Why I vape

[presonorek]

When I am hungry I can always turn to my vape for comfort. When I am bored I can always turn to my vape for comfort. When I am overwhelmed I can always turned to my vape for comfort. When I am lonely I can always turn to my vape for comfort.  My vape is my doggone friend.  She is not a good friend but no doubt a loyal friend that is always available. Anytime I experience a negative emotion my vape is there for me.  In late May 2021 I decided to buy one of these vapes to see what the hype was all about.  What did I turn to for comfort before I started this dreadful habit.  In the past I have smoked cigarettes and even drank alcohol but I was never addicted. I would buy a pack of cigarettes 2 or 3 times a year. I could drink alcohol maybe once every month or two.  Why is vaping so different? Why is it my drug of choice?  I'm just going to stop as soon as my vape runs out.  I will come back to this thread to celebrate 9 days without it. 

I'm just not used to being so out of control and dependent on something outside of myself. This addiction is basically the only one I have ever had and I am 43 years old.  This really has to stop but I understand why this happened.  I'm just trying to remember how I lived before vaping. I know that I did. This nasty habit has just attached itself to me.  It's time for she and I to break up. She isn't good for me.

[RainbowHeart]

You say "always available", but what if you forget to charge it? Or the liquid runs out before you can get more?

Hungry=eat.

Bored=Do literally anything but smoke

Overwhelmed=I am still working on this one, but what usually helps is stepping away from the situation and taking a few deep breaths.

You WILL remember life before vaping, and how to live it. Or, you will find a new way of living. Either way, good for you for making the decision to quit!

Welcome. 🙂

[JohnRPolito]

One of the most amazing things about nicotine dependency (and there are many) is how quickly it buries all memory of the calm and quiet mind that we called home.  The brain's priorities teacher, the brain's dopamine pathways do more than simply generate a powerful "aaah" wanting satisfaction sensation.  The pathways are wired to our prefrontal cortex, the lobe above our eyes, where a super-tight memory is recorded documenting exactly how stimulation occurred.  Before we knew it, these super memories somehow blocked or clouded all memory of life without nicotine's presence.  Soon, quitting became as unthinkable as ending food use.

The good news is that you're about to begin creating lots of new nicotine-free memories, thousands associated with new healthy dopamine "aaah"s.  If you know anyone who has quit vaping or smoking for more than a year, ask them if they can still picture themselves going through each day as a nicotine user.  Most can't.    Except for inviting complacency (with an increased risk of relapse), it's a wonderful problem to have. 

We look forward to following the most amazing awakening you'll hopefully ever need to experience.  Once our brain is grooved and wired for relapse, there's only one rule ...  that one puff will be too many, while thousands won't be enough.  Yes, just one rule ... no nicotine one hour, challenge and day at a time, to Never Take Another Puff!

Breathe deep, hug hard, live long!

John (Gold x23)

#NicotineFree2023   Yes you can!

[maryfreecig]

One step at a time, one day at a time you can take charge of your desire to quit and your quit. A lot of folks around here call quitting a journey not an event and I believe it. As you lament where you are, keep focusing on what you can do to move forward as well. Regret doesn't help much, but deciding, making a plan and taking action do matter. Yes you can.

[Barbscloud]

@presonorek Welcome.   I saw you responded to a few posts already,  so keep that up.   I'm happy to see you created your own post so we can get to meet you and add our support to your quit journey.

 Quitting can be difficult.  It's  so easy to begin a quit and then block out the reasons we wanted to quit to begin with. That pretty much defines an addiction-the urge to do something that is hard to stop. We turn to the nicotine in good times and bad.  That's why many have described vaping/smoking as their best friend.   It's been there for us through every event and emotion. That rush of nicotine does give us a temporary sense of calm.  Unfortunately it doesn't last long, so our brain needs more to maintain that feeling.   Breaking that tie takes work and commitment, but you can do. The quitters on this site are proof that  it can be done.  

I have numerous attempts at quitting and it finally took me 50 years to get it right.  What was different this time?  I had a quit date, an aid, a class and cut down for a week. Sounds like a road to success.  I was fortunate to find the Ex a week prior to my quit.  I learned about nicotine addiction and that I needed a plan that would prepare for what I was going to encounter on my journey.  And for the first time, I had the support of fellow quitters.

Take the time to learn how to do this.  Part of it is mindset and part of it is hands on work identifying triggers, what tools you'll use, what associations you'll create instead of vaping, etc.   Spend time on the site, getting as well as giving support.  The early days take commitment so why not have other quitters to help you deal with the up and downs of this journey.

Consider taking the Daily Pledge to stay on track one day at a time.

This link is a great place to start

https://www.becomeanex.org/guides/?cid=footer_community_linktobex

We're here for you so reach out anytime we can help.    Going for walk is a great way to refocus your thinking and get an added boost of dopamine. 

  Stay busy and stay close.

Happy Holidays

Barb

[presonorek]

I did quit vaping back in late December but smoked cigarettes to make the transition to quitting. I quit that on January 15, 2023. Now I am 8 days without nicotine. So I guess I am a successful quitter now.

[Barbscloud]

@presonorek Glad you're still here.  Congrats on your  success.  Keep moving forward one day at a time.

Barb

[presonorek]

I have gone back to the sucky sucky vape vape nonsense.  Let's try this again.  My name is Eric and I am a vaper which is ironic because life is but a vapor.  Let me check back in with you guys on July 1, 2023 and let you know where I am.  I lived decades without vaping.  I know I can go back to living without it.

[Barbscloud]

@presonorek Sorry to hear that, but don't give up.   

'Now I am 8 days without nicotine. So I guess I am a successful quitter now".  This takes work and probably more than 8 days to be successful.  Did you read the material suggested? 

Most of is have many attempts at quitting.  It is a process, so if you learned something about how to quit, then it's a lesson well learned.   Try not to think of it as "trying".  Commit to doing.  Remind yourself "I don't do that anymore".

Understanding how nicotine addiction works and having a plan  in place are important to be prepared when those cravings hit.  Have you worked on creating new associations to replace vaping? Go for a walk, deep breathing, listening to music, etc.  And these activities produce the dopamine lost when quitting nicotine.

There are two parts to quitting. The physical and psychological.  Nicotine can take a month or more until it's completely gone from your system.  The psychological part takes more time and lots of work.  Every activity and emotion is our lives have been accompanied with nicotine.  We have to learn new behaviors to replace turning to nicotine to cope with them.

And reach out before help before you vape, not after.  The support here works.

Consider taking the Daily Pledge.  It has kept many of us on track one day at a time.

Barb

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[biscuit9]

I am glad you are back and wanting to quit.  I just read your earlier struggle where you were not addicted to cigs but got addicted to vape.  Some years ago I tried switching to the vape, rather than smoke cigs, because I thought that was a good thing?????  Yeah, I know better now and besides  I couldn't switch to vaping.  I have a question that has been on my mind for the last few days.  Considering that you HAVE smoked cigs in the past and will be quitting vaping soon, I think you might be the correct person to ask.  When I quit smoking cigs, quit day 260+something, one thing i did not miss, was the smell  The smell of a cig is not pleasant nor are the ashes, which was a motivation for me to stop.....smell on your clothes, hair and dirty ashes everywhere.  With vaping there is no smell or nasty taste or ashes.  Does that mean a vaper has less motivation or incentive because of the lack of those things?  Maybe that is why several of my buddies that smoked cigs switched to vapes so they don't have to deal with those issues.  Just a curious question for ya.

I read your story and I wish you well.  This has been a journey all the way.  Nicotine is evil, so I really educated myself to how the addiction works.  You can do this.