As I continue to think about your frustration
@Ladiekali ; I had another thought. It may be helpful; or it may not. Feel free to ignore if I am way off-base. I offer this only in hopes that it may help.
Learning to vape
successfully, and learning to DIY, all while quitting smoking,
can be overwhelming! To vape successfully; I mean finding the right hardware, liquid, and nicotine, that suits your needs. As smokers, and ex-smokers, we all have different needs.
Some need the "classic smoking experience" of drawing the vapor, first into our mouth, and then on into our lungs. This is often referred to as a "mouth-to-lung" (or "MTL") method of vaping. The vapor may only be pulled part way into the lungs, or taken in more fully. having a devise that has a tighter, more restrictive draw/puff may help complete the sensation.
Others, want a more straight-into-the-lungs experience, and the vapor usually fills the lungs fully. This is often referred to as a "direct-to-lung" (or "DTL") method of vaping. A more open/less restrictive draw may benefit this style of vaper.
Then there are other carry-overs from smoking that can be important to the smoker/ex-smoker. "Throat Hit" (or "TH") is that sensation you get at the back of your mouth/top of your throat, when smoking. Others find this irritating and wish to avoid it.
Lung hit is what I needed to successfully quit. I didn't like the scratchy irritation of throat hit. I needed to feel that warm density... that "heaviness," that I got from my deeply inhaled cigarettes. DTL syled devices were better for this... for
me.
When I first tried vaping; I used one of those small cigarette-looking devices. It couldn't give me that big, deep, heavy feeling in my chest i was craving. I was back on cigarettes in two weeks.
Two years later, someone let me try a newer, different, power regulated setup, and I instantly knew this was what i was missing. A week later, I bought my own setup, and have never looked back.
Once you get the right hardware for yourself, then you have to find flavors you like, and I am just referring to what is in the local shop(s). I was a smoker, so tobaccos ought to work... right? Wrong! For
me, this was the one type of flavor that actually made me want to smoke. "Well", then iI thought, "I like fruit, so fruit flavors ought to be good... right?" Guess what; I was wrong again. the fruit flavors I tried, all tasted fake, and none could float my boat. So, then I tried some mint flavors (I like mint flavored gum), and
f i n a l l y something clicked; mint actually worked for
me.
Now I had my hardware, and I had a flavor that tasted good to me; so, now I had to dial in my nicotine level. I had no idea what I needed. I had to depend of the shop clerks. A young lady asked me how much, and what, I smoked. I told her and she recommended starting with 18mg/mL. But, she only let me buy a small bottle to start. Shen wanted me to vape it and come back and tell her what I thought/how I felt. I vaped it for a couple of days, then went back and told her that "it was pretty good; but I still felt a bit edgy." She suggested going up to 24mg/mL; and sold me another small bottle. That level did the trick for me. The edginess was gone. somewhere between one and two weeks, it started feeling like it might even be a little too much; so I filled a tank with some of the 18mg/mL I had left. Good to go again.
18mg/ml was where I stayed for the first 4 or 5 months. And I really don't remember struggling too hard.
This post has been long, and all over the place, but I wrote it to show the process that worked for
me. If I had been trying to learn how to DIY, along with all the rest of it, I don't think I would have been successful.
You may already have the perfect hardware for you. You may already have flavors you know you enjoy vaping. You may know what nicotine level you need. I hope so; because that would put you that much further ahead.
But, if you are missing one or more of those "parts," it might help your own success to find the answers... before you dive into DIY. Having a stock on hand, of commercial e-liquid you know you like (or at least; a local source that you can always turn to), can be a big part of the difference between success or failure in becoming the next (and best!
) ex-smoker.
One additional thought:
I never told myself "I am quitting." (in fact; I thought I would see if i could just supliment the cost of smoking <a whopping $6/pk at the time> by vaping some of the time. And if i actually managed to quit; BONUS!)
I did not throw out my last pack of smokes.
I
did make it less convenient. I gather up all the ashtrays and put them in the garage. I put the cigarettes in a desk drawer in the back bedroom. But I never told myself I couldn't have another cigarette. Each time I wanted a cigarette, I simply bargained with myself, to vape for 5 more minutes. And then, if I still wanted a smoke, I would go have one. For the most part; this worked.
About six months into vaping, on a night involving alcohol
facepalm
, I said "screw it," and lit one up. It reminded me a lot of the very first time I smoked. It stank. It tasted awful. It made me dizzy. But, I smoked the whole thing. Afterwards, I felt lousy. I felt embarrassed. I was ashamed of my lack of self-control. And I REEKED! (I had no idea how bad I smelled as a smoker.). I found there was nothing that I "liked" about the experience. But, ultimately, it helped to strengthen my resolve to keep vaping.
This happened, a few more times, over the course of the next 14-18 months. Each time I smoked less of the cigarette. Until, the last time, just lighting the cigarette was enough for me. "This is stupid..." I thought, "I don't like this. I don't want this. This is dumb; I'm finished." I threw out the remainder of the pack (now nearly 2 years old), and have never considered lighting up since.
I am not sure I would recommend this method for anyone else. But, for me; not saying it's "either/or," or defining my quitting as an ultimatum, worked in
my mind. It stopped becoming something I could fail at; and became an ongoing process I was working toward.
All I am saying is, don't beat yourself up if you smoke; and don't give up vaping either. One does not exclude the other. At least; not until you say they do!
Again... I am wishing you all the best!
