Having A Hard Time Breaking Free

[madmartyr72]

When I first started vaping I went 25 days without an analog with no problem, but a stressful week started me smoking again part time. I ordered new juice in thinking I needed a higher dosage and that is why I gave in to smoking, but once the juice arrived I went a total of 4 more days without lighting up before I once again caved in. So, this time I believed my PV just wasn't cutting it anymore so after a lot of research I placed an order for a new PV but continued to smoke until it arrived. Needless to say after it arrived, I fell in love with it and was once again on the track to being smoke free - for another 4 days...

Last Saturday night I went out for some drinks and the whole entire time I sat there happily drinking and vaping away with no problems. On my way home just out of the blue I all of a sudden had an overwhelming urge to smoke so before I knew it I was pulling into a gas station. I had a few analogs on my way home and threw the rest in the glove box. The last few days passed without even a craving so I blamed Saturday night's cave in on drinking, but when I woke up this morning all I could do was think about having a analog...and I did! I am so frustrated! The whole time I stood there smoking I kept asking myself over and over in my head 'WHY?!".

This morning I was suppose to receive my new juice restock in the mail and haven't. I checked the shipping status of my order and it hasn't updated since the initial pick-up from the company on Saturday. I fear my order has been lost in the mail now, so I sent the company a support ticket and waiting for a response. Besides the carto I have now, my main vape is all gone and I have very little left of my secondary to get me through the week (and that is cinna-bomb and I can only vape that in spurts). I have other juices but either the nicotine level is too high, not high enough, or I just plain don't like them. What a week so far!

I just don't know why I started off so strong on vaping and now it seems I have to throw analog's back in the mix again from time to time. I smoked for over 20 years and have tried just about every method to stop with no luck. Vaping has been the easiest method by far but now even that seems to not be keeping me from lighting up! Granted, I use to smoke a pack a day and I haven't been anywhere close to that since I caved in the first time, which is a good thing in its own right, but the issue I am having is I am still a slave to smoking even if I have only a few.

My wish is to be completely smoke free once and for all but I feel like it may never happen. Maybe I'm just not ready to quit smoking yet, but if not now, when?! Is there ever a 'right' time to break an addiction? I am so scared that it will eventually take some serious health issue to 'scare' me into never smoking again and as we all know with smoking, sometimes that scare comes too late. I am so frustrated...

 

[Thank You]

there is always a right time to quit... take a deep breath and prep yourself on quitting again.. you have to remember failure is human nature.. take it for what it is... now that you realize where you stand.. set a date on the calender and stick by it; rather then procrastinating each day. that's how i look at it.

 

[robert shohet]

you smoked longer almost longer than ive been alive its an addictions and a crappy habit it will take some preperation and probably a few attempts to quit completely its hard but dont give in for good

 

[ardelleg]

Don't be too hard on yourself...

After 5 months of vaping and not smoking I still find myself thinking about having a cigarette every once in awhile. It will hit me out of the blue with no apparent trigger.

I have managed not to buy any more cigarettes since I finished the last ones in January.

But last week I was packing for an out of town job and came across a pack in one of my duffels. The fact that I didn't immediately throw them away (I haven't smoked since January) is an indication to me that I may not be as done with cigarettes as I thought I was.

Of course my 'hoarding' gene doesn't let me throw out much of anything. Smoking is not my only mental problem.

But I try to remember that in 45 years of smoking I only quit one time and that was over 40 years ago for about 3 months. So I am so much farther ahead of the game with vaping than I ever thought I could be that I figure even if I was to backslide it would be temporary.

 

[aziffel]

Keep vaping,eventually cigarettes will taste nasty and smell just as bad
The tough thing is finding a e-liquid that is satisfying.

 

[ddirtyvapes]

You're being hard on yourself. I could give you all sorts of advice but you know and you've heard every supportive thing I could say to you, so all I'll say is focus on the good and be proud of every cigarette you pass up, not frustrated with every cigarette you have.

 

[MamaD]

This morning I was suppose to receive my new juice restock in the mail and haven't. I checked the shipping status of my order and it hasn't updated since the initial pick-up from the company on Saturday. I fear my order has been lost in the mail now, so I sent the company a support ticket and waiting for a response. Besides the carto I have now, my main vape is all gone and I have very little left of my secondary to get me through the week (and that is cinna-bomb and I can only vape that in spurts). I have other juices but either the nicotine level is too high, not high enough, or I just plain don't like them. What a week so far!:

I live in New Carlisle, what mg are you vaping, I may have something to help you out (18, 24, 36 mg). I also DIY maybe we can throw something together to get you by until you order gets to you. Pm me and let me know, we can meet up somewhere in Mishawaka if you want....Deb

 

[txtumbleweed]

I wouldn't be to discouraged but would make sure I had plenty of juice so there isn't a chance of running out and extra batteries charger and cartos. I think everyone should have a minimum of two kits. I wish I could go back twenty or 30 years before I got COPD from smoking to long.

 

[merlin440]

The best advice I can give you is the same advice someone gave me. Don't quit analogs, get it out of your head that you are vapping to quit.

I forget the member who told me that, but once I took those words to heart started announcing to myself, I'm not going to quit smoking but I want to explore vaping as a cost savings, do anywhere method, I started to view vapping as yeah I can see myself doing this, yeah I'm really kind of digging this.

Over time I found I was vapping a lot more then using analogs, got my analog cost down to 1 pack a day from 3 - 5, finally after 3 months I started approaching things slightly differently, I tried not to open my "new pack" not supper hard, but i'd try to avoid it, vap alittle heavier, and honestly drink LOTS of water. I do mean water too, pop, coffee etc just does not cut the craving cutting that water does for some reason.

Anyway fast forward 6 months later, I open my desk drawer for something and see a pack of analogs i bought. I kinda laughed because it was at that moment in time I realized my last analog was august 2nd, cus the receipt to the pack of cigs was right underneath it.

Anyway I do hope this advice helps, again the member who gave me the advice I wish I could recall, but thank God he said don't quit, and don't beat yourself up if you do smoke!

 

[Mr. P]

OMG!!! Are you kidding me! Quit babying this person. Somebody mentions that they keep falling off the wagon and everybody all of a sudden goes "hang in there", "keep your chin up" and everything else. Hey I am all for support but you have to be willing to help yourself and stop feeling sorry for yourself, support will only go so far.
Listen you can do one of two things, 1) go back to smoking your analogs and spend $200-$300 a month, risk cancer heart disease and other things, smell bad while you hack up a lung, risk the health of those around you and get prepared to leave your family and freinds earlier or 2) quit feeling sorry for yourself and find some will power. Whenever you get that urge for an anaolg find something to do for 10 minutes, the urge will pass just don't give up so easily.
Nothing personal here but sometimes tough love can be the best support instead of all the babying. Now get out there and do it!!!

 

[rook2pawn]

Is there ever a 'right' time to break an addiction?

for me i quit because my girlfriend would continue smoking if i continued smoking. I didn't even really make this decision, it just unfolded for me because we decided we wanted to live a long life together. So the day i quit was a no-brainer, however, co-workers told me my face looked like i was in sheer panic for about 3-4 days straight after I had quit. ( i smoked for about 16 years straight, so i never let my brain register that I had stopped)..,


When you quit, dont even think about it. You're switching brands (vape), and you aren't making any sacrifices. You can't let yourself think about it, otherwise you'll make a hellhole psychology where you crave the analog.

 

[MickG33]

Harden up, and get some backbone, you have proved you dont need them, so stop being a whimp, throw the analogs away

 

[cormbread]

i had a real problem falling off the wagon. i found that going to a 6 volt silver bullet and a liquidnator with 18mg nic solved it. the problem i had was something kept calling me back to the cigs.

with 6 volts the vapor is warm and full. after having the 6 volt warm vapor i had a regular cig. the regular cig was not as warm and full so i prefered the vapor. after a year of trying everything on the market 6 volts was the key for me. almost a week completely cig free and have not had 1 craving.

i am not advertising the product i have just letting you know what i got that worked. i was lucky and had a local shop spend time with me and found out the 3 volt stuff was not satisfying me and let me try 6 volt. it was night and day difference

it was more expensive to go to a 6 volt unit but i figure it will pay for itself after 1.5 months of not smoking. to me it was worth every penny.

i chose the tank system i have due to it holding 3ml of juice. it last all day for me without filling it or charging it. i am all about easy and that is about as easy as it gets. plus it is never harsh or burnt and the cartomizers are 2.50 a piece and last quite a long time. cheap and easy for me is good

 

[KDK]

It's all about finding the thing that works for you. Right device and right juice at the right mg. In the meantime, don't beat yourself up if you have an anolog here or there. It was about 3 months for me vaping/ smoking before I could finally give up the analogs. Now it's been over 14 months since I've had an analog, and I don't want one! Just don't give up, you are doing yourself a favor with every cig you don't smoke.

 

[lolady]

First of all, 25 days with no tobacco cigarettes is pretty impressive!

It also may be the reason you're having a hard time.

I've just started the process of changing over, and I may be projecting and making a lot of presumptive assumptions, but some of the language you use, like "caved in," and "gave in" makes me wonder if you might consider trying a different tack - and take a tip from the Aged and Infirm.

A lot of us HAVE to do it gradually. I've got a whole lump of blogrants on this subject, if you want to plow through them, but here's the Cliff Notes:

Instead of letting it get to the point of cravings and feeling deprived and things like that - just don't. If you want a cigarette, smoke one. Let it happen gradually and organically.

As my Smart Shaman doctor puts it "Your pace is the best one."

Now as I said, I've just started, and not all days are the same, but because my e-cigarette tastes so much better, there have been a couple of times when I've been smoking a tobacco cigarette - that I thought I wanted - and put it out half done, because I was actively wanting my e-cigarette!

If that keeps on happening, and added onto the fact that when I'm practicing puffing my e-cigarette, I'm not smoking a tobacco one, then little by little, the tobacco ones will simply be phased out.

It's not a sprint, or even a marathon. It's not a competition at all, nor an endurance test, nor us proving to ourselves or the universe or anybody how much stamina or will power we've got.

My goal is to effect a permanent, sustainable change, by building up pleasant associations with our e-cigarettes just like we once did with the tobacco ones - and if you're feeling things about caving and craving and giving in, if I may speak plainly, you're not building pleasant neural pathways!