Please Help Me Understand Addiction

[Brew]

I am really trying and wanting to understand how some ppl are able to throw analogs down while others cannot. I am on of those who was able to quit the analogs when I started vaping with no problem; good, great, grand, wonderful (note the sarcasm). But, my husband is one of those who keeps turning back to analogs. Please help me understand this. It can't be just a nicotine addiction, can it? Does this mean that I wasn't as addicted as he is?

V4L's highest nic level available is 36mg. I think I've read somewhere that the lethal dose is 44mg; someone correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway, I bought him a pk of 36mg of the Smilin Menthol and he complained of a burning throat (but, he did have a cold or the onset of one) so I cut it a tad with some VG. He said it was much better. A few days later, I set him up with some 24mg menthol sampler pk. He doesn't complain of a burning throat but now says he isn't getting anything, they aren't doing the trick for him. Well, now he's over his cold but hasn't tried the 36's again yet.

Before, during and after his cold, he was bouncing back to analogs. Seems to me that if the 36mg cartos were bothering his throat then analogs would do the same if it was a cold that he had, correct?

Could it be that it wasn't nicotine alone that he has an addiction to or could his addiction be more psychological? He says he wants to quit completely and wishes that he could and I really want to help him accomplish this.

It starts with recognizing that the human is made from 3 separate parts. In some theories its 5,6 or 9. I subscribe to 9.

To make things easier, lets assume three. The mind, the spirit, and the subconscious. Of those where do you think an involuntary response to the addictive stimullus would come from? The mind when we know better? The spirit or soul that knows better? or the dark evil twin we all give residence? OK not fair. Possibly not evil, but a unique being all its own that we do not control but is along with us for the ride every day.

The answer is above the doorways of those ancient temples: Know Thyself.

The relationship between the conscious and subconscious of each person determines all forms of addiction. Who do you think is telling your body and conscious mind that the end result feels good? The mind knows better, but when the body feels good the mind will reconcile and agree. If the subconscious can be convinced and fully agrees of its own free will that an addictive stimulus is bad, those chemicals in the brain never form and the body feels indiferent or displays signs of rejection such as nasea or other signs.

Hypnosis attempts to trick the lower self into submission and is often very effective for a very short time, but if the lower self enjoys the addictive stimulus, it will always revert back and encourage the mind to force compliance through the release of dopamine and other chemicals.

In short, you are fighting a battle with your spouses lower self, and regardless of how much he wants to comply and please you, his lower self merely causes the release of those chemicals and everything you say is out the other ear and lost, even if his mind hears, agrees and attempts to comply.

Just remember, HE wants to go along and do whatever will please you, but his inner, lower self is attempting to block you in every way. Give it time and plenty of room. let his lower self make the decision and the mind and spirit will be his. Now you could find a few flavors that the lowers self, likes more than anything........watch what he keys on in day to day life and find the very best replication of those flavors......you didn't hear that from me though...... I bought a discount 901 set from madvapes to go with my KR808. Two very different types of ecigs and they both run better on 808 batts, but I have the option between thick and very cloudy vapor and very thin, and light yet strong vapor. It matches my moods. I too tried to cut from 36mgs to 18 and then went back up to 24 and 26 before returning to 36. It was too soon. Now I have the 36 in the morning and during the stressful times and fill in with the 26 and 24 the rest of the time. Sometimes even 18 for filler now. It takes tiny steps to repair years or decades of conditioning. Now I get to choose how I do that, but the single option was not enough. Had to experiment a little.Buying more mls of juice and ordering early before you run out is key. I can't stress that enough. No one will ever vape long on flavors they don't like. That also is key.

The main thing is, don't make the war going on inside him your battle. Don't cross the line since its not yours to cross. Help if you can and leave it there.

Best to you for trying to help.

 

[clexxi]

Honestly, I don't know anything about addiction but I do have an addictive personality. Almost ruined my life a couple times with gambling and then took cigarettes to the point of feeling like I was dying. So, I was more than ready to quit but hopelessly addicted. What finally worked for me was getting all of the tobacco flavors from V4L and just vaping the snot out them. It has to have an almost dirty taste to feel like an analog. I sat down with my passthrough and vaped and vaped til I didn't want an analog anymore. Being able to breathe again has become my new addiction. Also, being willing to spent the money on different nicotine strengths and flavors til the right ones worked. So, in short, like everyone else said he has to be ready. Also, watching vaping videos and reading other ppl's success stories was a great motivator.

 

[needtoknow]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really got carried away. Had no idea that would be so LONG. Blush. OPS! Delete if overlong!!!!!!

No, it was very helpful as well as this whole thread has been

P.S. Are you taking any new online patients?8-o

 

[aubergine]

Busy ordering from V4L, sorry.

 

[cbsincho]

Wow this has been quite an interesting thread!!!!! I have been vaping now for 30 days and almost completely smoke free during that time. I had a couple in the beginning when I ran out of carts and was waiting for new one's and then a couple more about 2 weeks in when other people were smoking at a party. I had my ecig with me and ended up prefering that much more than the smokes. However, I do sometimes miss the simplicity of a cigarette. Like other's said on here, it is so much easier to just open the pack and light up. No fuss, no carts to mess around with, etc. etc. etc.

Lately, it seems like me ecigs aren't doing it as much for me as they had been. Feel like the flavor isn't as strong as it was or something. I have been debating about going up to 36mg ( I vape 24 mg now) but I am hesitating about that. Anyway, it's an interesting road this vaping thing and I am not willing to give it up to go back to gross smokes. However, it definitely isn't as reliable as cigarettes.

I agree with everyone on here that you have to do it when you are mentally ready - whatever that reason is. For me, it was just as simple as wanting to "smoke" inside because I hated being out in the garage like a derelict or something. Plus my kids getting older and starting to ask "why does our garage stink like smoke" was a huge incentive too.........

Okay rambling........sorry. Not sure how this was a help in any way.....

 

[jeffree]

Great thread, nothing to add except my own story for what it's worth. After 30 years of MLs, pack per day, I wondered if I'd ever quit. Got so pumped up reading about e-cigs that I decided that if my first vape was good enough, I'd dump the cigs permanently at that very moment and not look back. And that's exactly what happened two months ago.

In hindsight, I realize now that that first decision is what's helped me, personally--that I've had no back-and-forth comparison. No balancing and weighing vaping and smoking. I accepted that vaping was close enough to keep me sane, and it has. Relatively speaking, of course.

 

[aubergine]

jeffree, right. No intermittent reinforcement. If you want to really set a behavior in a dog (or human), reinforce it at random intervals, once it's been reinforced regularly for a while. Very hard to extinguish it then.

Could be that "smoking now and then" while vaping actually strengthens the habit. Just sayin'.

 

[jeffree]

Yep. I didn't mention my wife, who never smoked like I did but who also sometimes vapes now. But she added vaping in addition to smoking, so she's been doing the back and forth for two months now. Can't quite drop the cigs and sometimes wishes she'd just dumped them completely when that first V4L package arrived. Dunno, everyone's different. Seems everyone can find a way if it's a priority.

BTW, always enjoy your thoughtful posts, Aubergine.

 

[fwm]

Everyone has different issues with this crazy addiction, but a problem I am seeing with mine is the "time" thing. I love, love V4L, but I have been unable to completely put down the cigs yet and I've been at it a while. What seems to have become a pattern with me is, I do great without issues as long as I'm not busy. I can keep it in my hand, or at hand, and vape when I feel the need. However, when I'm at work, I have to wait until I can go outside - sometimes 3-4 hours (no one in this office smokes, or understands it). By that point, I'm frantic and need my nicotine fix right then, thus, I want to smoke - knowing that I need to get back inside to work. When I'm busy at home (yesterday I did a lot of raking, yard work) - I can't run around with a battery hanging out of my mouth, and didn't want to take the time to stop 15 minutes and sit down and vape. I never realized how often I went with a nasty cigarette hanging out the side of my mouth while my hands are busy - well, it was often, apparently. My hands are busy a lot! As long as I'm at a computer, or sitting watching tv, or in the car, I'm great and never even think about a cigarette.....but the pattern seems to be as soon as I'm busy, up and going, or stuck at work, I fail myself....and it is just that, not failing anyone but myself. I'm not sure how to fix this issue, but I'm working on it. I have cut so far back on cigs that I still say I'm proud of me, but I want to quit completely. Perhaps that could be some of your husband's problem with it? Is he busy with his hands too? Anyone else have this issue? How do you work around that?

 

[aubergine]

FWM - if you're serious, get a lanyard (a key item) and wear it under your work clothes, just tuck it in your trousers, use the bathroom at work (murmur something about a urinary tract infection), or the stock closet, get a pen case or a belt holder... don't associate vaping with sitting down. Remember, they leave no stink-trail. A few good hits will hold you fine if you've got the right strength. Rake for 10 minutes, take a few hits, rake, etc. It's perfectly possible to hold a rake handle and an ecig at the same time, for that matter, they don't smoosh and break like cigs. Set one on your bench next to you if you're working in your shop at home. Keep a little bowl of cartos everywhere you spend time working, like you keep ashtrays and lighters. Wash the ashtrays and use those! Great associative switch. Stick used cartos in yer pocket and have a couple new ones in there. Make it easy to just grab a few on your way out. For now, forget filling and topping and boiling and whatnot when you're working. Do that on those easy off hours when it's all no problem. If you get a little disorganized it's still cheaper than smoking.
It took you years to adapt to the huge number of hassley habits associated with smoking (lighter, pocket, whatever you do with butts... and it's not failure, it's an easy challenge to the imagination.)