Nicotine Addiction

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deensamwin
deensamwin Posts: 5 Member
in Motivation and Support
So......I've really truly changed my life around for the better with eating and staying fit but still one thing remains and it's holding me back. I managed to quit smoking cigarettes a couple years back, but I still vape with a nicotine level of 6 mg. I've tried everything. I feel like this is the last hurdle to a completely fit and healthy lifestyle. Does anybody out there have a secret remedy? Lol
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Replies

  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    My dad smoked. He picked up the habit in the Army. When the price rose to $0.40/pack, he quit. Just cold turkey quit. Something about your relationship to nicotine has to change. You can find it and make it happen.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    deensamwin wrote: »
    So......I've really truly changed my life around for the better with eating and staying fit but still one thing remains and it's holding me back. I managed to quit smoking cigarettes a couple years back, but I still vape with a nicotine level of 6 mg. I've tried everything. I feel like this is the last hurdle to a completely fit and healthy lifestyle. Does anybody out there have a secret remedy? Lol

    I wish...
  • G085H173
    G085H173 Posts: 516 Member
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    Try and go a day without nicotine and then go and beast yourself. If it's at the gym, no dicking around between reps. Really beast yourself. Then after a day of recovery and vaping, go and do it again, beast yourself as hard as you can. If you notice that you are rougher and suffering a bit more, that's not your body telling you it's sore after the first workout, that's your body telling you to ditch that crappy drug. That was the psychological lock in the bottom I needed. Worked for me, give it a go. What to lose?
  • JDixon852019
    JDixon852019 Posts: 312 Member
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    What if you did nicotine free vapeing for awhile and see if you get used to it. That way you can hold on to the psychological crutch while you transition. That is how I quit.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
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    Have you tried tapering the level down? I personally quit cold turkey, it didn't align with the type of life and person I wanted to be but I also had to quit drinking alcohol too, because I had no restraint (from nicotine) if I had a couple of drinks. My personality is all or nothing, I just had to tell myself I'm never doing it again and it made it easier for me because it was a black and white decision, after the first few weeks of no nicotine it was so much easier to convince myself that it wouldn't make sense to smoke since I had made it so far! It's now been over three years. Good luck!!
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
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    I quit smoking cold turkey 15 years ago then,stupidly,started vaping 2 years ago. For some reason I find it much more addictive than cigarettes and harder to stop. I guess like the above suggestions, try reducing the nicotine levels gradually or switch to an alternative nicotine replacement therapy product and reduce that way.
  • Gimsteinn
    Gimsteinn Posts: 7,678 Member
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    Go cold turkey. It's the only way to do it. Using nicotine gum, band aids or vaping will only stretch out the time it takes you to quit.
  • LoveGhouse
    LoveGhouse Posts: 3 Member
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    I like G085H173's approach. I vape too & it's the one bad habit I'm trying to quit. So I started by setting mini goals and challenges that are outside my norm... run to town without, don't hit it till noon, skip Saturday etc .... once I've accomplished one little goal, I feel great, know I can do it and shoot a bit higher each time after that
    Hope that helps & good luck!
    Always remember when doing things - if it were easy everyone would do it.
  • samhennings
    samhennings Posts: 441 Member
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    deensamwin wrote: »
    So......I've really truly changed my life around for the better with eating and staying fit but still one thing remains and it's holding me back. I managed to quit smoking cigarettes a couple years back, but I still vape with a nicotine level of 6 mg. I've tried everything. I feel like this is the last hurdle to a completely fit and healthy lifestyle. Does anybody out there have a secret remedy? Lol

    I smoked for 20 years, tried to quit and failed countless times.

    Finally cracked it just over a year ago, this is what made the difference:
    https://www.nicorette.co.uk/products/quick-mist?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=[nicotine%20spray]&utm_campaign=go-gb-eng-ps-nicorette-gp-exa-quickmist&gclid=CL3GkrrA39ACFWa37QodDuMGoQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

    I live in the UK and so was given it free by an NHS scheme, I have later realised this was fortunate as they are really expensive!

    Anyway, what I found was the problem is two fold. Genuine Nicotine addiction, and the habits surrounding that.

    For example, I used to smoke at the same times every single day (on the way to work, mid morning, lunch..). I came to realise that probably half of those cigarettes werent even genuinely "wanted" but were consumed through habit.

    The spray did a very good job of quelling the genuine cravings, which then enabled me to break those habits.

    Once the habit was gone, and I hadnt done the mindless hand-to-mouth thing for a month or so, it was surprisingly easy to just stop using the spray.

    Given that you vape I suggest you havent changed anything about your smoking habit, aside from using a device instead of a cigarette.

    I quite at the beginning of last September and havent touched a cigarette since, and it really hasnt been difficult to maintain.

    Perhaps some gum/spray/some sort of nicotine substitute would help you like it helped me?
  • samhennings
    samhennings Posts: 441 Member
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    comptonelizabeth wrote: »
    I quit smoking cold turkey 15 years ago then,stupidly,started vaping 2 years ago. For some reason I find it much more addictive than cigarettes and harder to stop. I guess like the above suggestions, try reducing the nicotine levels gradually or switch to an alternative nicotine replacement therapy product and reduce that way.

    I never tried vaping, but one thing always bothered me with it.

    With a cigarette it is a fintie thing, isnt it? It has a beginning and an end. It might take 10 minutes but thats it.

    You can vape literally all day! Never could get my head around that difference.

  • coalz
    coalz Posts: 308 Member
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    I need to quit too!! Cold turkey is best but not for all. I think the hardest part is breaking down the association Incorporated in daily rituals. Analyze an average day and recognize when you mentally crave nicotine...with morning coffee, driving in the car, after a meal, after a drink? Start with one thing & remove the smoking element . Slowly chip away 1 thing at a time until you are finally free! Slip ups may happen but don't quit quitting!
    It helps to replace a bad habit with a good habit so consider the alternatives. Also do the math & realize how much $$$ you'll save!
  • tahxirez
    tahxirez Posts: 270 Member
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    There is a physical addiction which makes you uneasy and empty when not smoking. This leads you to think that smoking will relieve these negative feelings and/or relieve stress etc. However the only thing intaking nicotine relieves is nicotine withdrawl. This is the uneasy or empty feeling. Get support: Quitnet.com, go there, read profiles, participate. I also read Allen Carr's book (Easy way to stop smoking) its pretty hokey but it got the message across, possibly through straight repetition. Good luck!
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    i vaped for over 5 years, around 6 and 3 for the last two. then for the last 6 months i vaped 0. then one day i woke up and just had no desire to vape anymore.


    don't give up, you can do it.
  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
    edited December 2016
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    deensamwin wrote: »
    So......I've really truly changed my life around for the better with eating and staying fit but still one thing remains and it's holding me back. I managed to quit smoking cigarettes a couple years back, but I still vape with a nicotine level of 6 mg. I've tried everything. I feel like this is the last hurdle to a completely fit and healthy lifestyle. Does anybody out there have a secret remedy? Lol

    I don't know where you live, but if you're in the US you can often go to free stop-smoking/stop-nicotine classes at many hospitals. Many years ago, I stopped smoking cigarettes cold turkey but knew I would start again, so I signed up for classes. It was one of the best things I've ever done for myself. Also, the withdrawal/suffering is not as bad as the flu and mostly goes away in a few weeks. Good luck. Millions of people have quit, so can you.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
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    samhennings wrote: »
    comptonelizabeth wrote: »
    I quit smoking cold turkey 15 years ago then,stupidly,started vaping 2 years ago. For some reason I find it much more addictive than cigarettes and harder to stop. I guess like the above suggestions, try reducing the nicotine levels gradually or switch to an alternative nicotine replacement therapy product and reduce that way.

    I never tried vaping, but one thing always bothered me with it.

    With a cigarette it is a fintie thing, isnt it? It has a beginning and an end. It might take 10 minutes but thats it.

    You can vape literally all day! Never could get my head around that difference.

    Exactly and this is why I'm finding it much harder to quit than cigarettes.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    I quit smoking using vaping over six years ago. I vaped for the longest time and worked my way down to 6mg then to 3, then to 0, then quit. Honestly, at 6mg it's very unlikely it's the nicotine you're addicted to all that much, it's the habit or the throat hit. Learn to make your own liquids. It's easy as hell just practice safety with nicotine in higher concentrations, most vendors will sell it to you unflavored in 24, 36, 50, or 100mg strengths so you can mix it down yourself. I used to buy a liter at a time at 50mg and mix my own at whatever strength I wanted.

    Cut yourself down to 5mg, then 4mg, then 3mg, then 2mg, then 0. Alternate between 0 and 2mg for a while.. that's what I did. When I wanted to quit completely I simply stopped taking my e-cig with me when I left the house on purpose. One of my favorite things to do was vape and drive, so I cut that out. It was a little tough at first, but not all that much. Took about two months of leaving it at home for me to forget about it completely.

    Soon it'll be impossible to buy the stuff to make your own liquids, heck it may even be illegal to purchase e-liquids and e-cigs soon so quit now while you have the chance. It's all about breaking the habits.. focus on that.. and you'll get it. Just don't go back to cigarettes, that's what the tobacco companies want, and its why they have lined the pockets of lobbyists to get e-cigs banned.
  • whattheJKD
    whattheJKD Posts: 24 Member
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    Nicotine is a mental block. If you get past that, physical side effects/withdrawals are almost nonexistent (I had a mild headache for 3 days). Allen Carr's book the Easy Way to Stop Smoking de-brainwashed me past the mental block and I quit after reading it several years ago after being a 15 year pack a day smoker. Same thing for a friend of mine (who gave me the book). It's on amazon. Bet $10 you'll ever spend. Good luck- I hope you do this nice thing for yourself!
  • sherryminch
    sherryminch Posts: 168 Member
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    Hey now.....

    I was a two and a half pack a day smoker for 40 years.....tried to quit 9 different times....tried every nicotine replacement option out there....even prescription meds from my doctor.......none of them worked.....then one day while I was surfing on the web looking for a natural option I found a little herb called Lobelia......I did some research online about it, then tried it.......within two weeks I smoked my last cigarette and have not looked back since.....I took it all told for about a month and found I didn't need to take it anymore after that......it made the cigs taste horrible (for me, anyway) and curbed the cravings......during the first week of taking it I dropped from 2 1/2 packs down to 1 pack, it worked that good.....it's just a suggestion and it may not work as good or at all for you, but what would be the harm in trying?? If you want to try it you should be able to find it at a health food type store or you can buy it online and it's fairly cheap......a lot cheaper than any NRT.......good luck with your efforts and stick to it, don't ever give up on it.....your lungs will thank you for it.....
  • marm1962
    marm1962 Posts: 950 Member
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    whattheJKD wrote: »
    Nicotine is a mental block. If you get past that, physical side effects/withdrawals are almost nonexistent (I had a mild headache for 3 days). Allen Carr's book the Easy Way to Stop Smoking de-brainwashed me past the mental block and I quit after reading it several years ago after being a 15 year pack a day smoker. Same thing for a friend of mine (who gave me the book). It's on amazon. Bet $10 you'll ever spend. Good luck- I hope you do this nice thing for yourself!

    Not everyone has the same level of addiction, some have a bit more than some little ole mild headache...could have dealt with that easily enough with ibuprofen and caffiene.
  • marm1962
    marm1962 Posts: 950 Member
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    Mine was done with drugs. I tried to quit a multitude of times over the years and never got farther than one day (with my husband screaming at me to go smoke a f'n cigarette....lol) In 2008 a doctor convinced me to try chantix and 8 smoke free years later I am glad she did. I only needed to do it for 1 month too, not the usual 3.

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