djsfantasi
- Joined Apr 11, 2010
- 9,163
Don’t spend more than a week or two vaping. Otherwise, you’re substituting one bad habit for another. I know.
Vaping isn’t without it’s issues. Continued vaping will cause more immediate lung damage. Difficulty breathing, fluid in your lungs, amongst other problems. Plus if you’re susceptible (pre-existing lung conditions; senior citizen, etc…) , vaping will land you in a hospital after a few months of using. There’s a reason why vaping supplies are being pulled from retail stores.
Vaping does address the habits of smoking, letting the manual habits continue. The pleasure of holding a “magic stick”.
The key to quitting is knowing what withdrawal symptoms you will face. That way when they happen, you can deal with them without backsliding.
You MUST keep track of your nicotine ingestion. I recommend the rules of three. Use a substitute as desired for 3 days. Then force yourself to wait an hour after a craving hits before satisfying it. For 3 days. Then 2 hours. Then 3 hours. 3 days each time.
If you started with vaping, switch to another form of nicotine. I recommend lozenges. Gum must be administered carefully and is too easy to use incorrectly. Patches are another form, but since they supply nicotine continuously, you don’t get the benefit of NOT dosing on nicotine and NOT developing the habit of NOT using it.
So lozenges it is. Plus they satisfy the oral habits you developed when smoking. Try 2mg first, but if the cravings are too strong, start with 4mg and using the Rule of 3s, work down to 2.
If you’re fastidious about quitting, you’ll know when it’s time to quit. The Rule of 3s continue to apply. Milestones will be at 1 day, 3 days, 1 week, 3 weeks, 3 months and even 3 years.
Take it slow, but don’t give in. During the “phases of denial”, note when the cravings strike. Use a notebook if that helps. That will teach you your nicotine triggers and strengthen your resolve.
Good luck! Anyone can quit.
