OMG! can I do this

[VannyPak]

The best advice I can give is stick with it. Like everyone has said you don't have to quit smoking Cold Turkey just because you're vaping now. If you really need a cig have one but if you want to vape instead do it. It's all about finding out what works for you. I chose a flavor that happened to be exactly like the cigarettes I smoked when i first started vaping and that helped me tons. I still have the eliquid but after that first week I couldn't do it anymore and had to switch it out for something else. The learning curve might kill you in the beginning but once you've got it you'll wonder why you ever smoked in the first place!

 

[zoiDman]

...

In the time appropriate for you, the day will come when you realize that "Dang. I haven't had a cig in xx days!"
You'll laugh, sing, cry and finally name the unicorn hidden under the bed. I named my Clarence.

...

Clarence is a Good Name for a Unicorn.

 

[Misk]

Two things I can definitely say you can take away from this thread. One is that YES YOU CAN!!! The other is that that there are a lot of great people in this community that will help you along the way most any time you need it.

My only advice would be that if you are having a hard time with the starter kit try and find a good vape shop in your area where you can talk to people and try out stuff until you find out what works best for you, and if there isn't a good shop near you come back here and ask a ton of questions because there is a lot of knowledge to be shared from a lot of people that want to help.

 

[klynnn]

I never expected my first ecig kit to work. I bought it from an internet ad I ran across from v2. Cost about 200.00 with a months supply of those cartos that are supposed to equal a pack of cigs, lol. Got the passthrough raced to my computer and had my first vape, it blew my mind. I can remember saying OMG this thing actually works. I was off and running and haven't looked back. Enjoy your new equip.

 

[Margie123]

I understand your feelings. I smoked for 50 years and came to feel that cigarettes were my best friend. It's hard to give up a friend. I've been vaping for 3 months now and I still have a cigarette every morning simply because I had a carton on hand. But some mornings I reach for my ecig and completely forget to smoke that cig. When I do smoke it I can't wait to finish it and get back to the ecig. It becomes much easier all the time. All I can say is go easy on yourself it's not a race and do remember to count the ones you don't smoke instead of the ones you do. Good luck, you can do it just don't give up.

 

[Bridgetv]

I had a lot of doubts about quitting myself and even slipped and fell sometimes. This forum helped me a lot, blogs and YouTube. They helped me learn a lot about vaping.

 

[AndriaD]

OK so the starter kits are here and I'm in a panic about stopping the cig's. I have no idea where this fear is coming from. What if I can't do this? Failure is not something I handle well. My palms are sweaty, my mind is racing. I have smoked for 44 years and I know that stopping cigs is the very best thing I can do for myself and my family but now that I'm faced with it I'm starting to second guess myself. This is crazy! I'm filled with anxiety right now. Yes the juice has nicotine in it and yes I know that if I can just do it I'll probably be fine. Anyone else have this feeling before quitting cigs. I guess I just need to leap and hope for the best.

I felt the same fear and anxiety, at several points along the way. The first ejuice I got was 18mg, and it made me very sick; naturally that made me afraid I couldn't do it. So I got some 12mg, and that also made me very sick -- my fear went up several notches; I'd already invested $40 in the starter kit, and nearly as much on ejuice -- would I be able to do it? Then I got some 6mg, and it just happened to be a flavor that was really close to the taste of the cigarettes i smoked for 30+ yrs -- EUREKA! It didn't make me sick, and the taste was so similar that it was easy for me to start a "let's see if this works..." campaign -- and within a month, I had quit smoking.

Then, after I'd been smoke-free and vaping for over 3 months, I suffered some extreme health issues, and again I wondered, can I do this? I even went back to smoking, though I never did completely stop vaping -- and after a month of smoking, I was able to once again go smoke-free, with just vaping, and my health issues were resolved.

It's normal to feel fear and anxiety about the idea of losing such a familiar and often, well-beloved habit; if it wasn't so fear-inducing, probably a lot more people would be doing it! But once you actually give it a good try, you see that there's really nothing to fear; all you're losing is a habit that will kill you, along with a stink, a mess, a deep cough, breathlessness, and social pariah status -- you're gaining a whole new way to live, and for some of us, a whole new group of friends, and a fairly cool hobby too.

It's not necessary to be a drill sergeant to yourself about it; if you want to gradually decrease smoking while you gradually increase vaping, that's fine; it's how a lot of us do it -- some never even really intended to quit, but maybe just to try it out, cut down, etc -- and found that they had quit almost by accident -- merely by *forgetting* to smoke! For some the change is immediate; for others, it might take a while. It's really up to you, how fast you're able or willing to go. No one will bash you for taking your own time; we've all been there, but it's different for everyone.

Also, once you're gotten in your 5 initial posts in the New Members forum, there are a lot of forums and threads to check out, but if you're still smoking, you might want to check out the Still Smoking thread -- all kinds of cool folks in there, some that have quit, some still trying, and support all around the whole gamut.

Welcome!
Andria

 

[dahlialady]

OK so the starter kits are here and I'm in a panic about stopping the cig's. I have no idea where this fear is coming from.
I know where....you have smoked for 44 years. Nicotine has been our crutch to get us through life. The addiction of smoking is much more than just the nicotine, although nicotine plays the biggest role. Us ex-smokers performed a hand to mouth movement on average of 250 times a day. That's addictive in itself. Try not to panic, but look at your starter kit to a newer healthier you. To a new life free from tobacco smoke and 4000 carcinogens.

What if I can't do this? Failure is not something I handle well.
I can tell you about me. I smoked a pack a day for 33 years.I tried quitting at least ten times. I tried everything to quit except laser and hypnotherapy. I tried cold turkey, the patch, nicotine gum, Welbutrin, Allan Carr’s E-Z way method to stop smoking (please read that book as it contains tons of good info.) I’ve tried inhalers, and I’ve even tried Welbutrin the Patch, and gum at once. It did not work. I was a horrendous Bi-atch to my family and everyone near me. I then found e-cigarettes. It was so natural I couldn’t believe it. Hand to mouth, warm vapour, pleasant taste…DID SOMEONE SAY PLEASANT TASTE???? YES!!! I started vaping a blend called P.S. Honey from my local B&M Vaporus in Montreal. I actually walked out of my e-cig store and gave my practically full pack of lung darts to the first beggar who asked me for change. At 8$ a pack here in Montreal that is huge. I know I had 5 packs left from a carton back at home. What I didn’t know was that those 5 packs would take me months to finish as I eased into vaping.

My palms are sweaty, my mind is racing. I have smoked for 44 years and I know that stopping cigs is the very best thing I can do for myself and my family but now that I'm faced with it I'm starting to second guess myself. This is crazy! I'm filled with anxiety right now.
What’s crazy is how psychologically smoking is, isn’t it? That hand to mouth 250 times a day. The head rush that comes to us when we take that first drag off a lung dart. The feeling that we can now relax and perform better. By the way non-smokers can relax and perform better just as well as smokers all the time without nicotine…You see how smoking has affected us smokers? For me….my cigarette was my best buddy. Calling out to me 25 times a day, “Smoke me, you’ll feel at ease!!!!” Wow….I was suckered really badly.

Yes the juice has nicotine in it and yes I know that if I can just do it I'll probably be fine. Anyone else have this feeling before quitting cigs. I guess I just need to leap and hope for the best. My feeling before switching to e-cigs was this: I had my yearly 2 month bout with bronchitis (a large part due to smoking if not 100% due to smoking). I said if I don’t do this now I will die before my time. My kids won’t have me around into their middle age. Everyone gets anxious about quitting smoking because we have tried many times before and failed.

Now let me give you some advice. I hope you have a good starter kit with variable voltage batteries and a quality nic-juice. If you were a pack a day smoker start with at least 18c of nicotine. Switch it up. Don’t try cold turkey from the lung darts. Say….smoke outdoors, vape indoors. Your house will start smelling better quickly. Vape at work if allowed. It doesn’t reek to non-smokers.. It actually smells pleasant if you vape fruity flavours. For me….looking back at it it was so easy whereas every other method failed.
Background on my part which I don’t want everyone to know, but I will share it here because it might help you quit smoking, and if one word I say helps you quit smoking I will feel good. (Yeah I am selfish) I suffer from severe anxiety and clinical depression. Even my doctors told me not to quit smoking as it could affect my depression. Can you freaking believe that???!!!! That’s how badly I NEEDED TO SMOKE!
It’s different getting used to pressing a button to getting nicotine into your system and you are holding something heavier and metallic, but the delivery method is the same. The first head-rush of the day is not there (For me anyways) But the calming sensation is there. The ease of anxiety is there. The Acetaldehyde, Benzene, Cadmium, Formaldehyde, Polonium 210, Vinyl Chloride (all carcinogens) and thousands of other evil chemicals are not there to make me sick. Nicotine itself is not a carcinogen.

So be calm. Take a deep breath. Do your research. You have friends here. Thousands of them who have gone through the same anxiety as you going through now. Check back here often. Go to a quit smoking website and join up if you must. Talk to your doctor if you must. But stay calm and vape on. Congratulations my friend on giving this vaping a try. P.M. me if you need to.

 

[ligyron]

I smoked for 45 years.

Heavily

All I can say is: go ahead and have all the cigs you want but be sure to vape a lot too.

Eventually, you'll quit smoking and the cigs will taste horrible.

I wish they'd invented these things long ago when I think of all the lives that could have been saved

 

[Kaezziel]

OK so the starter kits are here and I'm in a panic about stopping the cig's. I have no idea where this fear is coming from.
I know where....you have smoked for 44 years. Nicotine has been our crutch to get us through life. The addiction of smoking is much more than just the nicotine, although nicotine plays the biggest role. Us ex-smokers performed a hand to mouth movement on average of 250 times a day. That's addictive in itself. Try not to panic, but look at your starter kit to a newer healthier you. To a new life free from tobacco smoke and 4000 carcinogens.

What if I can't do this? Failure is not something I handle well.
I can tell you about me. I smoked a pack a day for 33 years.I tried quitting at least ten times. I tried everything to quit except laser and hypnotherapy. I tried cold turkey, the patch, nicotine gum, Welbutrin, Allan Carr’s E-Z way method to stop smoking (please read that book as it contains tons of good info.) I’ve tried inhalers, and I’ve even tried Welbutrin the Patch, and gum at once. It did not work. I was a horrendous Bi-atch to my family and everyone near me. I then found e-cigarettes. It was so natural I couldn’t believe it. Hand to mouth, warm vapour, pleasant taste…DID SOMEONE SAY PLEASANT TASTE???? YES!!! I started vaping a blend called P.S. Honey from my local B&M Vaporus in Montreal. I actually walked out of my e-cig store and gave my practically full pack of lung darts to the first beggar who asked me for change. At 8$ a pack here in Montreal that is huge. I know I had 5 packs left from a carton back at home. What I didn’t know was that those 5 packs would take me months to finish as I eased into vaping.

My palms are sweaty, my mind is racing. I have smoked for 44 years and I know that stopping cigs is the very best thing I can do for myself and my family but now that I'm faced with it I'm starting to second guess myself. This is crazy! I'm filled with anxiety right now.
What’s crazy is how psychologically smoking is, isn’t it? That hand to mouth 250 times a day. The head rush that comes to us when we take that first drag off a lung dart. The feeling that we can now relax and perform better. By the way non-smokers can relax and perform better just as well as smokers all the time without nicotine…You see how smoking has affected us smokers? For me….my cigarette was my best buddy. Calling out to me 25 times a day, “Smoke me, you’ll feel at ease!!!!” Wow….I was suckered really badly.

Yes the juice has nicotine in it and yes I know that if I can just do it I'll probably be fine. Anyone else have this feeling before quitting cigs. I guess I just need to leap and hope for the best. My feeling before switching to e-cigs was this: I had my yearly 2 month bout with bronchitis (a large part due to smoking if not 100% due to smoking). I said if I don’t do this now I will die before my time. My kids won’t have me around into their middle age. Everyone gets anxious about quitting smoking because we have tried many times before and failed.

Now let me give you some advice. I hope you have a good starter kit with variable voltage batteries and a quality nic-juice. If you were a pack a day smoker start with at least 18c of nicotine. Switch it up. Don’t try cold turkey from the lung darts. Say….smoke outdoors, vape indoors. Your house will start smelling better quickly. Vape at work if allowed. It’s doesn’t smell. It actually smells pleasant if you vape fruity flavours. For me….looking back at it it was so easy whereas every other method failed.
Background on my part which I don’t want everyone to know, but I will share it here because it might help you quit smoking, and if one word I say helps you quit smoking I will feel good. (Yeah I am selfish) I suffer from severe anxiety and clinical depression. Even my doctors told me not to quit smoking as it could affect my depression. Can you freaking believe that???!!!! That’s how badly I NEEDED TO SMOKE!
It’s different getting used to pressing a button to getting nicotine into your system and you are holding something heavier and metallic, but the delivery method is the same. The first head-rush of the day is not there (For me anyways) But the calming sensation is there. The ease of anxiety is there. The Acetaldehyde, Benzene, Cadmium, Formaldehyde, Polonium 210, Vinyl Chloride (all carcinogens) and thousands of other evil chemicals are not there to make me sick. Nicotine itself is not a carcinogen.

So be calm. Take a deep breath. Do your research. You have friends here. Thousands of them who have gone through the same anxiety as you going through now. Check back here often. Go to a quit smoking website and join up if you must. Talk to your doctor if you must. But stay calm and vape on. Congratulations my friend on giving this vaping a try. P.M. me if you need to.

I'd just like to say thank you very much for sharing your story and experience! I know how hard it can be to tell others about having anxiety and depression and I applaud you for your courageous spirit!!

 

[nautica]

Dont worry too much, just take the craving as it comes. I was more worried with running out of power back when i started some 4 mnths back LOL.

I smoked for 17 yrs, when I first started vaping, I said to myself "no cig, no cig, no cig" and found myself miserable, can't even look at an ashtray without wanting to light up a cig. Well that only lasted 3 days. so I change my mindset to just take the craving as it comes while I finish my smoke stock (usually buy them in packs). Turned out my 2 remaining packs lasted for almost a month! And now i've been completely cig-free.

 

[nebulaan]

I had my last pack of cigs on Sept 19 when I had a voucher for a local portland Vape Shop downtown. I was a bit nervous at first. I thought "I should just grab another pack of smokes, this may be a waste of money and effort!" but the 'Vapster' totally helped me out and put together a starter kit that was right for me. Truth be told, it was odd at first, I felt like I was sucking on a battery and I was a bit embarrased. However, as I vaped, those thoughts began to subside till I didn't even think about it. I still hangout with my friends that do smoke and I would let them try it out. I call it my 'handy hookah' Hahahaha! All in all, I enjoy it very much. I've spent thousands on cigarettes through my 20 years of smoking. Already I'm thinking of lowering my nicotine percentage a few notches.The trick for me is; once I get 'the itch', I'll vape for a moment and it will go away. You'll do great!!

 

[freeatlast!]

Apaloosastar, you CAN do it! I did it after smoking for 47 years, and have been smoke free for over a year now! It is so exhilarating to finally get that monkey off your back!! You've received lots of wise advice here, so I won't add to it. Just want to say Good Luck to you, and please come back and let us know how it's going!! We'll all be waiting to hear from you!

 

[sedition]

The only hard part about quitting is wrapping your mind around how easy it is.. and I don't say that just to throw you a bit of support. You'll feel like there's some catch, something we're not telling you. But it's simple - vaping means we can keep 'smoking', with infinitely better taste, and infinitely fewer health risks. We get cool toys that an analog smoker could only dream of, we can tailor our vape in a bunch of different ways. And we still get as much nicotine as we wish.

Good luck - don't hesitate if you have questions.

And, welcome!

 

[psychdoc]

Good morning,

I was a skeptic for a couple of months before I switched 5 days ago. I too was smoking 1.5 packs of Marlboro 100's and was fearful of losing the throat hit. With the wonderful assistance of my local shop, I started with a Spinner II battery and a Nautilus mini II tank. I use 18 mg nicotine and I haven't even considered an analog all week. I feel taking a little time at a goos shop to help you set up what your preferences are for the type of hit you are looking for, good luck

 

[Warpigs]

I was scared too when I quit. I smoked 2-3 packs of Marlboro Reds a day and chewed 2-3 bags of Red Man a week, they were my friend for 30+ years. Well those friends became my enemies. The day I got my set-up was the last day I smoked cig's/chewed. Just put your head down and fight the urges/cravings/anxiety. They will go away. You just need to let your body rid all those nastie things that are in them. Last I saw there are 6000 ingredients in 1 cig. It took me about 2 months to be were I didn't even want a cig/chew. When I walk by someone smoking the smell makes me cringe (ashtray). And everytime I smell the 2nd hand smoke it puts 1 more nail on the never smoking/chewing again list.

What I did was write down the good/bad things about smoking and chewing. I was very surprised that the bad section was huge compared to the good. Take it day by day, It's not easy to quit, But if someone like me can, you can too. Good luck!