struggling

[steve pearson]

Hi everyone just wondering if anyone has had a hard time transitioning to vaping.
Personally am finding it extremely difficult. I have a good setup a liquid that I enjoy but seems to be more the mental factor. Ryt now am on a house were everyone else smokes and for some reason unknown to myself a get kind of panicy wen it comes to putting down the analogue and starting to vape only. Any advice from others that have been in this situation is greatly appreciated.
thanks.

 

[daleron]

Oh, that's gonna be hard being around a bunch of smoker's all the time
Maybe try to get some of the others interested in vaping so you all have something in common?

I didn't have any problems the first time, but the second time I started vaping it's been much much more difficult.

You say you have good liquid and are happy with your set-up ... guess it's just a matter of deciding which you'd rather do.

Vape when you can and smoke when you feel you must, count the ones you DON'T smoke and not the ones you DO

 

[znamsienatym]

Do not back to regular cigarettes! If you feel "nicotine hunger" just increase nicotine strenght in your liquid. I wish you win!

 

[67Tele]

Hey steve
I kept smoking for three months when I started vaping. After 45 years of cigs it was hard to break the cycle and the rhythm and the ingrained ritual. It is very hard to transition.

For me it's not only a physical addiction but, a psychological one as well. When I stopped drinking I came to realize that it's akin to dealing with a death of someone close. There's a mourning period that I also experienced when I stopped smoking.

My suggestion and only because it worked for me is to not beat yourself up about having a cigarette or wanting to smoke. If it's all around you like you say it's bound to happen. Gradually, you'll give up the big ones (first in the morning, after eating, just driving to work...etc.)

I remember the first time I left the house without my cigs and Zippo for the first time since I was 15. Panicky but, I made it.

There are a lot of folks here who've been through similar situations and can help a great deal in getting through this.

Celebrate what you've already accomplished. Have patience.

Keep on keeping on, man!

 

[zoiDman]

I had a Very Hard Time switching to e-Cigarettes. And had to Increase my Nicotine mg/ml levels 3 Times before I found something that I wasn't Climbing the Walls with.

If you Want to Quit Smoking, Really Want to Quit Smoking, sometimes you just have to Grit your Teeth and say... "No. Not Today. I'm Not Going to Smoke a Cigarette Today."

Increase you Nicotine Level, Drink a Lot of Water, Snack Constantly, Ride your Bike 4 Times a Day, whatever you have to Do. But draw that line in the sand and Don't Smoke Today.

 

[BrotherBob]

50+ ex smoker here. One of my tricks I used successfully to quit stinkies was to make a list of all the negatives of smoking and the unique positives of vaping. I studied it and tried to memorize. When I felt like I needed to smoke, I took quick look at my list.
Number one on my list was, my clothes reeked of tobacco. Not a problem any more. Hang in there.

 

[Kivrin]

I believe I owe a lot of my success to not being around smokers. I think people here are able to do it, though. I did keep an open pack next to me for months, so it was my choice to vape.

Good Luck!

 

[Jugband]

Everyone's experience is different. Some take to vapeing immediately, some struggle. But in the end if you just stick with it, everyone succeeds. I know when I had difficulty in the beginning I just had to keep reminding myself, that regardless the urge to smoke, I'm feeding my addiction to nicotine. The analog need was just in my head. I had bad days, but now I never look back. Hang in there! Looking forward to reading about your success!

 

[gingertalk196]

Like 67tele it took me a few months too. I didn't smoke a lot, perhaps 3-4 a day, but smoked for a long time. When I started vaping I immediately went from those 3-4 a day to 1-2 a week for a few months. Then I could only take a few puff because it tasted terrible. Fortunately, my husband stopped smoking many years before so I didn't have that temptation. Have faith this works so just keep with it. Congrats on your success so far and just keep trudging away. Best of luck to you, Ginger

 

[gingertalk196]

Like 67tele it took me a few months too. I didn't smoke a lot, perhaps 3-4 a day, but smoked for a long time. When I started vaping I immediately went from those 3-4 to 1-2 a week for a few months and then I could only take a few puff. Finally, it was worse

 

[AndriaD]

I didn't have any problems the first time, but the second time I started vaping it's been much much more difficult.

You say you have good liquid and are happy with your set-up ... guess it's just a matter of deciding which you'd rather do.

Vape when you can and smoke when you feel you must, count the ones you DON'T smoke and not the ones you DO

Ditto that, my 2nd time was also much harder. But, I tried to keep reminding myself constantly of what I really wanted -- to be a non-smoker again. Every cigarette you smoke just keeps you a smoker for a longer time; there is no "cheating", your brain knows. So again, ditto on making up your mind about what you really want, and sticking to it.

The last part too -- vape as much as you can; if the urge to smoke becomes so overpowering that you can't get past it no matter what, then smoke, and enjoy it as much as you can -- just don't quit vaping, and keep trying to vape more; there will come a point, if you keep vaping, when the cigarettes will taste so foul, you'll wonder why you're even bothering with them -- which is a good jumping-off point for not bothering with them anymore.

E-cigs aren't a magic wand; quitting cigarettes still requires effort and commitment -- vaping just makes it a lot easier to stick with, by giving you something to do *instead* of smoking -- something that no other method can offer. (dunno about you, but gum-chewing is not a good substitute for inhaling/exhaling something!)

Hang tough!
Andria

 

[MrDripper]

The only advice I can offer is this...
Every analog you put in your mouth and light, might be your last one. It literally is like Russian Roulette. It just takes 1 cigarette to bring on a heart attack or a stroke. Chances are slim that it will but do you really want to take the chance?
You've made a great step in your journey to continue living. You need to make your mind up that you're going to vape or you're going to smoke.
While it is possible to smoke and vape simultaneously, you really need to make a decision one way or another.
As my mom used to say; 'Sh*t or get off the pot.'
I wish you well and vape on!

 

[rgerber]

Hi Steve!

First, Welcome Home to the ECF of Nuts. I really understand what you are going though as I came into vaping after nearly 60 years of inhaling both pipes and cigars. The fact is, I had to under go a 12 week medication treatment just to get of the tobacco. Once that was over, I became like a caged monster. Hell, I already had two monsters living in me. The Alcohol Monster and the Nicotine Monster. Fortunately, I have had the Alcohol Monster in check since 1977. Oh...he's still whispers in my ear everyday, but I found out the Nicotine Monster finally calmed down when I started vaping. Now I started at 25 mgs of nic and after a year...I'm down to 24 mgs of nic. You can do this Steve, but you have to really want to. Keep coming back here for support. There are a whole bunch of us just like you. Keep us posted on your journey and as many here will tell you, having a cig now and then happens. I wish that held for drinking too. If I feed that monster, he'll go out and buy us a bunch of cigars and the next thing I know, he's got me again.

By the way, I did pick up a few epipes in the beginning. It helped that familiar had to mouth and puffing need I had. Now I stick with pretty much a bottom feeder.

 

[AndriaD]

Hi Steve!

First, Welcome Home to the ECF of Nuts. I really understand what you are going though as I came into vaping after nearly 60 years of inhaling both pipes and cigars. The fact is, I had to under go a 12 week medication treatment just to get of the tobacco. Once that was over, I became like a caged monster. Hell, I already had two monsters living in me. The Alcohol Monster and the Nicotine Monster. Fortunately, I have had the Alcohol Monster in check since 1977. Oh...he's still whispers in my ear everyday, but I found out the Nicotine Monster finally calmed down when I started vaping. Now I started at 25 mgs of nic and after a year...I'm down to 24 mgs of nic. You can do this Steve, but you have to really want to. Keep coming back here for support. There are a whole bunch of us just like you. Keep us posted on your journey and as many here will tell you, having a cig now and then happens. I wish that held for drinking too. If I feed that monster, he'll go out and buy us a bunch of cigars and the next thing I know, he's got me again.

By the way, I did pick up a few epipes in the beginning. It helped that familiar had to mouth and puffing need I had. Now I stick with pretty much a bottom feeder.

My alcohol monster has been caged and muzzled since 1992, but I know better than to poke it, it'll start rattling the bars and raging to be let out again. That's exactly how I've always visualized the struggle -- keeping that monster in its cage. The key to the cage is just one drink, so that ain't happening.

WTA put a cork in my tobacco monster; hasn't uttered a peep since I started using the WTA last fall, and have been gradually stepping the percentage down since the first of the year -- 1.6% now, of my total vape, so it's not long for my world. Also reducing nic level, from my high of 10mg, now at 6.75mg (long story on that -- it's a weekly reduction). Hoping that getting down to about 5mg will keep me from having such cold hands and feet this winter.

Imprison the monsters!
Andria

 

[Baditude]

Good sound advice thus far.

Everyone will have a different degree of difficulty in making the transition. Just never give up hope.

It took me a week to make the transition. I knew that I would have analog cravings during the transition, so I allowed myself half a cigarette for those times. I saved the second half for the next craving. Those second half, half-smoked butts began to taste pretty bad, and before a week was out I developed a distaste for them. Before long I actually preferred my vape over my smokes.

My advice is to stay strong and determined. Once your taste buds and sense of smell have had time to heal, you'll distain anything to do with smoking. If you need help, put your old butts into a small bottle of water. When you have a craving, just take a whiff of the bottle of butts. Yuck-0!

 

[rgerber]

My alcohol monster has been caged and muzzled since 1992, but I know better than to poke it, it'll start rattling the bars and raging to be let out again. That's exactly how I've always visualized the struggle -- keeping that monster in its cage. The key to the cage is just one drink, so that ain't happening.

WTA put a cork in my tobacco monster; hasn't uttered a peep since I started using the WTA last fall, and have been gradually stepping the percentage down since the first of the year -- 1.6% now, of my total vape, so it's not long for my world. Also reducing nic level, from my high of 10mg, now at 6.75mg (long story on that -- it's a weekly reduction). Hoping that getting down to about 5mg will keep me from having such cold hands and feet this winter.

Imprison the monsters!
Andria

Good job my dear! My monster will sometimes hiss in my ear, "Hey Dickie! We are okay now. What say we have ourselves a scotch....maybe a triple or even fourple....you get the scotch and I'll grab us some good cigars...." Since 1977 he's been using every trick he knows. I've almost believed him a few times. The Nicotine Monster is only interested in the fix. He never invites anyone else to the party. While I know there are downsides to nicotine, what I had before was really killing me. At 75, I am in better health than I've been in before. More cranky too but that's been earned.

 

[AndriaD]

Good job my dear! My monster will sometimes hiss in my ear, "Hey Dickie! We are okay now. What say we have ourselves a scotch....maybe a triple or even fourple....you get the scotch and I'll grab us some good cigars...." Since 1977 he's been using every trick he knows. I've almost believed him a few times. The Nicotine Monster is only interested in the fix. He never invites anyone else to the party. While I know there are downsides to nicotine, what I had before was really killing me. At 75, I am in better health than I've been in before. More cranky too but that's been earned.

I think what probably helps me the most is that this is actually my 2nd go-round with sobriety, AND with non-smoking -- I didn't even make it to 90 days the first time I tried to quit drinking, and within a week I was back to a liter of wine a night, or a 6pk of beer, and at the end, it was a 12pk, a few shots of Jose, and looking around for more. I know it would be just the same again -- get that first full-body tingle and my brain will BECOME the monster, and that monster loves booze to DEATH. I'm really not sure I could do it again, plus, I'm freakishly emetophobic, and I know that drinking again would lead me right back to facedown in the toilet, someplace I hope I never have to be again as long as I live.

My tobacco monster is a weird critter; not terribly dependent on nicotine, I smoked ultra-lights for 20+ yrs, but those other alkaloids had me completely, and after my post-appendectomy relapse, the only way I could make those full-body cravings go away was with WTA -- though I was very happy to have become smoke-free again; I think it had more to do with the infection and surgical mayhem in my colon, than the actual addiction, but whatever it was, the WTA fixed it.

Andria

 

[Jdurand]

I figured Andria would chime in about the WTA. That stuff can work miracles. It helped both my wife and I quit for good the last time. I don't know how to explain it, but it just takes that extra edge off. it only takes a few drops per tankful (thank goodness cause it is a little pricey) but worked for me. I, like you, was around a lot of smokers at the time, if I can do it after 35 yrs of puffing down the cancer sticks, you can too.

 

[AndriaD]

I figured Andria would chime in about the WTA. That stuff can work miracles. It helped both my wife and I quit for good the last time. I don't know how to explain it, but it just takes that extra edge off. it only takes a few drops per tankful (thank goodness cause it is a little pricey) but worked for me. I, like you, was around a lot of smokers at the time, if I can do it after 35 yrs of puffing down the cancer sticks, you can too.

But I really don't recommend it, when someone is first trying; most folks do fine without it, and you're right, it's expensive as everything -- but cheaper than cigarettes in every possible way! I have the feeling that one needs to get used to *just* nicotine, to know if one needs anything further; most don't (I didn't, on my first go-round), but for those of us who do... thank GOD for WTA!

Andria

 

[Jdurand]

But I really don't recommend it, when someone is first trying; most folks do fine without it, and you're right, it's expensive as everything -- but cheaper than cigarettes in every possible way! I have the feeling that one needs to get used to *just* nicotine, to know if one needs anything further; most don't (I didn't, on my first go-round), but for those of us who do... thank GOD for WTA!

Andria

OP: Andria is right here as well. the WTA is a temporary thing, I wouldn't use it too long. The wife and I actually only used up two 30ML bottles before we were done with it. There are a few threads here about it, some say it does have some bad properties. But hey, we're talking about quitting ciggs here so a little bad stuff along the way, if it works, is no big deal to me.