Still smoking support and chat thread

[KC0YNU]

Thank You @FranC

For 20 years after HS caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol were just a part of my daily routine.
I managed to drop the alcohol after a year long battle.

Now after another 20+ years, I am working on the nicotine.
I understand it is mainly mental, but if I do not have at least part of a pack available I will get very anxious and crave a cig even more.

At one point I smoked 4 pack a day,managed to drop that in half over the course of 5 years with strictly will power.

There have been many a day I survived off of Nicotine and caffeine only. This, is what I partially blame why it is so difficult for me to cut back (found out cold turkey is not an option due to maxed out irritation/anger).

That brings me to joining ECF, where I started learning and trying different equip and methods, have cut the 2 pad down to 1 and am working on going lower.

Figured I needed to give a bit of back ground.

 

[FranC]

4 packs???? I think you've done a fantastic job

 

[KC0YNU]

That is a part of why I try to pass on things that have helped me cut down.

 

[Hopeful64]

New day and am going for the challenge again today.

KC, finishing the 2nd one. Going to try again too! I'll report in later..thank you for all of your encouraging stories. (Hugs to all)

 

[Possum64]

Hey @KC0YNU. Thank you for sharing your story with us. You certainly have been through a lot and come such a long way. Well done you

 

[Thayamax]

I'm finally home from work and don't have to go back until Wednesday. I'm so happy that @KC0YNU and @Hopeful64 are ready to rumble. I think it's great (brave) of you guys to try again today. You're gaining momentum and it's so much better to have someone else that's having just as hard a time as you are, and others who've been where you are now. Even if you only cut down by 1 cigarette at a time it's still progress.

You'll be surprised at how much easier it gets the more you cut down. Once you have your first cigarette free day you'll look back and wonder what all the fuss was about. The comradery of this thread has been shown to help many who continue to struggle with quitting cigarettes, so the more you post, the more encouragement you'll get to help you along.

I can't wait for the updates (once I'm awake ) as you go about your day vaping like crazy. Keep us posted and we're all rooting for you! Good luck, vapers!!

Thaya

 

[Skwij]

10:43 am locally and 2 in so far. Slept later than usual!

Great news! Supposed to be a golf day, but that's not going to happen due to the arm, which while improved, is NOT golf ready at all.

So, we're off to CVE (Canadian Vape Expo) Toronto instead!!!! So excited as there's at least a hundred vendors, of hardware, juice, wire, etc etc etc and we get to taste everything. It's couple of hours away but so worth it. We went two years ago and had a blast and came home with a tonne of swag.

Gotta go get myself presentable and load up a purse with $$ and mods and toppers. No nic in any of the tasters, so I need to have my own for sure!

There will be a whacktonne of vaping today. Guaranteed LOL

 

[FranC]

10:43 am locally and 2 in so far. Slept later than usual!

Great news! Supposed to be a golf day, but that's not going to happen due to the arm, which while improved, is NOT golf ready at all.

So, we're off to CVE (Canadian Vape Expo) Toronto instead!!!! So excited as there's at least a hundred vendors, of hardware, juice, wire, etc etc etc and we get to taste everything. It's couple of hours away but so worth it. We went two years ago and had a blast and came home with a tonne of swag.

Gotta go get myself presentable and load up a purse with $$ and mods and toppers. No nic in any of the tasters, so I need to have my own for sure!

There will be a whacktonne of vaping today. Guaranteed LOL

I hope you have a wonderful time Sounds like fun.

 

[tgs3]

Possum, thanks so much for sharing your story. As for those taking part in the challenge - in my experience, cutting one's daily consumption of cigs by 50% and staying there is the hardest part for us hardcore smokers. You probably won't believe me (and wouldn't have believed this 9 months ago) it does get easier. Hang in there! I totally agree with Possum, that focusing on quitting smoking is much less important than getting the vaping habit.

 

[tgs3]

Thayamax, how weird is it that I am now a non-smoker here? This has been an amazing ten months. Honestly, you have been so supportive. Thanks! I should clarify, that yesterday was 43 days cig free.

 

[KC0YNU]

Challenge post

I did not make the 4 before noon
I did however cut out 1 before noon and 3 others for the day
making 2 days with 4 less than normal

REALLY had to watch and grab the vape gear instead of analogs throughout the day.

 

[Possum64]

REALLY had to watch and grab the vape gear instead of analogs throughout the day.

Wow. That is fantastic! Smoking does become such a mindless habit for us all. It is great that you were aware today and made a conscious decision to vape instead of smoke. So happy for you

 

[FranC]

That's a win in my book,KC

 

[Thayamax]

Thanks, @tgs3, it probably feels more weird to you than it does to me. I'm so very proud of you,
especially since you were quite disheartened and feeling that you would never succeed. I had faith in you because you were so determined and didn't give up.

Sometimes all it takes is to find a person/group to let you know they understand how you feel, have been through it, offers to give you tips and lets you know they have your back. It's so wonderful to be able to call you a vaper instead of a smoker. And even better that you can do the same yourself.

 

[Thayamax]

Challenge post

I did not make the 4 before noon
I did however cut out 1 before noon and 3 others for the day
making 2 days with 4 less than normal

REALLY had to watch and grab the vape gear instead of analogs throughout the day.

I'm really proud of you @KC0YNU! Apparently mornings are the hardest for you, but you cut back at other times so you came out as a winner to me! As long as you can continue cutting back on the easier ones you'll be better prepared for the more difficult ones. Always keep your vape nearby, just in case.

Don't give up the ship! We're certain that you will become a full time vaper in the near future and can kiss cigarettes goodbye for good! Now you just have to convince yourself.

 

[KC0YNU]

The most frustrating part of all this is that I know a lot of my triggers, yet have to be VERY MINDFUL when they hit and grab the vape gear instead of mindlessly grabbing an analog.

 

[Thayamax]

The most frustrating part of all this is that I know a lot of my triggers, yet have to be VERY MINDFUL when they hit and grab the vape gear instead of mindlessly grabbing an analog.

I totally get the mindless cigarettes. Those mindless smokes are what propelled me to smoking 4 packs a day. I rolled my own so I kept them in a pretty and short bar glass where they were right next to my computer and easy to reach. I'd roll a few cartons at a time, so I never had to go without and like I said before, I never had to go without for very long since I was allowed to vape at work. At home I smoked anywhere I wanted because...well...it was my house. I smoked so many cigarettes that I often lit one and discovered a half-smoked cigarette was still burning in the ashtray. That happens to most smokers at one time or another, that didn't happen once in a while to me, now and then, it happened a lot! I never dreamed I'd ever quit smoking.

 

[FranC]

So glad you did

 

[Hopeful64]

I have been a bad girl for the last 2 days. I certainly do not mean to be any type of drama queen here at ECF but I got rear-ended (my nice new car) on Sunday and I said, screw everything, I was soooo upset. Any of you who have been following my story knows what i just went through in the last month with cars!!! Grrrrr!! Smoked my brains out Sunday afternoon and all day Monday. It's all being taken care of right now. The lady who did it...her insurance is going to get it all fixed up for me so I feel relief today.

So, I'm back on track this morning. I'm just going to keep going. and I'm going to be super aware of the 'stress' and 'mindless' cigarettes. Thank you all for sharing all of your stories. Every one of them helps me through another day. My goal today is to stay under one pack (20). I'll check in later.

Hope you all have a fantastic day. ((hugs)

 

[Thayamax]

That's terrible, Donna! It makes you wonder what else could possibly happen when you're trying to give up smoking. And to have this happen when you were forced to get a new car and have had the car for such a short time. At least it's getting fixed for you. I hope you're not without a car for too long. Stick in there.......better times are coming.