. I switch to decaf tea for the rest of the day.

 

[zoiDman]

...

I'm better today. I've realigned myself. I want to sincerely and from the bottom of heart thank you all so much for bearing with me on my worst day. I appreciate the advice, suggestions, warmth, and kindness that each of you put into your replies more than I could ever truly say. I hope some day to be as supportive to someone else as you all were to me. Thank you, thank you, a million times, thank you. XX

Nothing to Thank us for. We have All gone thru what you went thru at One Time or Another.

We just Pull Together as a Team and get thru the Tough Times.

You are doing Great.

 

[Warpigs]

When I quit smoking I was using 36-38nic. After a year or so I have gone down to 24nic.

 

[CincinnatiKid]

I quit smoking almost a month ago (the 21st of August) and have solely vaping since then. As a matter of fact, I switched to vaping without an pomp or circumstance, I simply went into a B&M without a pack and never looked back. It was easy-ish at first -- I had cravings, learned how to control them and I've been good. I've upgraded my starter set up as rewards for making it a week, two weeks, three weeks; moved from a nautilus to a Russian 91 with a Science of Vaping nano kit, switched from a Smoktech Zmax Mini to a ZNA20, and I'm absolutely getting a better flavor, better vape quality, all of the stuff that goes with an upgrade.

But ...

For the last three days I've been battling myself full force. I've been feeling all the frustration and taking little joy away from the experience. I've thought about going to buy cigarettes, oh, only about a hundred times -- but as now I've yet to do it. Before I revert to my old ways, I thought I'd post here and seek some help -- maybe I'm missing something that you all can help with.

1. I hate the complicated nature of vaping (which I completely own since it's complicated by design and my own doing). It's true that I'm not running to the store every day or every other day for smokes, but it's been a trade for having to constantly worry that I have enough stuff to get me through. Do I have an extra tank? Do I have a screw driver? How about a fully charged secondary battery? How about a new coil for my Nautilus? Oh, my wick (on the RBA) tastes burnt! Oh, the tanks is stuck on the adapter! Let's take ten minutes before I walk out the door to be sure I have my stuff in order...

2. The ZNA itself is awesome, but it's CONSTANTLY chewing up my fingers from the sharp threads.

3. I find myself becoming annoyed easily... at others. I'm usually a very easy going, laid back sort of person, but that's changed. I get agitated easily and I hate that, but it's like I can't temper the feelings of "leave me alone." It's like I'm feeling everything times 10.

4. I started vaping on 12nic, and I'm still vaping on 12nic... but the satisfaction isn't there. I'm not calming down, even when I double my vaping time. This is new.

I know that I have enough comments to be posting elsewhere, but this feels like a noob sort of question... Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

I completely understand what you're going through, as I quit the exact same way. For better or for worse, what follows is my best advice to you:

Vaping doesn't have to be overly complicated. You may feel pressured starting out to get into the Advanced mod scene or doing rebuildables. This isn't necessary. THE KEYS to getting off to a good start with vaping as you quit cigarettes are (a) Find a juice you love; something you want to taste all day, (b) get your nicotine strength correct. 12mg-18mg is usually a good starting place, and (c) start with a mod/tank that isn't much hassle.

I've never used a ZNA, but it does look like a nice device. My first vape was a cheap knock-off of an eVic with a CE6 tank. Utter rubbish to me now, but it worked then. My first real upgrade was an iTaste VV (the thin one with the LCD at the bottom) I still have fond memories of that little mod and recommend it as a solid starter for anyone beginning to vape. It is extremely user friendly. You can even vape with it while charging it.

Becoming annoyed easily is a classic symptom of Nicotine withdrawl. Try 18mg or even 24mg. Make sure you really, really like the juice you're vaping. I was lucky to find one I loved in the beginning. I also made a point to avoid tobacco flavored juices so that I would never be able to equate vaping with smoking.

 

[OldGoose52]

Ash
Glad you got thru that episode on an upward swing. Keep your head up and things will only get better.

Goose

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Hi Ash, I am not that far from switching and remember those days well. First off, I started with a higher nicotine than what a couple of vaper friends suggested. I wanted to have trust that vaping could replace my cigarettes. I didn't care about taste since I had none at that point and I just wanted it to be uncomplicated.

I went down to a vape shop and the guy set me up with a system. He also charged me twice what I could have paid if I got it on-line. So what, he did me right to meet my quitting smoking needs. It was a tube mod with a Protank-2, coils, and 2xbatteries and a charger. Anyway, he showed me how to maintain it; and it is simple. The most important thing was the nicotine in the juice.

It worked. Part of it working was that vaping has a lot more options than cigarettes. I made it into a hobby and I appreciate what it was doing for me. Yes, I moved more into flavor, etc., but I understood to just keep it simple. I did get, pretty quickly, spares so that if I had an accident, I would be tempted to stop for a pack of cigs. A spare in the house and a spare in the car. The one in the car is a complete system with a half of a bottle of juice.

I have come to learn about myself and nicotine levels. Early in the morning, I have a stronger nic juice so I can get going and I felt secure knowing that, "this @#$% works!" I did that for about 2 months. Also, sitting in front of the TV at night, I vape more so that nic juice is lower.

I still have the stronger stuff in case I think I need it, but, it will go bad eventually. There is a vape shop near by.

Yes, pulling a cigarette out of a box and lighting it is easy, but it is also disgusting. Vaping works, just keep it simple.

 

[12Cats3Dogs]

Ash,

I' new to vaping after smoking 40 years. So glad for you that you made it through the tough time. Hang in. Vaping can work. I was a hard core smoker, now on 18 mgs. Stay strong.