Friday's the day, any advice would be much appreciated!

[abraxa]

I am brand new to vaping and ECF.

I've been an avid smoker for about 15 years. The only time I have gone a single day or more without cigarettes was following a major lung operation seven years ago. I was able to quit for two solid weeks without much trouble thanks to being numbed by medication and immobilized during that time, yet once I recovered and started resuming normal life surrounded by people who still smoked, I could no longer resist the old familiar habit and succumbed to the addiction. As much as I have wanted to quit ever since, for the obvious benefits to both my health and my wallet, the intense anxiety that builds up at the thought of quitting and failing prevents me from following through on my resolve. Since the surgery, I have had complications that were likely contributed to by my continuing to smoke and have found myself on disability from work at the young age of 30.

A friend of mine recently found success quitting using a PV. Desperate for a glimmer of hope to ease my way into an analog free life, I ordered myself a Joye 510 and a variety of vapors last week. I have spent the time since familiarizing myself with the ecig and trying different flavors, and although I have cut back a bit on what I was smoking (from 2 packs to now just under 1 daily) the noticeable urge to smoke fluctuates drastically depending on the day and environment.

I realize that ecigs are not miracle solution to analogs as much as I'd like them to be, and I still have to muster tremendous willpower to finally escape the deathgrip of the analogs. I have committed to taking the long-dreaded plunge this Friday with the help of my 510, but I am still feeling a high level of anxiety and self-doubt that I will actually prevail.

The success stories contained in this forum have already been a great source of encouragement for me to move forward into a life without analogs. I think I would really benefit from hearing more about the mental work involved in quitting the stix, as this seems to be where the majority of my weakness lies. I am otherwise a very self-confident, person in most every situation except when it comes to smoking. Any advice from those who have been through it would be extremely helpful to me.

Thank you in advance and I apologize for the long post. I look forward to getting more familiar with the vaping community in the coming weeks and am so grateful for the support and motivation the ECF has already provided me.

 

[LibertyValance]

It sounds really trite but what enabled me to quit cigarettes once and for all was the increased likelihood that I would die of lung cancer if I didn't. Most lung cancer patients at least try to quit when diagnosed, so I tried to imagine how much that would suck to be BOTH dealing with lung cancer and having to quit at the same time. That image worked for me

Also post what it is that you find unsatisfying about your 510. Chances are a change in juice or a bigger pv (an ego will fit all your attys and carts) will be more satisfying.

 

[Eclipsed1770]

Welcome to the group abraxa. My advice would be not to beat yourself up if you fall down (i.e. off the wagon and have an analog). Some people have quit the day they got their pv, some weeks, and some months. Just get back up and eventually you won't want (or remember) to smoke the analogs again.

I think I've learned that I need a low nic level for vaping as a habit (like smoking the analogs) and a high nic level when I really feel the urge (or craving). I usually keep about 6 to 10 cartos filled with varing nic levels and flavors in my desk at work and home.

 

[harleybluz]

I found it took a little time for me to get completely off cigarettes. Now they taste like crap. I was still smoking 1 cig in the morning with my coffee and finally said "I'm just not doing this anymore" with much panic. I also used the 510 and I used the "cartomizer" instead of the carts they come with. It's easier, less messy, last longer and you get a better throat hit without the juice in your mouth. I like the tobacco flavor (a little sweetness to it but not much at all) from AZ Smokefree. They sell them 5 to a pack and you can refill them quite a few times before they start to taste burnt. I think you love the cartomizers over the cartridges. Good luck and just do it. You'll be extremely proud of yourself for it. I haven't had a real cigarette (after smoking for 38 yrs) for 2 months now and every once in a while I take a drag off my husbands and it taste terrible. I hate them now. Good luck.

 

[Badanswer]

Liberty has good advice....post what you dont like about the ecig, what makes you go back to the analogs?

 

[ogredog]

abraxa they are a miracle solution. Just find something you like, stick with it, and keep it with you!

 

[Mudder]

I happened to luck out when I got my pv. I was on my last two smokes, and said no more. Since then I haven't had not one analog. It was tough. Every day at different times thru the day I would have killed for an analog. That lasted almost a month, with each day getting a little better than the last. Now, the smell of them makes me wanna barf.

It's different for everyone. Quit the analogs as you can, as you feel comfortable. It's ok to smoke and vape. Over time it will get easier and easier to set the analog aside and vape instead. Quit by your own time frame, you're body will let you know. Before you know it, you could be like me and can't stand the smell of them.

 

[SuziesMom]

All it really took for me was to find a yummy juice flavor. Once I had that cigarettes became a "why bother" for me. No fighting cravings, no panics, no nothing. I didn't beat myself up over a relapse- I just decided I preferred ecigs, and tried to make it a really great experience.

It took me about 3 weeks to completely quit analogs- your mileage may vary. Try not to think of it as depriving yourself- think of ecigs as a treat. Light up an analog when you want one- after a while you'll start to question why you're doing that to yourself.

Good luck!

 

[tamale_2]

Light up an analog when you want one- after a while you'll start to question why you're doing that to yourself.

Agreed!

I used to light one up every 3-4 weeks and two or three puffs in I'd put it out because my brain is like, "WTH are you doing?!" Find a juice or two you really love and keep plenty of it on hand. It took me 3-4 months of testing out different liquids before settling on the couple that I really love. Be persistent with finding what works for you. Once you find what really works for you in terms of a liquid taste, liquid strength, and equipment you won't even fret. E-cigs, once you get all the details sorted out, taste so much better than analogs.

 

[dormouse]

Some things that helped me

1. paying attention to what juices left me most satisfied and relaxed (and remember to smell the vapor!). And trying lots of juices to find what I like.

2. buying a totally extra battery so I could leave the ecig set up overnight. No more night-time stress/disruption or morning assembly

3. I also switched to using Boge 510 cartomizers on my 510 so I never again had to fight with a cart for my first drag in the morning. Note though - if you have auto batteries, the way a carto occasionally leaks has a chance of getting juice in the end hole of an auto 510 and damaging or killing the battery) I much recommend manual as as well as having a spare battery

You could also move your remaining cigarettes out of your house (like into a plastic bag in the trunk of your car). If you have a battery emergency they will be there, but not around the house or on your body.

 

[ditch.the.pack]

My advice - don't "force" yourself to quit. Work your way down. I used the PV and still smoked cigs without guilt for awhile, until I was down to like 2 or 3 a day (I was a PAD before that!). Once I was at that point, I decided to challenge myself to go a day. 46 days later, I still haven't had one! Just remember, one less smoked is one less smoked. Even if it takes you a month, 6 months, a year, to get to that point. DON'T put pressure on yourself. That is sure to lead to more anxiety and therefore tempting you back to cigs.

 

[Pammers]

abraxa, you are doing exactly what I did when I gave up cigarettes. I set a date on which I would quit, for me it was April 1st. I ordered my ecig and became familiar with it and I smoked as much as I wanted without guilt until midnight on March 31st. At the stroke of midnight I destroyed all my remaining analogs and told myself that was it. I was officially a non-smoker. Once I found the ejuice I liked, which is the red hot cinnamon flavor, it was easy. My motivating factors were money and my health. I was having some fairly serious health issues which could have required surgery. My neurosurgeon told me because of my heavy smoking I was not a good candidate to go under the knife. I also have a 18 month old granddaughter that I want to see grow up. She needs me.

I've smoked one cigarette since then and I didn't hate it but I didn't enjoy it either. I actually took my Ego out of my pocket and vaped it without thinking while I had the cigarette in my other hand. For me it's been really easy. I think it was easier because I gave myself a deadline and destroyed my remaining analogs. I know cutting back and eventually quitting works well for some people, it wouldn't have worked for me.

Oh, I was also a 2 PAD smoker of full strength menthol cigarettes, for 40 years.

 

[adeline]

Congratulations on your decision to quit -- it's a big one. When I decided to quit last year, I failed with the gum, half-assed the lozenges, and then got serious about it and bought an ecig. I spent a couple hundred dollars on crap before I found the Joye 510. From there it's all been a dream...

So far the replies have been really solid -- I love this forum for its sense of community -- and I just wanted to share a few tips..

+1 on the cartomizers (cartos). I LOVE Boge cartomizers - they are one of my favorites, and will work well with your 510.

+1 on dripping, if you have manual batteries

Consider getting a pass-thru if you spend any amount of time at the computer.

What kind of juice do you have? What level nic are you using? You should experiment with nic levels, PG/VG, and flavors, across a couple vendors. Go for small sample sizes. There are quite a few posts on this in the forums (2 recently in the "General" ecig forum) that have lists of sites with sample sizes.

-Mainly the idea is you want to find a level that is comfortable for you.. and a level slightly higher for when you get a really bad craving (I like to order some tobacco flavors with a little higher nic for when I'm drinking). I also like a lower level for evening time (helps reduce insomnia).

And most importantly, if something is giving you trouble, or you're frustrated about anything, just relax, pop on over to ecf and ask questions, and there will be folks around to help!

 

[PHAZEONE559]

The beat thing to do is not go away from your "ritual" its more in the mind then anything. I still go outside to vape. Start with the strongest liquid you can find and eventually u will work your way down. You ordered a good device especially for a starter. Most importantly always have spare parts and tons of liquid so u never run out. Good luck and happy vaping!!

 

[MickeyRat]

You've gotten a lot of great advice so far, I'll throw in my advice about the quitting part too. You are switching. You aren't quitting. Don't forget that. You don't need to switch all at once. Every cigarette you don't smoke is a victory. Some lucky souls start vaping and never look back. I wasn't one of them. If you find you aren't either, here's what I and a lot of people on here have done.

If you find you need to, go ahead and have 3 or four cigarettes a day for a few weeks but, when you do, don't be doing anything else. Don't have them watching TV or sitting at the computer. Take the time to really notice how they taste and make you feel. Vape all you want. Find the right flavor and nic level for you. If you're like most people, after a while, you'll find you aren't enjoying those cigarettes as much. In fact, you quit looking forward to them. Then it's a lot easier to make the transition.

 

[frisco]

I think you may find that if you don't deny yourself and just let yourself choose you will do better. That is how I did it and I smoked for 40 years. After 2 weeks it was my choice and I haven't looked back. Good luck!