Struggling

[donnah]

It took me around 3 months of vaping and smoking to finally quit smoking. I took my time, I did a lot of research, I tried some juices and had to get enough gear and knowledge to sustain me once I actually quit. I was able to quit using a regular pen style, dripping into a regular 510 atty and I gradually realized that I enjoyed vaping over smoking but it took time and for a month or so I still had to have that first and last cig of the day. Don't rush yourself. Get the hang of it. Make sure that you have enough equiptment to keep you from having to revert back to cigs and if you do smoke one don't beat yourself up about it.

I've read many accounts of people that quit immediately but also many accounts of people who quit just like I did. Good Luck and keep vaping!

 

[Baldr]

You just have to commit. I was the same way for 3 days after I started vaping. I finished off a pack and said that was it. I haven't turned back and I don't plan to.

I'm glad that worked for you, but it's not a plan that works for everyone. If "Just commit, tell yourself you won't smoke, and then you are done with it" worked then I would have quit several decades ago.

Almost everyone that vapes is a smoker who had tried (unsuccessfully) to quit on more than one occasion before they started vaping.

Even for you, you've only made it 7 days. I quit smoking for 7 days on more than one occasion, but it was always hell, and something always happened and I ended up back on the cigs.

What worries me is that if you have the attitude that "You just have to commit." and a week or two into it, you break down and smoke a few cigs, it's easy to say "I failed". After all, your goal was "commit, tough it out, stick to it, make it happen". And all that is fine if it works - it's great if it works - but it also leaves you feeling like "Damn, I didn't make it, I failed" if you smoke again.

So I tend to stick with the "Vape if you want, smoke if you want, count the cigs you didn't smoke, not the ones you did" plan. Becoming a non smoker is a process. Keep working the process, and even if you still smoke a few now and then, you're still in the process of quitting. If you say "Nope, I'm done, I'm committed to never smoking again, that's it" and it doesn't work, then it's easy to be just another guy who tried to quit.

 

[Zelly]

Once getting the hardware, juice flavor and nic figured out ,the 1 cig a day I struggled with was in the morning. I think it was do to a many year routine/habit/mental thing (always took the dog outside first thing). I eventually would only smoke 1/2 the cig and then vape. I did that for a couple days and I would have the last 1/2 of day 1's cig on day 2 etc.
If you are liking your juice flavor, the taste (especially from a day old relit cig) discouraged the behavior. Then for a few days there was a mental "I want one" but it was short lived and pretty easy to hit the vape a couple times and the panic/need subdued. Sometime the last few "need a smoke" are a personal, mental bump in the road. Good Luck!

 

[espkh123]

Keep your hands busy or try to stay in places that don't allow analog use.
Also, sounds like you need to up your nic potency.
I have been off analogs for a few days now and running 24mg juice and vape heavily.
So try to vape a lot more or up you nicotine levels.
Just think of the positives

 

[ShariR]

You are in early days yet. You are giving up a best friend. It is not easy for everyone to give up those last few cigarettes. Some struggle for a while. This thread is the main support thread for helping me not smoke. There are some wonderful people there and lots of stories of success and struggles. We give each other strength in our decisions that day. Lurk and read several pages or join right in.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...dicted-smoking-habit-support-chat-thread.html

 

[chapeltown]

Shari, that is a really great thread, I am glad you mentioned it!!

OP- also, has anyone recommended dripping to you? Look that up too!
A great ECF guy recommended it to me, and it may be one major thing that also helped. When I have a major craving, panic attack, or whatever, I go to my "quiet place" and drip for a vape session. The hit is so much harder on a bridge less atomizer that it totally kills my need for a smoke within a couple of minutes.
Go to kidney puncher dot com and look up the kp long barrel bridge less dripping atomizer. Also look for mac middlebrooks on here and tell him I sent you. He will give you the ins and outs on dripping.

Just remember - no harm, no foul....you really are doing great!

sent from an undisclosed location on a secret device.

 

[MiamiMom63]

Shari, that is a really great thread, I am glad you mentioned it!!

OP- also, has anyone recommended dripping to you? Look that up too!
A great ECF guy recommended it to me, and it may be one major thing that also helped. When I have a major craving, panic attack, or whatever, I go to my "quiet place" and drip for a vape session. The hit is so much harder on a bridge less atomizer that it totally kills my need for a smoke within a couple of minutes.
Go to kidney puncher dot com and look up the kp long barrel bridge less dripping atomizer. Also look for mac middlebrooks on here and tell him I sent you. He will give you the ins and outs on dripping.

Just remember - no harm, no foul....you really are doing great!

sent from an undisclosed location on a secret device.

Great recommendation. Dripping on an atomizer helped me a lot also and still does. The throat hit is stronger and I found that some flavors that I didn't like in a clearomizer, tasted way better dripping them on an atomizer. And I also recommend vaping a lot when trying to quit smoking. I had to Vape a lot to get through the nervousness I felt. It's definitely some work getting through the mental stuff. I never told myself I wouldn't ever smoke again. Saying NEVER to yourself just freaks yourself out. It's okay to have a cig if you really have to, and then tell yourself maybe tomorrow we can cut that one back

 

[MikeZ28]

I'm glad that worked for you, but it's not a plan that works for everyone. If "Just commit, tell yourself you won't smoke, and then you are done with it" worked then I would have quit several decades ago.

Almost everyone that vapes is a smoker who had tried (unsuccessfully) to quit on more than one occasion before they started vaping.

Even for you, you've only made it 7 days. I quit smoking for 7 days on more than one occasion, but it was always hell, and something always happened and I ended up back on the cigs.

What worries me is that if you have the attitude that "You just have to commit." and a week or two into it, you break down and smoke a few cigs, it's easy to say "I failed". After all, your goal was "commit, tough it out, stick to it, make it happen". And all that is fine if it works - it's great if it works - but it also leaves you feeling like "Damn, I didn't make it, I failed" if you smoke again.

So I tend to stick with the "Vape if you want, smoke if you want, count the cigs you didn't smoke, not the ones you did" plan. Becoming a non smoker is a process. Keep working the process, and even if you still smoke a few now and then, you're still in the process of quitting. If you say "Nope, I'm done, I'm committed to never smoking again, that's it" and it doesn't work, then it's easy to be just another guy who tried to quit.

I have to agree with this. When I started vaping I also continued to smoke until all of my cigs were gone though less frequently. Once out of cigs I told myself "That's it, no more smokes. I'm only going to use the ecig from now on". I put a lot of pressure on myself to quit smoking and ended up buying a pack at a weak moment. As bad as that first cigarette tasted I kept the pack. From that point, if I absolutely needed a smoke I would vape first. If vaping didn't satisfy the craving I would have the cigarette, usually only half of it. Taking the pressure off of myself to make it work helped ease the transition.

OP: There is a lot of good advice here to consider. The best method is the one that works for you. My 2¢, don't pressure yourself or try to force it. Make vaping more convenient and use it first. Don't keep or smoke your cigs in the usual places, make it so smoking has to be a conscious decision and not so much of a natural habit anymore.

 

[DaveP]

I apologize ahead of time if I am posting this in the incorrect place. I need some advice from others who may have struggled with the same thing that I have. I am struggling to give up those last few cigarettes a day. It seems that I can't give up the morning one and the night one and sometimes when the workday gets stressed. Anyone have any advice for someone who really wants to get off those last few cigarettes??

I went through the same thoughts of needing to keep the cigs I smoked after meals and with coffee. It's partly the habit and partly the withdrawal from the habit. Don't worry about it. Keep those few a day and vape along with them. When you smoke that after meal cigarette, do it with your ecig in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Vape and smoke alternately and compare. You will find that the vape tastes pretty good and the cigarette actually tastes terrible.

After doing that for a while, just don't buy a pack and see what happens. If you can't do it, go buy a pack and start over. One day, you will find that you don't need them any more.

The pressure of quitting is just psychological after a while. The addictiveness of tobacco is virtually gone after you smoke half a dozen a day for a while. Vaping will definitely replace those last few just fine if you give in and only vape for your nic.

 

[amp79423]

One of the most important things is to look at the success you've had and not focus on the inability to cut those last few cigs out. You've already made huge strides towards being cig free, so don't view the 2 cigs a day as a failure, it's just a step in the process. Higher nic juice for those rough times is always a good thing. I keep my eroll loaded with a higher than normal strength for those times I want to smoke. Same form factor as a regular cig, so the experience is very close. Keep at it!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[ric23]

Find the best (YOUR FAVORITE) juice you have on your rotation with the right amount of nic. Substitute this for the analog cravings while vaping something else thru out the day. It will give you some satisfaction that you look for from the analogs. JMHI

 

[somdfisher]

Everyone has their way. I quit twice before and reverted back a couple months later, usually weighing more lol. Once with Chantix which wasn't too bad, and once because I just didn't want to stop by the store. The first few weeks were horrible. It's the hand to mouth motion for me that kept me going. I always have to have something to drink with me, and other little quirks but my hand is always going to my mouth for someting

It doesn't matter when you quit, it's still a commitment. I was just telling my story about how long it took me. Eventually you will have to commit to quit. That's what I was trying to point out, I guess I worded it wrong, it was kind of late, and I had one of my other vises next to me. Beer...

 

[Delarob]

I guess I got lucky. I quit with half a pack left but the day I picked up vaping I didn't look back. The very next day I was not lookin for my smokes. But then I started off with 24 mg. Every now and again I would try my buddies who started with 18mg. It felt too weak to me. When I got into the clearomizer, man what a differnce and then I found clearomizers that have dense vapor. I broke my battery this weekend and went back to my 808 until I got a replacement and holy cow was I jonsing for a decent vape. (back on track last night. Whew. )

Anyways, it really is true that you need to be getting the right strength. Flavor, not so much for me but it was the throat hit. Something else may have helped too. About 4 months in i found that half pack in my car. I switched over 2/16/13. I found this pack around June or so when it had sat in the car, opened, through cold and heat. I tried one just to see and man was it nasty! Haven't even thought of burning a cigarette since. I also lost 80 lbs in this time period so the transformation of health and the desire not to stink may have been yet another factor.

I do still enjoy cigars but it isn't about the nic it's the experience and I do still love the smell of a cigar. ( I like pipe smoke too but could never get the hang of it.)