Help Quitting - Tips For Hand To Mouth Addiction

[julesb]

6 years ago I switched to vaping after 11 years of cigs. For several reasons, I have decided it is now time to finally quit it all. I have successfully gotten my nic level down to 3mg, and honestly don't think I will struggle TOO much with the drop down to 0mg. My issue though, is the ritualistic hand to mouth motion. I am a chain vaper....I mean, I vape ALL day. There are very few times throughout the day that I set it down. After all these years of smoking and vaping, I have a very hard time going without. I have a very addictive personality and get hooked on just about everything I find enjoyable. I am having major anxiety thinking about not having this crutch anymore, it is simply comforting to me. I am in need of any tips or tricks you may have to help ease some of the tension while I go through the quitting process. I always hear sucking on lollipops can help a bit...does anyone have anything else for me??? THANKS!!!

 

[zoiDman]

I would suggest using Unflavored during your Quitting Transition if you are not using it already. And yes, Chewing Gum and Sucking on Candy should Help.

But Above all Else, You have to Break the Habit of Holding your e-Cigarette when you are not using it.

Take a Few Hits, then Put It Down. Master that 1st. Then work on Extending the Time between when you Put it Down and when you Pick it Up.

 

[bombastinator]

Some Others have a a great deal of trouble with 3mg to 0 mg in the past. Some haven’t of course. I personally if I was in your position would go to 2mg, then 1.5, then 1mg. That’s me though

 

[United States]

Being Halloween is nearing, there is candy galore out there right now. Many doctors offices have a bowl of dum dums lollipops at the front desk for folks anxious about visiting said doctor.

They are small in stature and last about as long as a cigarette would. So that could quite possibly satisfy the hand craving carried over from smoking to vaping. A bag is relitively inexspensive.

If they have sugar free kind that would be better for your teeth.

Hey now, I may go out this weekend and buy a bag of dum dums....

Best of luck to ya.

 

[Foggy Road]

Take up picking your nose and scratching .your ....? Or picking your .... and... Oh, sorry... You're not a trucker are you?

Seriously, I'll bet a (sugar free) lollipop would work well as long as you keep it in your hand and have to move it back and forth.

 

[stols001]

One college professor I had still had the coffee stirrers in his hands/mouth (ears sometimes I think). He would inhale and exhale through them and proudly called them his crutch (15 years later).

You can achieve the same effect but better breath with some cinnamon sticks which you can pick up anywhere spices are sold (you might be able to get longer than McCormack sized sticks in a healthfood store.)

When I quit with the gum for 6 months one time, I knit and crarfted feverishly. This does help a bit the problem is a certain amount of well concentration is involved so you probably can't do it all the time.

Lollipops might work, IDK. That darn coffee stirrer sure seemed to work for that professor though, he was really having a great time with it.

I'd also do some practicing of NOT hand to mouth, vs hand to mouth, you are probably going to have to train yourself a bit.

NRT may or may not help with this process. IF I'm occupied and busy, snus works great (for me)even if I'm shopping or whatnot, but that is key I need to be distracted, etc. Not always easy.

Good luck,

Anna

 

[SupplyDaddy]

Pick up some "Worry Stones", just small smooth rocks you can keep in your hand and rub to keep them occupied.
I can't say they work for me.. 36/37 year smoker and almost 6 year vaper.. and I still gotta keep a vape near at hand.. But it may for you!

 

[vapdivrr]

Hopefully you won't have an issue to zero nic and 3mg might seem low, but like you said , you chain vape all day every day and that does seem like a lot of nic intake. I guess the only way to know is try it to see, hopefully you will only have the hand to mouth issue . How about just puffing on a straw or something? Or lollipops ? Tooth pics? A vape that doesn't vape? Anything that you can put in your mouth and take out (ooops.)

 

[smoked25years]

I'm not there yet but I'm getting there. Back before vaping, I tried quitting cigarettes cold turkey and took a few deep breaths when the urge to smoke was strong. That seemed to help some. I also tried to drink flavored water. When the urge to smoke was super strong, I'd do pushups--haha!

I will likely do the same when I try to quit vaping. I've been vaping for 8 months. Started at ~50 mg/ml and have finally gotten down to 6 mg/ml, keeping the daily volume at 2 ml.

 

[Jebbn]

I very much chain vape except for 5hrs of the day where I cant really vape. I dont miss the vape during those 5hrs but will maybe once in that 5hrs sneak a few puffs, not because I need to but because the vape is in my pocket and I have opportunity.
I know that for me its all about making a conscious decision to put the vape down and do stuff instead of sitting and vaping.
I think for me the hand to mouth, inhale, exhale habit is stronger than the nicotine habit because I already go a few days nic free every 10-14 days just to reset tolerance and dont feel too much about it.

 

[Jimmy R]

Pick up some "Worry Stones", just small smooth rocks you can keep in your hand and rub to keep them occupied.
I can't say they work for me.. 36/37 year smoker and almost 6 year vaper.. and I still gotta keep a vape near at hand.. But it may for you!

Bring back the fidget spinners! Haha

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Sit your APV out of your immediate line of sight. Let your body tell you when you need it.

 

[Eskie]

If breaking the hand to mouth is the hardest (and I'm not surprised it is at this point) first stop chain vaping. Keep your vape in another room. That way if you want a vape you'll have to make an effort to get it. Then make a rule like no vaping inside. If you want a vape make an effort to go outside for a vape (sorta like smoking if you never smoked inside your home). That'll start to break the chain vaping part. Then you can work on the next steps like allowing yourself a vape only once an hour. It's all baby steps to get you past this point.

 

[HauntedMyst]

My only advice is to switch to 0 nic and just wean yourself off slowly. I say keep the flavor you like. I like having something in my hand as well and am down to about 3 mg myself after 5 years of vaping (after 20 years of cigs). Finding a small mod you don't mind carrying around will help. Then just don't worry about quitting. It sounds like having a vape in your hand is better than the anxiety and helps the anxiety. A lot of time when I know I can't vape but want something in my hands, I'll carry one of my old pipes which I still enjoy the feel of.

 

[Plumes.91]

for me, it's all about the anchor vapes. even though I am a complete all day vape fiend (and I was a chain smoker) I have managed to quit vaping in the past a couple of times. (without crutch)

first and foremost, what helps me, is putting an end to "essential" vapes. this means hold off on the first vape of the morning as long as you can. this means no vape with your coffee. next, hold off on vaping after meals. finally, no more vaping an hour before bed. I usually impliment these rules over a weekend and by Monday I leave the mod at home. holding off on that morning vape is essential though. because really, it's what sets the brain in a dopamine frenzy to begin with. once you've got nicotine in you after having not vaped while sleeping, you trigger that "seek" mechanism in the brain. quitting nicotine is difficult for me usually only for 1 reason. fatigue. I don't mind the mood swings or irritability, because i'm so emotionless and robotic on a daily basis, feeling and noticing irritability, or my face turning red when I'm frustrated, is almost a welcomed process. it's more fascinating than not, and that's something to "look forward to" if you're the introspective type. to break the hand to mouth, I usually eat more. I also usually up my caffeine intake. hold a clicky pen or chew gum like it's snus if you must. just pop a piece into your mouth, chew till it's soft, then park it between your gums and lip until the flavor is gone & repeat.

good luck!

 

[tailland]

I vape a lot during the day.

When I have the feeling that I'm vaping too much, I put aside the big guns and grab my Ego AIO Pro, so I can still vape all the time, but have a fraction of the liquid input I'd otherwise have.

 

[Letitia]

When I was working long shifts and I couldn't smoke often if at all I kept a bag of sucker sticks to chew on. Helped quite a bit. Also kept a bag of red hots, those helped as well.

 

[Plumes.91]

an acetylcholine suppliment might also help you avoid brain fog and memory lapses during the process. and some semethicone/gasx to calm your stomach. i try to reward myself with hot tea at night or hot decaf coffee. anything you can look forward to as a reward for a day free from nicotine. if you can take care of the physical effects of throwing your body into a haywire withdrawal, quitting isn't going to be so bad. I promise.

 

[United States]

Removing caffiene from my may helped reduce cravings.
Once upon a time I had stopped cold turkey but drank coffee like water.

I seemed to keep a sinus infection. At one doctor visit he scolded me about caffiene increasing nicotine cravings. I had been 6 months without a cigarette and told him I'd been ill ever since. He asked a few questions and told me that caffiene, especially in coffee increases nicotine urges.

True or not? I dunno. But before I decided to try smoking cessation again I switched to decaf. During the week I drink decaf. On weekends I induldge in caffienated coffee. Sure as the sun rises my body starts jones-ing for a cigarette while drinking caffienated coffee. Psycological? Got me. But now I brew my own coffee while Mrs. States drinks her brand and I skip cigarettes with coffee now.

Oh, and "dollar" stores have bags of Charms mini pops for a dollar. It's like 35 dum dums sized lollipops for a buck.

 

[halbgott]

I can't stop completely but have had luck vaping less with a few things. Switching back to mtl, only vaping outside every hour, leaving it home if going to store, switching to salts and for skin reasons but I'm sure it helps going flavorless. Good luck.