Well its been a year since I started vaping and joining ECF and I just wanted to post up. This might be long so I will say sorry in advance for that. I have not smoked or vaped in over a week and to say I am excited is an understatement. I started off just like everyone else with a million questions on ecigs and no idea how just how deep this rabbit hole of vaping goes. Of course I started just like most people and bought a throw away ecig from walgreens. I tried it and it was not bad but knew there had to be better solutions out there. At that point off to the internet I go and find ECF leading directly to information overload. Spent a couple of days reading reading and reading more before I decided on a vendor smokeless image and then I ordered a starter pack with samples of favors. A couple of things went really well over the course of year and a couple of things I spent money on I should not have but this first purchase included both. The bad decision was a typical newbie mistake of saying I want to stick with a cigalike style battery. The smart and good decision was to get two sample packs of flavor. I quickly latched on to a flavor from SI that I loved and smoked the entire year. Also I learned that tobacco flavors were not something I was looking for even though I thought I was. When I first started I was at 18MG and to tell you the truth I was able to get off analogs quickly. It helped that I was able to vape at my desk at work and with winter in CO I had no desire to go outside to smoke it the cold. After I got through the sample pack stuff I had already made my mind up that I was done with analogs and ready to get serious about this ecig stuff. I got over the I want a cigalike type battery and stepped up to SI x2 battery's and x2 clearo's and boy did I get lucky there. In my second purchase I found my go to setup for away from home and at work. Now came the juice wars. lol... I had already found one flavor I liked from SI but I went and ordered sample packs from Vape Dudes and Alice in Vapeland. Now I loved some of the flavors I got and hated others but I found a second trend of style of flavors that I liked. About this time I found there was ecig vendor in west Denver that was about a 30min drive from my house named Vapor Leaf. Ok well off to the candy store I had to go. Again this is another point in which I feel I got lucky. I knew from my juice sample orders of my juice trends and tested a flavor from VL and fell in love. Nice now I had found two juices I really liked and these kept me going the entire year. Next the I got to get an VV/VW device for the house hit and I must say again I got really really lucky here. About that time the VAMO had just came out. I was able to get on one the first group buys run by jeepbear (thanks man) and got a VAMO. I ordered two vivi nova tanks and I was set. Wow what a difference that VAMO was at the house but it was big so I just left it at home and rolled with my X2's when I left the house or at work. At this point I was basically done with equipment. I had to replace a couple of x2 batterys and clearo's but that type of thing is common after months of use.
Now one of the things I said to myself that I think was key for me in this entire process was I am not going to set any time lines on myself. I enjoyed smoking and the act of smoking and when I was ready I would make decisions towards quitting but no time lines or hard dates. After all I got off analogs and that in of its self is huge. I would say I stayed at 18MG for about 3 or 4 months I cant remember exactly but one day when I was ordering my standard juice I decided ok lets back this down to 12MG and see how that works out. Wow was that ever a shock. I did not think it would be a big deal but out of 3 my step downs this was the second worst of them all with the quitting being the worst. I was irritable and I would just snap and find myself in a raging state. Whew it was not pretty and boy did I smoke heavy at times during that period. 12MG juice was all had so guess what that is just the way it was going to be. After several days my body adjusted and low an behold I was down on the 12MG juice and feel better about myself. Again I said to myself no times lines lets just take things step by step and we will figure it out. I had dialed in my equipment and juice relatively early in the whole process and I did not want to spend the money I was saving on more ecig toys so I never went crazy with equipment. I do have a tackle box of stuff but most it is one vivi boxes, juice I dont like, and carto's that should have long ago been discarded.
OK so after about another 4 months or so I decided OK lets look into going even lower. This time I decided that instead of just ordering all 6MG juice I would go and order 1 12MG bottle and 2 6MG bottles just work with that. In retrospective I wish I had done the same thing with my 18MG step down but live and learn right. This adjustment went really well and although I was a little irritable it was nothing like my 18MG->12MG migration.
Now on to the big one. I had been going along on 6MG for a month before I started thinking of quitting. Well some crap popped up in my personal life and really threw me into a bad emotional place and I quickly scrapped that idea and I did not even try to quit. After several months later I started to notice that my battery's were getting really weak again. Damm it. Well its either time to go invest in batteries or look into the whole quitting thing again. Its kinda funny though because I think the batteries dieing and the old clearo's not working so well helped me step down on my nic with out me even really knowing it. I could just feel from my body that I could go longer and longer between vape sessions. Ok now the big day. I decided I would do it last Monday because I had tons of stuff to do at work that would keep me away from my desk and busy. I go to work and leave the ecig behind. The morning goes ok no big deal but after lunch whew. I was hurting. No I said to myself. This is it no more smoking I dont give a damm. Lucky I was really busy that day and after that slowdown after lunch I was back head to the grind stone. I look up and its time to go home. Sweet. Again after dinner I wanted to smoke but decided you know what I am going to just take the kids to the park. I took my kids to the park and that helped distract me. End of day 1. I was kinda irritable but the worst was yet to come. Day two. Go to work and not even think about taking the ecig. It just sits there on my night table. OMG I was a terror that day. I wanted to kill anyone who even looked at me cross eyed. I had meetings most of the day and it was common for me to vape all during my concalls. I was very very angry. I tried to tell myself its all just a part of quitting but wave upon wave of rage would engulf me. Man I dont know how I made it threw that day but I did. Day 3. a little grumpy and starting to not feel the waves of anger. Its not that I was craving vaping or anything like that because that part of my mind had been made up. It was truly the mental symptoms of nic withdrawls that was noticed. Day 4. Ok I got this I got this. Its getting better thank goodness I say to myself. Now I am at day 7. I know the worse part of it is behind me. I got this thing licked.
Do I think about smoking yea I do. Have I learned my lesson and will I be smoke free the rest of my life. I hope so. I just cant go back to that again. I have quit smoking 3 times in my life at this point and I am 40. This by far was one of the longest stents of smoking in my life. Its still early so I am not going to claim complete victory just yet. I really think coming on ECF and posting this is a part of the process for me. I hope I did not bore you and I thank you for your time. I want to thank everyone on ECF for the vast amount of knowledge they provided me. I truly think ecigs are the best way to quit smoking analog cigs. I believe this deeply in my heart and I dont think I would have been able to quit with out ecigs. I am going to give a couple line item tips for people wanting to quit and end this post.
1. Find what works for you in the ecig world. This may take a while but stick with it. You can do it
2. Dont set hard goals on yourself and set yourself up for failing. Your body will let you know when you are ready.
3. When you are ready step down your nic level and just understand its going to be hard at first but its another step to quitting.
4. Believe in yourself and realize you can do this and when you are ready make it happen.
5. Know people here and in your life are going to help and support you if you need it. Rely on that support. Embrace that support and understand you can quit.
Now one of the things I said to myself that I think was key for me in this entire process was I am not going to set any time lines on myself. I enjoyed smoking and the act of smoking and when I was ready I would make decisions towards quitting but no time lines or hard dates. After all I got off analogs and that in of its self is huge. I would say I stayed at 18MG for about 3 or 4 months I cant remember exactly but one day when I was ordering my standard juice I decided ok lets back this down to 12MG and see how that works out. Wow was that ever a shock. I did not think it would be a big deal but out of 3 my step downs this was the second worst of them all with the quitting being the worst. I was irritable and I would just snap and find myself in a raging state. Whew it was not pretty and boy did I smoke heavy at times during that period. 12MG juice was all had so guess what that is just the way it was going to be. After several days my body adjusted and low an behold I was down on the 12MG juice and feel better about myself. Again I said to myself no times lines lets just take things step by step and we will figure it out. I had dialed in my equipment and juice relatively early in the whole process and I did not want to spend the money I was saving on more ecig toys so I never went crazy with equipment. I do have a tackle box of stuff but most it is one vivi boxes, juice I dont like, and carto's that should have long ago been discarded.
OK so after about another 4 months or so I decided OK lets look into going even lower. This time I decided that instead of just ordering all 6MG juice I would go and order 1 12MG bottle and 2 6MG bottles just work with that. In retrospective I wish I had done the same thing with my 18MG step down but live and learn right. This adjustment went really well and although I was a little irritable it was nothing like my 18MG->12MG migration.
Now on to the big one. I had been going along on 6MG for a month before I started thinking of quitting. Well some crap popped up in my personal life and really threw me into a bad emotional place and I quickly scrapped that idea and I did not even try to quit. After several months later I started to notice that my battery's were getting really weak again. Damm it. Well its either time to go invest in batteries or look into the whole quitting thing again. Its kinda funny though because I think the batteries dieing and the old clearo's not working so well helped me step down on my nic with out me even really knowing it. I could just feel from my body that I could go longer and longer between vape sessions. Ok now the big day. I decided I would do it last Monday because I had tons of stuff to do at work that would keep me away from my desk and busy. I go to work and leave the ecig behind. The morning goes ok no big deal but after lunch whew. I was hurting. No I said to myself. This is it no more smoking I dont give a damm. Lucky I was really busy that day and after that slowdown after lunch I was back head to the grind stone. I look up and its time to go home. Sweet. Again after dinner I wanted to smoke but decided you know what I am going to just take the kids to the park. I took my kids to the park and that helped distract me. End of day 1. I was kinda irritable but the worst was yet to come. Day two. Go to work and not even think about taking the ecig. It just sits there on my night table. OMG I was a terror that day. I wanted to kill anyone who even looked at me cross eyed. I had meetings most of the day and it was common for me to vape all during my concalls. I was very very angry. I tried to tell myself its all just a part of quitting but wave upon wave of rage would engulf me. Man I dont know how I made it threw that day but I did. Day 3. a little grumpy and starting to not feel the waves of anger. Its not that I was craving vaping or anything like that because that part of my mind had been made up. It was truly the mental symptoms of nic withdrawls that was noticed. Day 4. Ok I got this I got this. Its getting better thank goodness I say to myself. Now I am at day 7. I know the worse part of it is behind me. I got this thing licked.
Do I think about smoking yea I do. Have I learned my lesson and will I be smoke free the rest of my life. I hope so. I just cant go back to that again. I have quit smoking 3 times in my life at this point and I am 40. This by far was one of the longest stents of smoking in my life. Its still early so I am not going to claim complete victory just yet. I really think coming on ECF and posting this is a part of the process for me. I hope I did not bore you and I thank you for your time. I want to thank everyone on ECF for the vast amount of knowledge they provided me. I truly think ecigs are the best way to quit smoking analog cigs. I believe this deeply in my heart and I dont think I would have been able to quit with out ecigs. I am going to give a couple line item tips for people wanting to quit and end this post.
1. Find what works for you in the ecig world. This may take a while but stick with it. You can do it
2. Dont set hard goals on yourself and set yourself up for failing. Your body will let you know when you are ready.
3. When you are ready step down your nic level and just understand its going to be hard at first but its another step to quitting.
4. Believe in yourself and realize you can do this and when you are ready make it happen.
5. Know people here and in your life are going to help and support you if you need it. Rely on that support. Embrace that support and understand you can quit.
