I stopped smoking several times, but as I have written in another thread, the nicotine stimulant for me is actually a positive health issue. When I would stop, I'd get sick (whole other thread on that one). However, what has made the transition for me to switch to e-cigs from analog was multi-step and multi-reasoned. I began smoking over 40 years ago.
First, I switched to the cheapest, crap cigarette I could buy and I refused to go back to the quality brands. That reduced the number of cigarettes I smoked, while still getting the nicotine.
Then my wife and I made up our minds that we would no longer smoke inside the house. That helped to reduce the amount that I smoked, as Florida in the summer is pretty darned hot and humid, so even though we'd go outside to smoke one of the nasty cigs, I was smoking less and less of the actual cigarette, because it was so miserable sitting outside in the heat.
I knew I could not fully stop smoking, as my body actually needs a stimulant/vaso-restrictor like nicotine and caffeine. At the same time, my wife needed to stop due to her having high blood pressure. No way she would be able to stop as long as she could smell cigarette smoke on me, so I was in quite the quandry. Nicotine patches and gum simply are not a viable alternative for me.
When I found e-cigs, I was amazed at the similarity to cigarettes. I may still smoke 3-5 cigarettes per day, simply because I'm using up the remains of my last bit of tobacco, but I have found that I really don't like the taste of a normal cigarette anymore. In fact, I really like the cherry flavor e-cig.
Yes, smoking is a chemical, behavioral and psychological habit/addiction. I really don't like calling it an addiction, because people do stop and never crave another cigarette. The same cannot be said for drugs or alcohol. Nicotine and the other chemicals in cigarettes make you crave them. The behavior of taking in a deep breath or just lighting up because a certain amount of time has passed is the behavioral side. The psychological side is where we say we want to quit, need to quit, but cannot quit. By attacking those individually can help on eliminating the other 2.
How can I prove this? During the day, say you smoke once every half-hour. However, when you are asleep, do you wake up every 30 minutes to smoke? When you wake up, do you immediately light up, or do you do something else, like go to the bathroom, then make yourself a cup of coffee, then light up.
Try this, when you have a craving for a cigarette, take in a deep breath and exhale, just like you would if you were smoking. Do that a few times over the course of say 10 minutes. Then, instead of lighting up, do an e-cig, but only take a few puffs. Don't try to "smoke" it for 5 minutes like you would an analog.
I wish you the very best, it ain't easy.
dave
First, I switched to the cheapest, crap cigarette I could buy and I refused to go back to the quality brands. That reduced the number of cigarettes I smoked, while still getting the nicotine.
Then my wife and I made up our minds that we would no longer smoke inside the house. That helped to reduce the amount that I smoked, as Florida in the summer is pretty darned hot and humid, so even though we'd go outside to smoke one of the nasty cigs, I was smoking less and less of the actual cigarette, because it was so miserable sitting outside in the heat.
I knew I could not fully stop smoking, as my body actually needs a stimulant/vaso-restrictor like nicotine and caffeine. At the same time, my wife needed to stop due to her having high blood pressure. No way she would be able to stop as long as she could smell cigarette smoke on me, so I was in quite the quandry. Nicotine patches and gum simply are not a viable alternative for me.
When I found e-cigs, I was amazed at the similarity to cigarettes. I may still smoke 3-5 cigarettes per day, simply because I'm using up the remains of my last bit of tobacco, but I have found that I really don't like the taste of a normal cigarette anymore. In fact, I really like the cherry flavor e-cig.
Yes, smoking is a chemical, behavioral and psychological habit/addiction. I really don't like calling it an addiction, because people do stop and never crave another cigarette. The same cannot be said for drugs or alcohol. Nicotine and the other chemicals in cigarettes make you crave them. The behavior of taking in a deep breath or just lighting up because a certain amount of time has passed is the behavioral side. The psychological side is where we say we want to quit, need to quit, but cannot quit. By attacking those individually can help on eliminating the other 2.
How can I prove this? During the day, say you smoke once every half-hour. However, when you are asleep, do you wake up every 30 minutes to smoke? When you wake up, do you immediately light up, or do you do something else, like go to the bathroom, then make yourself a cup of coffee, then light up.
Try this, when you have a craving for a cigarette, take in a deep breath and exhale, just like you would if you were smoking. Do that a few times over the course of say 10 minutes. Then, instead of lighting up, do an e-cig, but only take a few puffs. Don't try to "smoke" it for 5 minutes like you would an analog.
I wish you the very best, it ain't easy.
dave
I smoked about as long myself. I didn't smoke alot but I did everyday. I actually used the e cig inbetween regular smokes, I found my craving lessening, so got down to only one real cig a day, then I would on purpose "forget" my real cigs and just take my e cig when traveling, it worked 
