What a rough day...Ugh!!! Does it get easier!?!

[vapoleon]

I'm a little surprised it hasn't been mentioned in this thread yet, but another thing to think about is that nicotine is only one of the psychoactive/addictive substances in cigarettes. When making the switch, you can probably find a way to satisfy your need for nic, but you'll still experience cravings for the other chemicals you're missing.

It makes sense to continue smoking a little. I've quit various things, and I've had the greatest success when only progressing as quickly as was comfortable. There's absolutely no good reason to suffer. It'll only make you look back.

Like others are saying, try to be easier on yourself. If you need to smoke, then you need to smoke. Eventually, provided you stick with the taper, you won't need to smoke. It might take a little longer to get there than you'd like, but it's faster to quit something once slowly than it is to quit and fail and quit and fail and quit and... well, and so on

 

[armalitem16]

Dont worry, it will get better!!! Keep trying!!!

 

[IMZed]

Hi, Desperate2quit2. Welcome to vaping and welcome to ECF! Yes, it does get easier, but the gradient is different for everybody. Just go at your own speed and don't get down on yourself if you just have to have an analog once in a while. Just keep vaping and before too long the need for an analog will be replaced. Soon you'll be disgusted by the taste of a cigarette, you'll put it out and never pick it up again. I tapered off cigarettes for about 6 weeks before that last one, and it made me cough so bad I put it out after only a couple hits. Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking.

 

[Paul Williams]

I may sound truly Insaine but here goes...
Stop thinking about it.
I've had a pack of tobacco lying around since I started vaping, it's prob dry as now but the fact that its there has helped, since starting (nearly 4 weeks) I've had a few roll ups but only when the 24 mg doesn't cut it enough, it's rare now compared to 2 weeks ago you have to take it easy and realise that it's not a overnight thing.
5 is better than 30
Make it 4 tomorrow
Keep going you can do it
Peace

 

[DoogieTony]

It does get easier, don't over think it, you CAN do it!

Welcome to ECF!

 

[AdamReed90]

Vape, just do it!

 

[dice57]

It only gets better, then it gets AWESOME

 

[desperate2quit2]

Hi, Desperate2quit2. Welcome to vaping and welcome to ECF! Yes, it does get easier, but the gradient is different for everybody. Just go at your own speed and don't get down on yourself if you just have to have an analog once in a while. Just keep vaping and before too long the need for an analog will be replaced. Soon you'll be disgusted by the taste of a cigarette, you'll put it out and never pick it up again. I tapered off cigarettes for about 6 weeks before that last one, and it made me cough so bad I put it out after only a couple hits. Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking.

Oh my goodness. Grabbing that first smoke with a cup of coffee in the morning is a reflex. So I have been allowing myself one each morning. Well, this morning it was just like you said. Grabbed my coffee, took that first drag off the ole analog and coughed my friggin head off.....lol. After 3 attempts I put it aside. Yuck! I felt like doing the happy dance .

 

[PineappleFrenzy]

@ Desperate2Quit

I've just started Day 2 analogue free too.

Your relationship with analogues is very personal and unique. Everyone smokes them for reasons other than just the nicotine. And everyone missed something different about them when they made the change. That's the reason you ought to feel ZERO guilt about any part of changes you have made, or want to make, in you life.

Only you know what your needs are. And if you need something, then you need it. I think you have made a wise choice by sharing your feelings with others who know about your struggle. We learn and grow by comparing experiences with people around us.

We will all be here to support you on the blue days. And we will all be here to pat you on the back for your victories.

What matters is that you have set a goal for yourself. That you have to struggle to get there will only make the victory even sweeter.

Speaking of which, someone needs to make a juice flavor called "Victory."

Good luck my friend.

 

[desperate2quit2]

You are absolutely right. There is a relationship between myself & analogs. I just hadn't looked at it that way. They are my dependency, my crutch, my friend when things get stressful or go wrong. My security blanket if you will. I do keep them with me in the event I need that crutch.

I realize I am rushing the whole quitting process. What progress I have made in such a short time is amazing to me. Allowing myself to have one when I get the craving just seems to easy. I'm afraid by allowing myself to many I will slowly slip back into my usual old habit. I am so determined this time to make it. Nothing else has worked for me over the years. So, I guess my thinking is if I fail this time there is no hope.

I have been playing around with different juices. I switch between the 3 I have throughout the day. Received my order yesterday from Mt Baker. Can't wait to get at them. , but I guess they have to steep for a while. Bummer! Wish we had a vape shop near by to try out juices & check out all the new toys....lol.

Do most of you vape in public places? Part of my problem is that I go to long without vaping due to the fact I'm in a place that I'm afraid I'll be chastised for doing so. Hmmm...strange. I never cared what people thought when I lite up an analog. I live in a small town where people have small minds. So judgmental. I'm sure the way my ego looks they would think it were some type of drug paraphernalia...lol.

Thanks so much for all your support. Today is a new day. I will do my best to stop beating myself up & take things at a slower pace. You all are so helpful & wonderful. What an amazing group.

Hey PineappleFrenzy, you are right. "Victory" would be a spot on name for a new and tasty juice.

Vape on everyone....

 

[DaBucs]

When I started vaping I was at 1 1/2 PAD and I transitioned myself to the vaping over a 2 month period before I quit. Part of that was finding the vape I would use as my ADV. The immediate benefit I received from vaping was that I was able to cut down to 1/2 PAD.

The day I quit, I had come home from work and I only had 1 cig left and decided that I wouldn't go to the store to buy anymore, and I haven't

If you need to smoke a cig, don't feel bad about it. Continue to smoke them and just ween yourself off of them. There is no rule that says you have to stop smoking them once you start vaping. Use the method that you feel will work best for you and the next thing you will know, you will be smoke free

 

[GranFumador]

Welcome, and warm congratulations, Desperate2Quit!

I too live in a very small town, a hamlet of about 40 people to be more precise. When I go into "town", a few miles away, everybody knows everybody, all 1200 of us. I vape happily in parking lots, on the street in front of the post office, in the grocery store (but not too much, and keeping the vapor under control). People stop to ask, "What is it?" That's a great way for me to help them, and reinforce my own resolve. I DON'T SELL the idea. I tell them that what works for me might not work for them, but... I was coughing a lot, breathing hard after just a little physical effort... and now I'm not coughing, and I can do stuff without getting winded.

Then I tell them about what you and I are doing--switiching flavors to keep it interesting. Just got some Lychee from Juice-e-vapes, and some green apple from Azure vapin g, and I alternate the clear fruity tastes with my more-or-less normal tobacco flavor, all 24mg at this point, but dropping to 22mg soon. As the conversations go on, I realize that I'm grateful not to be at the wrong end of the bull whip any more. I was doing about a carton a week, sometimes more. Now I'm learning about and fiddling with vape gear.

Got my first variable voltage battery yesterday, and am having fun playing with the new toy. And each day I'm thinking less about cigarettes. My focus has gradually shifted from being sure I had smokes in the house, the truck, the car, the basement workshop, to
whether I have an adequate cartomizer supply, to whether I have all the e-juice I want and whether I should get a couple more protanks.

The good is gradually, slowly, crowding out the bad.

Seems like you have made excellent progress. And THAT is the objective. Progress. If you set absolutes as the goal, it will be harder. Set progress as your goal, and you will grow stronger, physically and emotionally, by making a little progress each day and week that you are smoking a lot fewer cigarettes than you used to.

I admire what you've achieved so far, and will use your success as an encouragement to my own work. The trajectory isn't smooth, but it goes in a nice direction.

 

[desperate2quit2]

Everyone is so right. I have been going about this all wrong. I guess I'm just anxious to give up the stinkies & put so much undo pressure on myself.

All of you have given me a new perspective! I feel great today thanks to all of you....

 

[desperate2quit2]

Welcome, and warm congratulations, Desperate2Quit!

I too live in a very small town, a hamlet of about 40 people to be more precise. When I go into "town", a few miles away, everybody knows everybody, all 1200 of us. I vape happily in parking lots, on the street in front of the post office, in the grocery store (but not too much, and keeping the vapor under control). People stop to ask, "What is it?" That's a great way for me to help them, and reinforce my own resolve. I DON'T SELL the idea. I tell them that what works for me might not work for them, but... I was coughing a lot, breathing hard after just a little physical effort... and now I'm not coughing, and I can do stuff without getting winded.

Then I tell them about what you and I are doing--switiching flavors to keep it interesting. Just got some Lychee from Juice-e-vapes, and some green apple from Azure vapin g, and I alternate the clear fruity tastes with my more-or-less normal tobacco flavor, all 24mg at this point, but dropping to 22mg soon. As the conversations go on, I realize that I'm grateful not to be at the wrong end of the bull whip any more. I was doing about a carton a week, sometimes more. Now I'm learning about and fiddling with vape gear.

Got my first variable voltage battery yesterday, and am having fun playing with the new toy. And each day I'm thinking less about cigarettes. My focus has gradually shifted from being sure I had smokes in the house, the truck, the car, the basement workshop, to
whether I have an adequate cartomizer supply, to whether I have all the e-juice I want and whether I should get a couple more protanks.

The good is gradually, slowly, crowding out the bad.

Seems like you have made excellent progress. And THAT is the objective. Progress. If you set absolutes as the goal, it will be harder. Set progress as your goal, and you will grow stronger, physically and emotionally, by making a little progress each day and week that you are smoking a lot fewer cigarettes than you used to.

I admire what you've achieved so far, and will use your success as an encouragement to my own work. The trajectory isn't smooth, but it goes in a nice direction.

Oh sweet. I have been reading about the variable voltage batteries. What type of setup do you have?

 

[PineappleFrenzy]

I haven't been vaping long enough to have anyone come up and ask me about it yet. At first,my wife was a little skeptical about me switching to vaping. She quit smoking (cold turkey!!!) nearly a year and a half ago and has watched me try and fail to do the same several times (closest I ever came was 10 weeks on Champix). But after I came home last night and threw away my smokes, her attitude changed. She knew how scared I got if I couldn't find my cigarettes. And last week, throwing away half a pack of smokes would have been impossible for me. It hasn't been all roses. In fact, as I write this I'm getting the eebie jeebies.

Just a sec.............~~~~~~~~~~~~~.........mmmmmm, a long caramel tobacco lung hit took care of that Devil moment...

But after showing her the health literature, and letting her be near me when I vape so she can see for herself how innocuous the vapor really is, she has become completely supportive and enthusiastic about my choice. Over and over again she says to me, "my God, you don't stink any more."

The reaction that surprised me the most was from my mother. Usually I get flak from her for spending money on "fads" or making other whimsical or impulsive purchases. Hey, I'm 35, but mothers will always be mothers. She smoked for 30 years, and switched to nicotine gum after a health scare. She has never been able to wean herself off the gum. I'm proud of her for finding something that works to keep her from smoking, and she is proud too (5 years and counting).

But when I spoke with her on the phone last night and told her I had switched to vaping instead of smoking, her immediate reaction was "WOW! Good for you." She has some friends who quit by switching to vape and has seen how effective it is. When you get support from family, life is good.

As far as vaping in public is concerned, I plan to be as considerate a vaper as I was a smoker. I expect a few strange looks. But I also expect a few smokers to approach me and ask questions. I think vaping is its own best advertizing. There are few smoking alternatives that have the ratio of pros to cons as vaping. And I can't wait to share my enthusiasm with others.

I need to give a big shout out to Rick from JR Custom Turnings who sold me my gear. He started his business after quitting analogues through vaping. Retired from the Navy, he has committed himself to introducing military members and veterans who want to quit smoking to vaping, and offers discounts to them through his website. Not a plug as much as a demonstration of how appealing vaping is to those who have been looking for a better approach to harm reduction, and how it can inspire people to support others to quit.

This thread has been a really big help to me D2Q. Thank you for sharing your experience so all of us can see that we're in it together.

Vape on.

 

[kaiser74]

i feel your pain. i quit, for the most part, 4 years ago with the gum. the gum made my addiction worse! 2 months ago i started vaping, with an analog here and there. there are moments when i bug out, then i just chain vape. it helps alot although i notice it takes a while for the nic in the vape to hit me. chain vaping the 24mg or higher really helps with the bug out moments, plus it tastes way better the analogs.
i had a peice of gum the other day, a 4mg, and i got the hiccups so bad. that means it was too much, which is an awesome sign.

keep it up, you're doing awesome. stop thinking about it and you'll be off stinkies in no time.

don't be so hard on yourself and VAPE ON!

 

[Nightcall]

It took me a week and a half to quit after I got my vape stuff. That's quicker than I thought but I was beyond ready to quit, thoroughly sick of cigarettes to the core of my being. I wasn't in a rush though, I was a master quit attempter and I knew not to beat myself up over it (again), if it took a long time. The morning cigarette with coffee was the last stubborn cigarette that was tough to let go. It took three mornings and some willpower, but not that much thanks to vaping.

It's been over two weeks quit now, and oddly last night I had some surprise urges. Some of the most noticeable I've had so far. It's strange, I feel it in my shoulders for some reason. So I took quite a few extra vapes and got through it easily. If it wasn't for vaping, those urges would have defeated me in the past, even with nicotine gum.

Good luck.

 

[thedustwarrior]

Man from 1.5-2 packs down to 5 individual cigarettes is fantastic. Can you imagine the bonus a banker on wall street would give himself if he found one simple move that cut 85-90% of his cost and depending on your vaping rig etc... brought a net profit of like 60%????

Feel good about that, not bad, that's huge!!!!!!! Tear your rotator cuff patting yourself on the back.

 

[all_in_ashes]

I may sound truly Insaine but here goes...
Stop thinking about it.
I've had a pack of tobacco lying around since I started vaping, it's prob dry as now but the fact that its there has helped, since starting (nearly 4 weeks) I've had a few roll ups but only when the 24 mg doesn't cut it enough, it's rare now compared to 2 weeks ago you have to taooke it easy and realise that it's not a overnight thing.
5 is better than 30
Make it 4 tomorrow
Keep going you can do it
Peace

This is similar to me, I put no pressure on myself to quit smoking when I started vaping, because like many people I suck under pressure. I bought decent equipment and tons of juice and let the process unfold organically. I even held onto that last pack of smokes they're still in my desk drawer right next to me and I haven't touched them in over a year. Little bit of a comfort blanket and little bit of a reminder.

Good luck desperate2quit2! Cheers!

 

[DorsaiMaster]

It was health reasons that made me make the move to vaping. 1 - 1.5 PAD. Was really hard the first few days. Been vaping for almost 3 months now... never looked back. Congrats and welcome to the group!