Help! need advice for kicking analogs.

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Briar

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A fool on the hill in Deposit, NY
Also, about temperature, low voltage, high voltage, tobacco or non-tobacco flavors... All of that is *extremely* personal. Some people are not really satisfied unless they are using high power mods and vape at higher temps. Me, I never turn my ProVari above 4.2V with a standard resistance Stardust on it, and I mostly use the Twist anyway. I don't like high temp vape because I can't taste all the nuances of the flavor. And other folks will swear that you can't ever get the full flavor at low temp. Some love the dual coil stuffed cartos, and some hate the filler and say it tastes like socks. LOL Some love top coil clearos, and some love bottom coil clearos - it's a wild and wonderful world out there. Great time to be a vaper. Try things. Discover for yourself. Make it fun.
 

wseyller

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What worked for me was that I became obsessed with personal vaporizors and everything that goes along with it. I decided to read thread after thread to learn about different things pertaining to ecigs. I familiarized myself with as many models and also all the different cartomizers and tanks. I have further enhanced my vaping experience because of it. Now im making my own liquid. I cant put my ecigs down. To me going from analog to ecig was an upgrade like getting a new better smartphone. only downside is that it can get expensive because I want a little of everything.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 

Rhapsodies Fire

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Here is another perspective:

You need to take a hard look at yourself, and decide what kind of person you are, and what works for *you*, because it may not be the same as with everyone else.

For some folks, discipline and "pushing through" works best. For me, it didn't. I resented it. I felt like I was fighting with myself all the time, and it stressed me out, and the more I was stressed, the more I wanted a cig, and the more I hated myself, and on and on. With my first attempt at vaping three years ago, it got so bad that I was smoking more than I ever did, trying to vape at the same time ("trying" because back then the equipment was no-where near as user-friendly as it is now), and falling into a major depression episode.

So the second time around I took a totally different approach. I just focused on enjoying vaping. Getting some toys, finding really good liquids, reading this forum a lot and meeting new people, "window-shopping" at all the cool Internet stores. Watching the reviews on YouTube. Just, basically, immersing myself in the culture of vaping, and really, really learning to "love the vape".

The more I did that, the less time I had to think about smoking. And, for that matter, it's sort of hard to pick up a cig when you have a purple Stardust in your mouth with a really cool purple eGo attached to it, and a totally awesome MOV CCRY4 tickling your taste buds.

You only have one mouth. If it's busy with vaping, it's not being used for smoking.

I almost hate to say it, but I'll be plain here: vaping all the time - and I mean *all* the time - is a good thing in this situation. It's also good to experiment with juices a lot - contrasting tastes, looking for interesting flavors, switching them around, whatever floats your boat, as long as you are enjoying it.

The point here is that you many not really enjoy a cig *less* - but as long as you enjoy your vape *more*, you'll reach for a PV instead of a cig *most of the time*.

And, for the rest of the time, get some WTA liquid. You can get it from Aroma e-liquids.

Let the process happen by focusing on the positive - the enjoyment of vaping, rather than focusing on the negative - quitting the analogs.

Once you are mostly vaping, you can focus on your triggers for the part of the cig habit that remains. The morning cig. The after-dinner cig. The-first-one-after-work cig. Try consciously reaching for your PV when a trigger strikes - and use the WTA juice for that. And see what happens. If you've really grown to enjoy vaping a lot - and you will, trust me, as long as you don't make an enemy out of it by picturing it as something that's forcing you to give up your bestest buddy the cig - you will find that, actually, with most of the chemicals replaced (that's what WTA is for), and with a new habit that you enjoy even more than cigs, giving up that one cig will be easy. And that's all this is about, really - just choosing to vape rather than smoke each time. And, btw, I found that most times, just three to five puffs on a WTA liquid takes care of whatever physical craving there may be. It's surprising but true. One moment you feel like you'll just die without a cig, and the next you are asking yourself: WTF was I *thinking*?..

Because you are not really giving anything up - you are *gaining* something.

Yes, it's a psychological game. And it's gradual, not heroic at all - it's just sort of letting things happen peacefully and happily, rather than getting into a violent battle with yourself. But, hey, I'd rather enjoy myself any day, than suffer. And for certain kinds of people it works great.

I think fighting an addiction can be self-defeating at times. Addiction is an obsession. By trying to quit all at once, and by fighting it, we obsess about obsession, and that may not be helpful for some folks.

Anyways, it works for me. I got to the point where I simply don't have to have a cig. Now, it's entirely my choice, and, being a control freak, and stubborn as sin, that's the key for me. I still have a pack in the house - simply to make sure that I *always* have a choice. In the past month I smoked a cig maybe two or three times. I didn't feel any particular need to pick up another one after that. And that's the greatest contrast: before, when I tried to quit with other nic replacements, if I allowed myself even one cig - forget it, I was back to square one, the cravings would just kill me.

Now I simply don't care. No pressure, no particular expectations, just chugging along happily. If I feel like having a cig, I know I can have it. But I don't *feel* like it - I like vaping a lot more. Cigs are boring, expensive, and they stink up my house, clothing, and dog.

For me this process took about, oh, maybe three months? I am not sure, but about that. Again, I wasn't focusing on counting the days, so I'm honestly not certain.

Best of luck to you. There are many ways to do this, and you'll find the one that works best for you. Vaping is the only method I know of that has a great success rate against smoking, so know that you can do it, whichever method you choose, and know that there is nothing wrong with you, and that even if you do pick up a cigarette again, it's not a failure, just a loop of the road.

That's another great perspective. :) I also have a pack here....and have the choice. I suppose I'll throw it out eventually, it's almost 2 years old...so .... :laugh:
 
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Stubby

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I struggle with that "missing" element too. I would still buy packs but smoke less because of vaping. Kinda what other people are saying, just find a juice that works for you for a "daily" vape. I have about 4 juices I use in rotation because I know I grow tired quickly and want to smoke. Just find that inner will power to put those packs down and commit to vaping. Good luck with your journey.

My advice for you, and the OP is to try everything. By that I mean the other reduced harm alternatives which includes snus, dissolvables, and WTA liquid.

There are a good percentage of people for whom standard e-liquid simple doesn't work and no amount of high nicotine power vaping with change that. I have known of many folks who can vape themselves sick, and still want a cigarette. It's silly to think that e-cigs are going to work 100% for everyone. It simple isn't true.

Snus and WTA liquid are likely the best alternatives at present. Many people who where struggling with quitting cigarettes have found these products to be a god-send and they have helped them quit smoking when nothing else would. The choices are not just e-cigs or smoking. There are other products that for some of us can be a good deal more effective in giving us that "something missing" element and making quitting smoking a whole lot easier.
 

Feuille

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May 16, 2012
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Thanks for posting about this. All of the replies were useful to me. I adore vaping and no longer like smoking, unless it's a pack of Djarum blacks or vanillas (clove cigarettes), but I do still get cigarette cravings occasionally. Usually these occur when I pass through people who are smoking, such as at the door of a pub or sitting outside a cafe. I also miss the chat with strangers outside a pub and the ability to nip out if the conversation inside is tiring me out (I find one-on-one socialising very intense). Anyhow, in these situations I just buy a 10 pack, of which maybe 3 will be smoked by someone else. This happens maybe once a week & doesn't bother me unduly.

The main thing is that I am no longer chain smoking, no longer like smoking & love vaping, which I find relaxing whereas smoking was very ennervating.

Keep your chin up. Everytime you are vaping instead of smoking you are winning, and even if you always smoke a bit your long-term health prospects have improved greatly.

Xx
 

DaveP

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Quitting smoking all at once can be a rough trip. By the end of the first week after I started vaping, I found myself only smoking half a dozen a day out of 40 or 50 I smoked prior to ecigs. I continued those for two years while vaping.

When I decided to quite the last few, I found that there were no transitional withdrawal symptoms at all. I just stopped one day and waited for withdrawal. Nothing happened.

If you are having trouble quitting cold turkey, do the half split method and spare yourself some agony. Cut your cigarette consumption in half for a couple of weeks, cut out half the remainder and keep doing that periodically until you are down to nothing. 40-20-10-5-2-0 ... If you still feel like you have to have one after a meal or with coffee, do it. A few a day is still better on your body than a pack or two!

You will condition your body slowly and let the vapor take away the desire. It works. I went from 40 to 6 the first week. Dropping them once you reach a low number is easy if you are vaping.
 
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Tiny

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My advice for you, and the OP is to try everything. By that I mean the other reduced harm alternatives which includes snus, dissolvables, and WTA liquid.
...
There are other products that for some of us can be a good deal more effective in giving us that "something missing" element and making quitting smoking a whole lot easier.
I had the "something missing" problem a couple months after I switched to only vaping. I got some WTA juice and that helped get me over the problem.

WTA was invaluable to me, other people find snus to be effective. The fact is each of us has to find what works for ourselves, unfortunately it will take effort and money but only you can find what works for you. Anything you can add to your vaping supplies that reduces or keeps you from smoking is worth the investment.
 

CigFreedMike

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Jun 6, 2012
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I think you got a lot of good advice. Maybe just find a better method of vapor production and better juices ( like a variable voltage battery and a tank system). Wanting a cigarette is something that may never leave you, but that doesn't mean you stil have to smoke. Get rid of those things. Seriously. If your husband has emphysema, quit before him to give him strength and keep reading the posts here and watch YouTube reviews.
 

CigFreedMike

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Jun 6, 2012
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I can only offer encouragement. I've been off cigarettes completely since May 26 or so, my partner smoke cigarettes, I see packs around and sometimes I immediately 'reach' for a cigarette (in my mind) and stop it, and vape. I'm finding as aggravating as developing the vape system that suits me, part of the addiction becomes fiddling with all this crap. My personal feeling is that vaping is not as 'easy' as just lighting up a cigarette and smoking, but it's a hell of a lot cleaner and it's nice to take a deep breath and find that I can finally breathe. When I think cigarette, I also think of how suffocated I was because of them and now, I'm un-suffocating myself. Just keep vaping and read and re-read the great advice all these people have just given. It's helped me reading this thread, that's for sure.
 

MickeyRat

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This is the easiest way to get off cigarettes but, it's not effortless. You will have mood swings. You will have some cravings. It's the nature of the beast.

Here's what worked for me. When I started, I allowed myself to have 4 cigarettes a day. I scheduled them at times that weren't my normal got to have times. Not first thing in the morning, not immediately after meals etc. When I had those cigarettes, I didn't do anything else I went off by myself and smoked them. I thought about how they tasted and made me feel. In between I vaped all I wanted. After a few weeks, I found I really wasn't looking forward to those cigarettes anymore. In fact going off by myself to have them started seeming like a chore. Then it was easy to complete the transition. You can't cheat if you do this though. :)

The best thing about switching to PVs is you do get to the point that you don't want a cigarette. I quit cold turkey for 10 years once and I never did get to that point.
 
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vengess

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Apr 8, 2012
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I found switching from smoking to vaping really hard. I missed smoking like crazy. All my friends at work and home smoke and I really missed going with them at the ... break times. The only thing that got me through was about a week later my health really started to pick up and my husband stopped with me.
I have been vaping for six months now and I still miss not going with the girls at ... time but they come in smelling like a wet ashtray and I just laugh to myself while in the nice warm office on my own.
You have to believe you can do it, there will be time when you might cave in to peer pressure but you have to remember that it does get easier.
When I first quit smoking it was all about the amount of vapour given off it had to remind me of smoking. Even now I still have to look like a chimney or it doesn't feel right.
Keep trying you CAN do it
 
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