Hello everyone, I am Charas.
This post turned out to be much longer that I originally anticipated. If you have a few minutes to spare, you're more than welcome to read the whole thing. Otherwise, don't waste your precious time on little old me, because in my mind there is no such thing as skimming these kind of posts; you either read the whole thing or you don't read it at all.
Introduction
I have been a smoker since I was 13 years old. Today, I am an 18 year old pack-a-day smoker who is hooked as much as someone who has smoked their whole lives (even though many people won't believe that). In case you still do not realize the degree of my addiction, here are a few examples of what I have done in order to get a quick nicotine fix:
1. I once stole my parent's car and drove to the nearest store to buy cigarettes, without a licence and at the age of 15.
2. On multiple occasions I have stolen money/collected pennies on the floor in order to afford cigarettes.
3. On a few occasions I resorted to finding cigarette butts on the streets that had one or two puffs left to smoke.
In my short life I have had multiple experiences with substances, including weed, coke, ...., ketamine, l:s:d, morphine and more, but funnily enough I have never had the urge to try these again and have not experienced even the slightest forms of "withdrawl" or "addiction", nor have I or any of my friends and family noticed any sort of physical or mental damage whatsoever (Example: I am a straight-A student). At one stage I was 'addicted' to smoking weed for a year or so, but only because I hung out with the wrong crowd. The moment I changed schools I decided never to smoke weed again, and ironically I never have, and have also never been tempted by it.
Long story short, the only substance that has truly changed my life for the worse is (*drumroll*)... tobacco! Don't you find it strange how the only legal, government approved drug in my long list is the one that has ruined my life? Bad breath and smell, always poor, no more stamina for sports, always tired, constant fear of cancer, fast-ageing skin, bad concentration (always thinking about going for a smoke), constant fear of being judged by peers for smoking too much, and the list goes on and on and on. Cigarettes are the single-most terrible thing to ever have happened to me. And that's big, because despite my age I have been through a lot more than most.
And yet I love them. I love the feeling of holding them in my hand and smelling the tobacco. I love the moment when you end the suffering and light that cigarette, not to mention my favorite tingly feeling when inhaling. I love blowing those smoke rings and smelling my nicotine-stained fingers when I'm not smoking. And yet, I hate them and wish I had never started smoking in the first place. It's a very complex love-hate relationship that has driven me mad for the past few years.
Attempts at quitting
I think the first time I ever considered quitting was when I realized that I actually was a disgusting addict. Things had turned real bad, real quick. I went from only smoking occasionally at school to smoking socially but not on the weekends. Then it turned to smoking at school, socially and on the weekends. Then it turned to smoking socially AND on my own. Eventually, I noticed that I always had a pack of cigs with me and could not leave the house (or be in the house) without one. I remember the 4 golden rules I had set for myself when I first began smoking.
RULE #1 - No smoking in the morning.
RULE #2 - No smoking while walking.
RULE #3 - When budgeting weekly pocket money, never prioritize cigarettes.
RULE #4 - At first signs of addiction, stop smoking for good.
When I look at these rules now, I laugh. Today, the first thing dangling from my mouth in the mornings is a cigarette. Smoking while walking around the city is now an essential part of my day. The first euros that I put aside when budgeting are for cigarettes and the fourth rule was ignored altogether.
I was 16 when I quit for the first time. I had just read Allen Carr's "Easyway to Stop Smoking" and it blew my mind. For one week.
I think it was a fight with my parents combined with an unexpected encounter with a friend who just so happened to have a fresh pack of Marlboro's with him that sent me relapsing like a motherf@£*er.
I've had a few more attempts here and there, including one with Nicotine gums, but they never lasted for more than a few days.
Enter the 'E-Go Phantom'
A few weeks ago I found out about these magical and mysterious devices known as "electronic cigarettes" or "eCigarettes" for short. After days of both internet research and soul searching, I have come to the conclusion that seeing as I probably will never quit smoking, I might aswell reduce the harm it does to me as much as possible. And from what I hear, the only harmful thing about eCigarettes is the nicotine.
So I have devised a master plan. But in order for it to work, I had to try out the eCigarettes. I was fortunate enough to find a friend who was willing to sell me a brand-new electronic cigarette that a caring relative had gifted him.
Yesterday, the 14th of September, 2012, for the first time ever, I did not smoke a single cigarette and did not suffer any withdrawl pangs whatsoever. This eCigarette, known as the E-Go Phantom, truly is an astonishing device. I was so happy that last night before going to bed, I was confident that I would no longer need a 'master plan' and would simply never smoke a regular again.
Regrettably my feelings were premature; today, due an unfortunate encounter with a nice, smooth alcoholic cocktail which, combined with the generosity (or malice?) of a friend who was willing to part with a cigarette, led to me relapsing.
So, back to the master plan it is.
My plan is to pick a date in which I will chain-smoke cigarette after cigarette before going to bed. By the end of the day, if a cancer hasn't already formed in my lungs, I will make a vow on my little sister's life to never, ever smoke a regular cigarette again.
And from the morning afterwards to the day I die, I will only ever smoke my phantom. I shall learn to hate regulars, and I shall learn to love eCigs (with your help).
Eventually I will reduce the nicotine dosage, and if I feel it is appropriate in the following months I might even decide to try the nicotine-free liquid. One thing is certain though: the only 2 things that will enter my lungs will be oxygen and vapour.
---
If you guys have managed to read the whole post (highly unlikely), then thank you and I look forward to reading your comments below.
If any of you are in a similar position, then please contact me through the private messages, because I'd love to go through this experience with someone else who is on the threshhold of quitting like myself.
Thank you again for you time.
Peace Be with You,
Sincerely,
Charas
This post turned out to be much longer that I originally anticipated. If you have a few minutes to spare, you're more than welcome to read the whole thing. Otherwise, don't waste your precious time on little old me, because in my mind there is no such thing as skimming these kind of posts; you either read the whole thing or you don't read it at all.
Introduction
I have been a smoker since I was 13 years old. Today, I am an 18 year old pack-a-day smoker who is hooked as much as someone who has smoked their whole lives (even though many people won't believe that). In case you still do not realize the degree of my addiction, here are a few examples of what I have done in order to get a quick nicotine fix:
1. I once stole my parent's car and drove to the nearest store to buy cigarettes, without a licence and at the age of 15.
2. On multiple occasions I have stolen money/collected pennies on the floor in order to afford cigarettes.
3. On a few occasions I resorted to finding cigarette butts on the streets that had one or two puffs left to smoke.
In my short life I have had multiple experiences with substances, including weed, coke, ...., ketamine, l:s:d, morphine and more, but funnily enough I have never had the urge to try these again and have not experienced even the slightest forms of "withdrawl" or "addiction", nor have I or any of my friends and family noticed any sort of physical or mental damage whatsoever (Example: I am a straight-A student). At one stage I was 'addicted' to smoking weed for a year or so, but only because I hung out with the wrong crowd. The moment I changed schools I decided never to smoke weed again, and ironically I never have, and have also never been tempted by it.
Long story short, the only substance that has truly changed my life for the worse is (*drumroll*)... tobacco! Don't you find it strange how the only legal, government approved drug in my long list is the one that has ruined my life? Bad breath and smell, always poor, no more stamina for sports, always tired, constant fear of cancer, fast-ageing skin, bad concentration (always thinking about going for a smoke), constant fear of being judged by peers for smoking too much, and the list goes on and on and on. Cigarettes are the single-most terrible thing to ever have happened to me. And that's big, because despite my age I have been through a lot more than most.
And yet I love them. I love the feeling of holding them in my hand and smelling the tobacco. I love the moment when you end the suffering and light that cigarette, not to mention my favorite tingly feeling when inhaling. I love blowing those smoke rings and smelling my nicotine-stained fingers when I'm not smoking. And yet, I hate them and wish I had never started smoking in the first place. It's a very complex love-hate relationship that has driven me mad for the past few years.
Attempts at quitting
I think the first time I ever considered quitting was when I realized that I actually was a disgusting addict. Things had turned real bad, real quick. I went from only smoking occasionally at school to smoking socially but not on the weekends. Then it turned to smoking at school, socially and on the weekends. Then it turned to smoking socially AND on my own. Eventually, I noticed that I always had a pack of cigs with me and could not leave the house (or be in the house) without one. I remember the 4 golden rules I had set for myself when I first began smoking.
RULE #1 - No smoking in the morning.
RULE #2 - No smoking while walking.
RULE #3 - When budgeting weekly pocket money, never prioritize cigarettes.
RULE #4 - At first signs of addiction, stop smoking for good.
When I look at these rules now, I laugh. Today, the first thing dangling from my mouth in the mornings is a cigarette. Smoking while walking around the city is now an essential part of my day. The first euros that I put aside when budgeting are for cigarettes and the fourth rule was ignored altogether.
I was 16 when I quit for the first time. I had just read Allen Carr's "Easyway to Stop Smoking" and it blew my mind. For one week.
I think it was a fight with my parents combined with an unexpected encounter with a friend who just so happened to have a fresh pack of Marlboro's with him that sent me relapsing like a motherf@£*er.
I've had a few more attempts here and there, including one with Nicotine gums, but they never lasted for more than a few days.
Enter the 'E-Go Phantom'
A few weeks ago I found out about these magical and mysterious devices known as "electronic cigarettes" or "eCigarettes" for short. After days of both internet research and soul searching, I have come to the conclusion that seeing as I probably will never quit smoking, I might aswell reduce the harm it does to me as much as possible. And from what I hear, the only harmful thing about eCigarettes is the nicotine.
So I have devised a master plan. But in order for it to work, I had to try out the eCigarettes. I was fortunate enough to find a friend who was willing to sell me a brand-new electronic cigarette that a caring relative had gifted him.
Yesterday, the 14th of September, 2012, for the first time ever, I did not smoke a single cigarette and did not suffer any withdrawl pangs whatsoever. This eCigarette, known as the E-Go Phantom, truly is an astonishing device. I was so happy that last night before going to bed, I was confident that I would no longer need a 'master plan' and would simply never smoke a regular again.
Regrettably my feelings were premature; today, due an unfortunate encounter with a nice, smooth alcoholic cocktail which, combined with the generosity (or malice?) of a friend who was willing to part with a cigarette, led to me relapsing.
So, back to the master plan it is.
My plan is to pick a date in which I will chain-smoke cigarette after cigarette before going to bed. By the end of the day, if a cancer hasn't already formed in my lungs, I will make a vow on my little sister's life to never, ever smoke a regular cigarette again.
And from the morning afterwards to the day I die, I will only ever smoke my phantom. I shall learn to hate regulars, and I shall learn to love eCigs (with your help).
Eventually I will reduce the nicotine dosage, and if I feel it is appropriate in the following months I might even decide to try the nicotine-free liquid. One thing is certain though: the only 2 things that will enter my lungs will be oxygen and vapour.
---
If you guys have managed to read the whole post (highly unlikely), then thank you and I look forward to reading your comments below.
If any of you are in a similar position, then please contact me through the private messages, because I'd love to go through this experience with someone else who is on the threshhold of quitting like myself.
Thank you again for you time.
Peace Be with You,
Sincerely,
Charas
