Hey folks, so I recently quit vaping and would like to share my story with fellow vapers, in hopes of helping folks think outside the box about their nicotine addictions. In summary, I have decided to pass my PV onwards to someone to help them quit smoking, and I have committed to quitting cold turkey. It all started a week ago in this thread, here's a quote for those who want to read it in full:
So, how did it go? I'm happy to say that today marks a week of being vape and nicotine free! It was a difficult week, but I'm feeling significantly better and am able to function normally again aside from the occasional urge to vape at my trigger times (like coming home from class, or during a study break), but these are no longer intense cravings. The thought of vaping crosses my mind and I'm able to make the decision "No, I'll be fine without it" and feel okay with that decision. It's amazing that only a few days ago, I actually felt that it was just a matter of time before I decide that my life isn't complete without vaping and I'd go back. Smoking *cough* a certain substance really helped me stay centered and put these thoughts into perspective. Now, I'm noticing I'm getting more enjoyment out of the little things, like finishing a workout, understanding a concept in class, chatting with my roommates or cooking/eating a nice meal. Just a week ago, these things were just necessities between my true enjoyment, getting that nicotine fix. My outlooks and priorities have done a 180. Just compare my attitude now to this post from day 4 where I'm trying to seek justification to return to addiction, it's humbling how powerful neurology is.
If I could give any advice to someone trying to quit, MAKE SURE you think up new ways to deal with stress before you quit. I found this the biggest hurdle because nicotine has always been my crutch to stay happy with an unreasonably busy lifestyle. When I started university I no longer had a leisurely smoke here and there, I relied on smoke breaks, then transferred that to vape breaks once I realized I needed that nicotine but could not sustain smoking. Nicotine fixes activate powerful dopamine pathways and produce that reward, and nicotine slows the process of dopamine cleanup so that sensation lasts longer than natural. The key for me has been understanding the physiology, and to understand that I won't be feeling as happy and rewarded until my brain "rewires" itself.
So yes, it's been a real emotional rollercoaster, and I'd say it wasn't until day 6 that I "tipped the scale" and started to agree with my choice to quit. Before then, I was also getting no work done and the hours would pass with me just sitting around unable to motivate myself to do anything. I still think vaping needs to be an essential technology in our society purely for the number of lives it will save. The upsetting reality is that the majority of smokers will not receive proper education about quitting and will not pull themselves out of that addiction, and vaping adds "live with your addiction" to the current options of "die due to your addiction" and "quit". The kicker is, this makes vaping a double-bladed sword because it lets you get "comfortable", there's no health leverage to stand up to your addiction so there's no perceived logical reason to quit and feel the discomfort. Think about that for a second, as inert as vaping is it is still a physical addiction that rearranges your priorities to include an outside chemical, is that really an enjoyable way to live your life? You may say yes now, but that's how your brain is currently wired to think. Just to be 100% clear, my last intention is to make my peers feel bad for vaping or their addiction, I just want to encourage folks to think outside the box and provide my first-person story to inspire the notion that quitting is possible with the right outlook!
If this resonates with anyone, I encourage you to check out common lies of nicotine: WhyQuit - Nicodemon's Lies? (of course, anything related to smoking is not applicable to us thankfully, just read the nicotine ones). If you feel serious about trying to quit, read as much of whyquit.com as you can and plan your attack. The basis of the method all boils down to one rule, never take another puff, but it's got tons of articles that hit you the right way and keep you on track.
All the best to everyone!
So, how did it go? I'm happy to say that today marks a week of being vape and nicotine free! It was a difficult week, but I'm feeling significantly better and am able to function normally again aside from the occasional urge to vape at my trigger times (like coming home from class, or during a study break), but these are no longer intense cravings. The thought of vaping crosses my mind and I'm able to make the decision "No, I'll be fine without it" and feel okay with that decision. It's amazing that only a few days ago, I actually felt that it was just a matter of time before I decide that my life isn't complete without vaping and I'd go back. Smoking *cough* a certain substance really helped me stay centered and put these thoughts into perspective. Now, I'm noticing I'm getting more enjoyment out of the little things, like finishing a workout, understanding a concept in class, chatting with my roommates or cooking/eating a nice meal. Just a week ago, these things were just necessities between my true enjoyment, getting that nicotine fix. My outlooks and priorities have done a 180. Just compare my attitude now to this post from day 4 where I'm trying to seek justification to return to addiction, it's humbling how powerful neurology is.
If I could give any advice to someone trying to quit, MAKE SURE you think up new ways to deal with stress before you quit. I found this the biggest hurdle because nicotine has always been my crutch to stay happy with an unreasonably busy lifestyle. When I started university I no longer had a leisurely smoke here and there, I relied on smoke breaks, then transferred that to vape breaks once I realized I needed that nicotine but could not sustain smoking. Nicotine fixes activate powerful dopamine pathways and produce that reward, and nicotine slows the process of dopamine cleanup so that sensation lasts longer than natural. The key for me has been understanding the physiology, and to understand that I won't be feeling as happy and rewarded until my brain "rewires" itself.
So yes, it's been a real emotional rollercoaster, and I'd say it wasn't until day 6 that I "tipped the scale" and started to agree with my choice to quit. Before then, I was also getting no work done and the hours would pass with me just sitting around unable to motivate myself to do anything. I still think vaping needs to be an essential technology in our society purely for the number of lives it will save. The upsetting reality is that the majority of smokers will not receive proper education about quitting and will not pull themselves out of that addiction, and vaping adds "live with your addiction" to the current options of "die due to your addiction" and "quit". The kicker is, this makes vaping a double-bladed sword because it lets you get "comfortable", there's no health leverage to stand up to your addiction so there's no perceived logical reason to quit and feel the discomfort. Think about that for a second, as inert as vaping is it is still a physical addiction that rearranges your priorities to include an outside chemical, is that really an enjoyable way to live your life? You may say yes now, but that's how your brain is currently wired to think. Just to be 100% clear, my last intention is to make my peers feel bad for vaping or their addiction, I just want to encourage folks to think outside the box and provide my first-person story to inspire the notion that quitting is possible with the right outlook!
If this resonates with anyone, I encourage you to check out common lies of nicotine: WhyQuit - Nicodemon's Lies? (of course, anything related to smoking is not applicable to us thankfully, just read the nicotine ones). If you feel serious about trying to quit, read as much of whyquit.com as you can and plan your attack. The basis of the method all boils down to one rule, never take another puff, but it's got tons of articles that hit you the right way and keep you on track.All the best to everyone!
This was one of my reply's to another thread that I think sums up how I feel about it:
