DontRemember

It's been a while since I quit drinking and I've basically forgot about the mental part of the quit(doubt I'll ever forget the physical withdraw). I'm having that same thing now with the cigs. I'm taking chantix and have been dealing with a few of the side effects for over a month,maybe two now. Nausea and insane vivid dreams(this leads to sleeplessness) being the main two I've noticed. But, I still smoke, although I have cut down on the amount. I KNOW I have to pick a day 1 and just not smoke/buy for a few days,then the cravings will ease up(I've quit before),but that same damn brat that didn't want to put the bottle down is making it really hard to put the smokes down. I need to go buy a vape ASAP. If I get out today, I'll pick one up and hopefully that'll help. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated by my health and wallet..Thanks.

Edit: I haven't forgot about the mental part of stopping drinking. I've learned how to deal with it. That's what I should have said.

andyh

I'm on day three of no tobacco & have switched over to vaping. there's a vaping thread here:

VigilanceNow

Regarding vapes, I do not think it's a good idea. You're replacing one bad habit with one that is just as bad as far as I'm concerned. The fact is, there simply isn't adequate scientific information available to prove that vaping is safer (hence it being banned along with cigarettes in most public places). I also believe that if you want to be sober, all addictive behaviors need to be addressed. That's just my opinion (obviously plenty of recovering alcoholics smoke). Most people I know who vape end up not satisfied with its strength and go back to cigarettes anyway. I'd say stick out the withdrawal like you did with alcohol and you'll be much better off in the long run.

DontRemember

That's what I did the 1st time I quit smoking. Just white knuckled it for 4days and I was "ok', then someone left a pack of cigs in my truck and the old "just one" got me. I really think since I quit drinking, I should be better mentally about the 'triggers' of my smoking. Chantix has lowered my 'want' for cigs, it's more of 'habit' smoking now and I don't even enjoy it after a puff or two. I rarely smoke a whole cig anymore and when I do it's like I'm just finishing it not to waste..if that makes sense. Kinda like a drunk guy at the bar who's had 8 too many,just HAS to finish off those last few sips. That's the thinking surrounding it, I came up with yesterday at least.

DreamCatcher17

I love my vape!!!
I know what goes into my vape juice, which is far less worse than any cig out there.
I smell better
I can taste my food
I can choose the amount of nicotine in my vape if any at all.

Best of luck!

tekink

When I quit smoking it was the habit part of it that was the hardest to get out of my head. Physical withdrawal wasn't really that bad. Haven't smoked since 98 but I will have a cigar occasionally now (one or two a month if even).

Smoking was far easier to give up than drinking was but I did drink quite a bit longer (smoked for 8 years drank for 23).

dwtbd

Not trying to start a debate , it's just that what you say is not true, there actually are scientific studies that show vaping is less harmful than tobacco use, especially combustible tobacco. It is not legal to smoke /vape in public places based on the legal definition of of smoking including the the phrase emanating from the mouth ~.

I've been vaping for around five years am much healthier because of it, anecdotal yes, but true. ( and my nicotine levels have only trended downward, not because I want to curtail , just because vaping works that way, the 'bigger' the clouds the less nicotine you want in the mix )
Vape on ! or not , just don't believe it is as harmful as smoking, big tobacco does want you to think that coz well you know

Def check out Carlotta's thread Sober Vapers, great info in there

DontRemember

Yeah... I 99.9% believe/know vaping is healthier and cheaper than smoking. I understand people have their own vices. Hell..I don't understand Vegans? but, that's on them to decide.

DontRemember

Alright...My daughter will be sleeping a while(late night of a 20'something) SO, Vapes go 12,6,3 for nicotine levels here in the states correct? I would have posted this in the vape thread,But since ya'll are already here and all...

t1psy

I smoked cigarettes for more than 25 years. 4 years ago I switched to vaping and haven't looked back. First, my hangover headaches went away. I thought they were from drinking but it was because I chain smoked while drinking. Within the first few months i coughed up all the phlegm and my lung capacity has improved greatly since then. I can breath again. Now, the smell of cigarettes disgusts me. When a smoker walks within 50 ft of me in a store I can smell it instantly. When I'm standing behind them in line I just think that I can't believe I used to smell like that for so long. It's gross. I also tried to smoke a couple times since I quit but couldn't make it past 2 or 3 drags before I threw it away and grabbed my vape instead. I am 100% confident that I will never smoke again. Also nobody asks my daughter at school if she smokes anymore. Regarding those that say you are replacing one bad habit with another, well, maybe. But the 2 primary ingredients in the juice are propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. These are deemed safe by the FDA. Regarding nicotine, this is one chemical vs the 4000+ in cigarettes. We also know the risks involved with nicotine as well. You can also work your way down to zero nicotine very quickly once you cut out the other 4000 chemicals. The only questionable chemicals in juice are the flavorings. You can reduce this risk by making your own juice or vaping unflavored juice if you are concerned. If you can just quit without a replacement then that is always the better option but as far as i'm concerned vaping is way better than smoking.

MindfulMan

If you’re vaping you’re still a nicotine addict. As you are with gum and/or the patch.

Breathing glycerin is not harmless. Nor is nicotine itself. Drinking lite beer is less harmful than hard liquor too.

I quit with Chantix after 35 years of smoking and after I was a few weeks off, I read Alan Carr’s book. . I was a horrible nicotine addict. Yeah, it’s a crutch but when you taper off of it you don’t have to deal with nicotine WD.

I started again in rehab and smoked a pack a day for a bit over 3 months. I got sick of it and decided not to buy a pack one day. Three days later I was done.

When you’re ready, grow a pair and get that second monkey off your back. If you're newly sober and feel that quitting smoking now could be a trigger (and it definitely can be) then wait.

But do it.

I feel so much better being off all substances. Caffeine is next.

DontRemember

Well...My 'plan' is to start of with the mid nicotine level vape and just not buy anymore cigs. Then hopefully drop that down to the lowest nicotine level...then just keep it around 'incase sh*t'..kinda like a cigar. I hate the smell of cig smoke too. When I first quit I was repulsed by it and here I am smelling like an ashtray. My daughters vape juice smells like a damn dessert.

t1psy

You can get juice at any nicotine percentage you want. When I quit smoking, i started with 18mg (1.8%) but was overdosing constantly. I dropped to 12mg immediately and within a month i dropped down to 9mg. Within a couple months i was down to 6mg. Most of those I bought at my local vape shop and other people would buy juice with any level of nicotine they wanted. After 6mg though I started making my own juice and adding the nicotine myself. I even went down to zero nicotine for a few months but started adding in about 2-3mg because I liked the hit better.

DreamCatcher17

At the shop here in MN, they have .5 - 20 for a nic level, I choose a 7.5

DontRemember

Cool thanks! There's a shop I get a hookup at from some work I did for for free.. I'll start off around 10 and go from there. If I need to increase,that's fine. I choke when I hit my daughters and she's at a 3,but has it set up for 'clouds',which I don't care about. Sometimes when she hits hers, I start looking around for a fire.

DontRemember

I really think it's just the habit mainly now,but there's for sure the nicotine withdrawl involved a bit. Chantix does work to a point,but like anything else...eventually you have to put down the DOC to quit and that seems to be where I'm stalling here. Had a serious talk with myself yesterday about it and that's the conclusion 'we' came up with.

t1psy

Smokers choke when they try to hit mine too. That's because they have weak lungs. Gotta start small. A few months after you are off the cigarettes you will start cranking that sucker up.