First Quit Day

[Amdrews]

I’ve had a complicated relationship with tobacco products over the past five years or so. I began smoking cigarettes in college because many of my coworkers/friends did. I stopped smoking them a little over a year ago and fully transitioned to Juul pods. Today is the day I’ve decided to stop smoking them entirely. They waste my money, take up a lot of time, attention, and energy, and they stand in the way of me spending time with my family and friends. I know they are bad, intellectually, but I still fear life without them. I have my boyfriend’s support (I told him about my goal today) and understanding. Today has been difficult, filled with inexplicable urges and irritations, but I know I can prevail if I have support and can focus on developing other more productive habits. Here’s to today, and many future days free of nicotine. 

[MarilynH]

Welcome to the community Amdrews you've made the best decision that you'll ever make in your lifetime and it's definetly the best gift that any of us will ever give ourselves which is the gift of LIFE please read everything you can because there's a wealth of information right here on this site to strengthen your resolve to quit and stay quit you can do this quit believe it deep breaths and know that we're all here to help you in any way tonight you'll have turned your Day ONE INTO DAY WON with many more to come, I'm not very tech savvy to give you links to read so I'll do a mention to Nancy and she'll be along to do a welcome YoungAtHeart....

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

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.  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!

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... There is further information here: https://www.becomeanex.org/quitting-e-cigarettes and here; https://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/smoking-facts/impact-of-e-cigarettes-on-lung.html .

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.  When you hit your quit date, throw out the device, any pods you still have - keeping any around is giving yourself permission to fail. 

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.

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

[Amdrews]

Thank you so much for the words of welcome and all the information! Honestly it’s reading things like these materials that is my main distraction from my craves at the moment.

[Amdrews]

Awesome, thank you so much! I look forward to reading everything I can!

[Barbara145]

Welcome.  Congratulations on your quit.  So glad you found us.  Stay close to this site.  What it has done for so many is pretty amazing.  You can do this.

[Sootie]

So happy to have you with us. this site can be the difference in quitting successfully. As you stated...I came on here 15-20 times a day in my first weeks of quitting. reading ANYTHING on here...not just answers to me......was helpful in keeping me on the goal of quitting.

Welcome to EX......we are all here for each other.

Stay Strong.

[sweetplt]

Welcome to Ex’s Amdrews 

I am so glad you are quitting the JUUL...you traded one addiction for another...the good part is if you can quit smoking cigarettes, you can quit the vape...we are here for you.  Keep close to the support site...ask questions, keep us posted on you progress, and/or encourage others on this journey.  Gotcha in my thoughts ~ Colleen 513 DOF 

[Barbscloud]

Welcome to the Ex Amdrews . Congrats on your first day nicotine free.  Spend time on the site educating yourself about nicotine addiction and creating a quit plan if you haven't do so already.  My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX  Knowledge and preparation lead to success.    Most of us have smoked a very long time.   I smoked for 50 years and just celebrated 2 years smoke free yesterday.   The people on this site are great examples that you can do it too.  The support here is fabulous.   I know how much it contributed to my success.  We're here to support you any time you need encouragement or just want to share your journey.  

Barb

[maryfreecig]

Great decision to quit. Welcome to Ex and congratulations on day one. Urges are not a mystery--it's and addiction and you are right you can get out of it. Ex is here for you 365.  Yes you can.

[Jono28]

Congratulations on taking the leap! Stay close, stay busy and be kind to yourself. My view is easy or hard the only way out is through. Keep moving forward one week, one day, one hour...one minute at a time.

Wishing you an easy journey and the strength and support to see yourself through if instead it's a difficult one.

[shashort]

Hello and welcome to EX.  You have made a great decision in giving up nicotine.  Your lungs will love you.  Read all that Nancy suggested.  Armoring yourself with education, will help you understand this addiction and help your prepare and understand what to expect.  Find your determination, stay strong! You can do this.

[Giulia]

OK kid, you joined this site, you a wrote a blog two months ago about stopping Juul and " I have my boyfriend’s support"... what happened?  Where are you?  Don't throw in the towel just because you may not have made it on that first day.  If I may throw your own words back at you:

"I know I can prevail if I have support and can focus on developing other more productive habits."  You've got the support here... so... what else are you developing?????   Quitting takes work.  It doesn't come true just by the wish of it.  Come back and talk to us.  We CARE!