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Give and get support around quitting

lesliesabek
Member

I need to stop vaping

Hello ,

I am a current vape smoker. I would really like to stop. 

My anxiety is horrible. 

where do I start 

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10 Replies
JACKIE1-25-15
Member

Welcome to EX you have come to the right place for support to quit smoking/vaping.  It is all a nicotine addiction, just a different device.  I would start at the education of nicotine addiction and making a plan of how you are going to about it.  Whether you are going cold turkey or use NRT's Nicotine Replacement Therapy. If you go to My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX  review the videos and track when and why you vape.  Just replace the word smoking with vaping.  Also, you can follow this linkQuitting E-cigarettes | Guides & Tools | BecomeAnEX is more specific.  I also researched other websites for info www.whyquit.com was one of them. Read Nicotine 101 and Journey to Freedom.  There are EXcellent articles to read.  If you have questions you can use the magnifying glass top right corner and enter a key word to research. https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/community/community-help  is the link to help find your way around the site. Stay close read study ask questions and again Welcome to EX.  We are here to support you.  Give us a chance. 

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Sootie
Member

Jackie has suggested some good readings......try to learn everything you can about quitting. Vaping is so dangerous.......have you been reading the sudden deaths that they attribute to this? Don't be anxious about quitting.....be anxious about continuing such a dangerous addiction. As Jackie said....we are here to help. Set a quit date and honor it. Get rid of all the vaping stuff. Come here as often as you want and reach out.....just talking about it will help......PROMISE!

Welcome to EX! We are all here for each other.

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melissahend
Member

I'm here with you. Ex smoker turned vape addict. We can do this. I promise. 

Exvape
Member

Thats exactly it...I am an ex smoker turned vape addict. I am determined to stop and I’m so happy I found this site. I thought vaping was better than smoking, but I soon found I couldn’t control my vaping bc it doesn’t smell I can vape all day at work.... it’s really quite insane! I ride a bike to and from work on most days and then when I get to work as soon as I feel a little stress I’m off to buying a disposable ecig.... nuts!   anyway today is day 1 and I think this site will help. 

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YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

When you become educated on nicotine addiction, you will understand that it INCREASES anxiety, not decreases it!.  Read on to understand why.

Although primarily a smoking cessation site, I have seen a huge increase in the number of people coming for help to break free from vaping. Research suggests nicotine may be as addictive as heroin and cocaine. Here is a great article with information about the products: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/vaping/vaping-101-what-know-about-e-cigs-addiction-illnesses-n1054981... https://www.becomeanex.org/quitting-e-cigarettes.

E-cigarette users can get more nicotine than they would from a tobacco product — extra-strength cartridges are available, or the e-cigarette’s voltage can be increased to get a greater hit of the substance. I understand some pods equal the nicotine in a pack of cigarettes. Because it is available to you most anywhere, anytime, I believe it might be more difficult from which to break free than tobacco products - but it CAN be done!

Nicotine addiction is nicotine addiction - no matter the delivery device - and how to beat any of them is about the same. Every time you read :"cigarette" in the information I will give you, just sub "Juul" or “vape,” or “device.”   The one thing different I would recommend is that you first start to reduce the nicotine content of the pods.  Start with a lesser amount in, like, one in every four, then three, etc. until you are only using the smallest amount, or reduce the amount of nicotine in the pods over time That way the physical withdrawal should be more manageable. You might find useful information, as well, here: https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/quitting-smoking-vaping/quitting-e-cigarettes.

I recommend that you educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind To that end, I suggest Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” . Vaping was not a concern when this was written, so you will need to sub “vape”as necessary. This is an easy and entertaining read which can be found online or at your local library. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort after you have tried to delay and distract.   I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them..  For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.  For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time.

It will be informative if you do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site. As you track each device use, note its importance, and what you might do instead. Put each use off just a little to prove that you don't NEED a puff just because you think you do

The idea is to change up your routines so the vaping associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from where you vaped. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  If you always had that first puff with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to vape so the view is different. Take a different route when you are out and about so you aren't driving by your vaping supply shop. Take a quick walk at break time instead of vaping.


You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. Don't let that vaping thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.    Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of vape if you need some fresh ideas:
 https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...
The conversation in your head in response to the "I want to vape" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!


 Nancy

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Exvape
Member

Thank you for that email!

I just watched that YouTube video and lm going to read Alan Carr’s book.

I replaced a few cigs a day about 5 years ago with vaping. I thought vaping

would be way safer than smoking. Anyway I can’t control my vaping. I never

vape at home and I end up vaping all day at work. I’m determined to stop. I

also notice when I vape that periodically my eyes get super bloodshot

sometimes bursting a vessel. I’m going to get my eyes checked but I know in

my heart it’s related to vaping. I vape when I’m stressed and my work is

stressful. I went looking for help this morning and found this website.

Anyway my quit started at 9pm yesterday. I’m going to stay close to this

site.

Thank you again!

On Sat, Sep 28, 2019 at 9:51 AM Youngatheart.7.4.12 <

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YoungAtHeart
Member

The better informed you become, the better your chances of success.  So happy to hear you are getting after it!

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Barbscloud
Member

Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your decision quit.  We've had lots of vapers here recently so I'm sure you'll receive lots of information, advice and support.   We're all nicotine addicts so we can support you on your choice to eliminate nicotine from your life.  Educate yourself about nicotine addiction, create a quit plan and join the community.  

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/e-cig-users?sr=search&searchId=23ce0226-0e7c-4b70-9fca-084... 

Barb

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