Cant make it past a few hours heeeelllppp!

[LPatto]

I desperately need help. How do you even make it past a few hours once you decide to quit? 

 

I started smoking age 12 in 1998. In 2011 I started vaping (I think they where new out at that time from Liberty Flights) I smoked and vaped for 2 years. 2014 I vaped only but I vape way more than I smoked. I have it under my pillow, at my desk in work, in the bathroom, in the car literally everywhere. My 3 year old son picked up my vape to have a go so now am desperate to stop. Its literally all I think about. For the past 4 months I have been wearing a patch but still vaping every hour (better thank every 5 minutes). I literally just keep looking at the clock to see how long I haven't vaped for. Am annoyed at myself everyday, Its making me miserable. I spoke to my doctor yester about starting Varenicline (Champix) but she refused to prescribe them as in winter I have Raynaud's she thinks I should try some therapy but I feel that might be a waste of time. I can but Varenicline online but not sure if its safe considering my doc wouldn't prescribe it. Am too scared to bin the vapes in case I have a panic attack!!! It doesn't help that I work in a office I can literally have it hanging out my mouth all day. 

 

Any advice or help would be so much appreciated.

[Penguin]

My heart breaks for you, @LPatto, because I've felt that desperation and fear and misery. I tried so many times to quit before my quit finally stuck, and that was after my lung collapsed and I ended up in the hospital. Even now I face risks for increased illnesses, longterm lung damage, and more. I won't beat that drum too long or hard, since I'm sure you're well aware of the health risks. For many of us, that's a large part of the reason we think about quitting at all.

 

I don't know what it will take for you, personally, to quit. I do know eventually you will need to throw away any and all nicotine in your life if you are ever going to be free from it. I also know that's a terrifying thought. Still, here is something for you to consider: you're going to be miserable either way. You can either continue smoking, knowing the damage you're doing to yourself and the ones you love, and be miserable, or you can quit and be miserable, but take comfort in the knowledge that as you trudge through the misery of going without your fix, you're getting healthier in the longterm.

 

From what you've described, you might need the help of a therapist. That's up to you. I know that can get really expensive. The long and short of it is, you have to make and keep a commitment to never take another puff. It's that simple, and that difficult. There's no way out of that hell except through it. Again, you will be miserable either way, but one way you'll be miserable and hurting yourself, and the other way you'll be miserable and getting a little healthier one miserable moment at a time. You're between a rock and a hard place, my friend, but the good news is the misery of quitting doesn't last forever.

 

Think of it like this: you won't die from not having your fix. It will be uncomfortable and maybe even painful, but it won't kill you. All you have to do is resolve to face the pain and discomfort and exist through it. I ended up in a hospital bed with a tube in my chest. I don't have kids, but I do have a niece, and I thought about what I'd done to myself and how it might affect her. I could excuse away the ramifications of my choices on my dad and sister, but there was no justification I could come up with for explaining to my niece why her Uncle Penguin was dying or dead because of choices he made. We'd all like to think highly of ourselves and say we'd do anything for the people who love us, but not everyone has to prove it.

 

This is your chance to put your money where your mouth is, proverbially speaking. Your son picked up your vape and started down the road you now find yourself on. Surely you don't want what you're going through for him. Ask yourself if you're going to face misery and keep smoking--likely imparting that legacy to your son as he wants to be like you--or if you're going to face misery and quit, so that you might have a healthier life, and he might see your victory and learn from it? I'm reminded of a quote by C.S. Lewis:

 

Quote

“Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.”

 

Your son is going to meet his share of cruel enemies in this world, including in the form of habits and mindsets. Consider how you can be brave and knightly for him. I know that might sound foolish and trite, but what you do will set an example for him. I highly advocate people quit smoking for themselves, but if considering your son's future will help you toward that path, you could begin at worse places.

 

Put down the vape. Embrace the discomfort as the payment for your lessons learned as you grow in your victory. It's going to be hard. You will likely stumble and fall. Pobody's nerfect. What makes the difference between you and someone who stays in defeat is whether you're willing to get back on the horse no matter how many times you fall off of it. I suggest you stick with us, too, because you'll get the full gamut of tough love and gentle encouragement here in your quit journey. All of us want to see you succeed, and we will do everything in our power to cheer you on, but it's got to be you who makes the choice to live.

[LPatto]

Its so frustrating its not even a real cigarette just a piece of metal right now am telling myself don't puff on the vape just for 2 weeks then I can book a holiday for a treat! Even that's not tempting me 

[QuittingGirl]

Hi @LPatto Welcome to Quittrain.  This is the right place to get quitting smoking/vaping support.  We all know what you are going through, because even though there are many people who have been quit a decade or longer, everyone here was a newbie at one time.  Quitting is not easy, I certainly know that, and in the early days of my quit, I was climbing the walls, but coming on here every day really really helped me to stay quit!  What I did in those early days, is I took cinnamon sticks and made believe they were a cigarette.  I would suck the air in and pretend that I'm blowing smoke out.  If you don't like cinnamon, cut up straws also work.  Quitting any habit is very difficult, but the longer you stay quit, the easier it will become,  I can promise you that.  I went from climbing the walls in those early days to rarely ever thinking about smoking.  The urges do go away, they really do!  You might want to speak with your doctor again about a pill called Welbutrin.  It's an anti depressant but it's also used to quit smoking.  We can offer you all sorts of advice and helpful hints and tricks, but in the end, you are the one who has to want to stop.  

 

I wish you the best of luck in this and hope to see you on here again.  The more you come on here, especially in the beginning of your quit, the more success you will have.  I truly believe that and it has really worked for me and many other people.  Reach out to us whenever you are having urges and are really upset.  There is an SOS section.  Someone is always around as we have people here from all over the world in many different time zones.

 

Good luck to you! 

[DenaliBlues]

1 hour ago, Penguin said:

you won't die from not having your fix. It will be uncomfortable and maybe even painful, but it won't kill you

^^^ this

 

@LPatto, I am so sorry that you suffer! But you have come to the right place for help. First and foremost, educate yourself about ADDICTION. Vaping/smoking is not just a bad habit… not at your level of consumption. Nicotine is a chemical dependency every bit as serious as heroin. So you need to understand both the physiology and psychology of what is happening to you.  

 

It sounds like in a good faith attempt to wean yourself you have actually fallen more tightly into the grip of nicotine. By combining vaping + patches you are keeping your nicotine receptors constantly activated and hungry, which will intensify rather than reduce the cravings. A vicious circle. This is why weaning rarely works.

 

There are many ways to quit: cold turkey, nicotine replacement, champix, 12-step programs, etc. Each has its merits and limits. All of them work when diligently followed. 

 

In your shoes I might suggest that you find a counselor/therapist that specializes in addiction or smoking cessation… someone who understands withdrawal and can help you through the anxiety and loss that quitting will stir up. I also would consider getting a second opinion about the champix or wellbutrin. 

 

But, as Uncle Penguin and Quitting Girl said, there is no way thru but thru. Withdrawal is miserable. But it gets better. It doesn’t last forever. I promise. Peace and freedom await you on the other side!  You CAN do this. 

 

Edited Friday at 01:41 PM by DenaliBlues

[LPatto]

2 hours ago, DenaliBlues said:

^^^ this

 

@LPatto, I am so sorry that you suffer! But you have come to the right place for help. First and foremost, educate yourself about ADDICTION. Vaping/smoking is not just a bad habit… not at your level of consumption. Nicotine is a chemical dependency every bit as serious as heroin. So you need to understand both the physiology and psychology of what is happening to you.  

 

It sounds like in a good faith attempt to wean yourself you have actually fallen more tightly into the grip of nicotine. By combining vaping + patches you are keeping your nicotine receptors constantly activated and hungry, which will intensify rather than reduce the cravings. A vicious circle. This is why weaning rarely works.

 

There are many ways to quit: cold turkey, nicotine replacement, champix, 12-step programs, etc. Each has its merits and limits. All of them work when diligently followed. 

 

In your shoes I might suggest that you find a counselor/therapist that specializes in addiction or smoking cessation… someone who understands withdrawal and can help you through the anxiety and loss that quitting will stir up. I also would consider getting a second opinion about the champix or wellbutrin. 

 

But, as Uncle Penguin and Quitting Girl said, there is no way thru but thru. Withdrawal is miserable. But it gets better. It doesn’t last forever. I promise. Peace and freedom await you on the other side!  You CAN do this. 

 

I have wondered if I should just go cold turkey. The crazy thing is I have not even tried. I vape so a better solution would be to vape 0 percent nicotine and once the cravings are gone it will be just a case of keeping my hands busy 

[LPatto]

2 hours ago, DenaliBlues said:

^^^ this

 

@LPatto, I am so sorry that you suffer! But you have come to the right place for help. First and foremost, educate yourself about ADDICTION. Vaping/smoking is not just a bad habit… not at your level of consumption. Nicotine is a chemical dependency every bit as serious as heroin. So you need to understand both the physiology and psychology of what is happening to you.  

 

It sounds like in a good faith attempt to wean yourself you have actually fallen more tightly into the grip of nicotine. By combining vaping + patches you are keeping your nicotine receptors constantly activated and hungry, which will intensify rather than reduce the cravings. A vicious circle. This is why weaning rarely works.

 

There are many ways to quit: cold turkey, nicotine replacement, champix, 12-step programs, etc. Each has its merits and limits. All of them work when diligently followed. 

 

In your shoes I might suggest that you find a counselor/therapist that specializes in addiction or smoking cessation… someone who understands withdrawal and can help you through the anxiety and loss that quitting will stir up. I also would consider getting a second opinion about the champix or wellbutrin. 

 

But, as Uncle Penguin and Quitting Girl said, there is no way thru but thru. Withdrawal is miserable. But it gets better. It doesn’t last forever. I promise. Peace and freedom await you on the other side!  You CAN do this. 

 

Am from the UK we do have free quit smoking clinics through our National Health Service just always thought they would be a waste of time. I would love even 1 day of not vaping. You never know I might actually think it's not as bad as I thought ha! Do the cravings come and go or do you feel crazy all day? Unfortunately I fall at the first hurdle so I have no idea 

[Penguin]

1 hour ago, LPatto said:

Am from the UK we do have free quit smoking clinics through our National Health Service just always thought they would be a waste of time. I would love even 1 day of not vaping. You never know I might actually think it's not as bad as I thought ha! Do the cravings come and go or do you feel crazy all day? Unfortunately I fall at the first hurdle so I have no idea 

 

Every quit is different, but from my own experiences:

 

The first week or so can feel pretty constant, but that's why they say, "One day at a time." You can and should break that down into smaller units as needed to get you through those cravings. A typical craving can last five minutes or so before the worst of it passes. You'll feel irritable and unbalanced for a while as you adjust to life without your fix. You might experience headache, stomach upset, and mood swings from irritable to depressed and back again.

 

The more life experience you get without your fix, the more natural it will feel. Eventually you'll start doing things without thinking about your fix, and you'll feel better. Then some stressor will come out of the blue--you might not even notice it--and the cravings will feel fresh all over again. You'll have to be on your guard to fight against it, especially since you might become depressed over thinking you were past this stage and being here again somehow means you failed. That's a lie your brain might believe. It's natural for those cravings to crop up from things you might not even notice.

 

As you succeed in resisting those cravings, your brain's software will be rewriting itself, in a manner of speaking. You'll be writing new "code" that says you can feel okay without your fix, and life works better without it. Of course, other things might crop up in the absence of smoking. Expect your thought patterns to change. Your moods will change. You're going from "I'm going to freebase this toxic cloud of countless chemicals into my lungs" to "I'm not doing that," so that shift can be jarring. Even so, the sooner you quit any and all smoking and adjacent behaviors, the better off you'll be.

 

That means getting rid of the vape. Even if you don't use any nicotine, the action of vaping reinforces your habit. When I go to the coffee shop and they hand me my straw for my drink, if I hold it like I used to hold a cigarette, I can feel the smallest little tinge of a craving, even though I haven't held a cigarette in over a year. Personally, I had to remove myself from all of it. I trashed $300 to $400 USD in pipes, lighters, cigarettes, cases, cutters, stuffers, tampers, tubes, bags of tobacco, and even pipe cleaners. I can't be around the odor of tobacco, because it variably makes me ill and gets my wheels turning.

 

You started your habit at a formative time in your life, when your brain was still writing its original software. That's why I recommend seeing a therapist, because it can be harder to rewrite that sort of coding. Generally speaking, I do recommend cold turkey, but if you do seek out a credentialed therapist, defer to their advice. For me personally, "I could just wean myself off" and other "I could just..." statements are my way of trying to negotiate with myself to smoke. Addicts do that; we try to bargain for our fix, creeping up to the line oh-so-subtly so we can reach across and hope no one notices, as if that's what matters.

 

There's a scene in the comedy Tropic Thunder where a cocaine addict is tied up, and he starts to bargain with the group he's in to let him go. When that doesn't work, he resorts to threats. For all the nonsense in that movie, they actually painted a fairly accurate (if outlandish) visual of addiction. Be very wary of yourself trying to bargain or threaten you into continuing. You'll tell yourself you can have this part of your addiction. You'll tell yourself life will be worse without your addiction, as if the physical damage you do to yourself is somehow less worse than a few weeks of irritation and discomfort. That's your brain threatening you.

 

Don't buy into the lies.

 

Don't bargain.

 

Get thee to a therapist, my son. Allies in this fight are a necessity. Unless your therapist says otherwise, I recommend cold turkey, but others might have different suggestions. Really, it's best if you can invite others to support you. Even my friends who still smoke support me in my quitting, and in the habits I've formed since I quit (like going for frequent walks to exercise my lungs a bit). Whatever allies you can find to cheer you on, that can be a huge boost for you.

[Doreensfree]

5 hours ago, Penguin said:

My heart breaks for you, @LPatto, because I've felt that desperation and fear and misery. I tried so many times to quit before my quit finally stuck, and that was after my lung collapsed and I ended up in the hospital. Even now I face risks for increased illnesses, longterm lung damage, and more. I won't beat that drum too long or hard, since I'm sure you're well aware of the health risks. For many of us, that's a large part of the reason we think about quitting at all.

 

I don't know what it will take for you, personally, to quit. I do know eventually you will need to throw away any and all nicotine in your life if you are ever going to be free from it. I also know that's a terrifying thought. Still, here is something for you to consider: you're going to be miserable either way. You can either continue smoking, knowing the damage you're doing to yourself and the ones you love, and be miserable, or you can quit and be miserable, but take comfort in the knowledge that as you trudge through the misery of going without your fix, you're getting healthier in the longterm.

 

From what you've described, you might need the help of a therapist. That's up to you. I know that can get really expensive. The long and short of it is, you have to make and keep a commitment to never take another puff. It's that simple, and that difficult. There's no way out of that hell except through it. Again, you will be miserable either way, but one way you'll be miserable and hurting yourself, and the other way you'll be miserable and getting a little healthier one miserable moment at a time. You're between a rock and a hard place, my friend, but the good news is the misery of quitting doesn't last forever.

 

Think of it like this: you won't die from not having your fix. It will be uncomfortable and maybe even painful, but it won't kill you. All you have to do is resolve to face the pain and discomfort and exist through it. I ended up in a hospital bed with a tube in my chest. I don't have kids, but I do have a niece, and I thought about what I'd done to myself and how it might affect her. I could excuse away the ramifications of my choices on my dad and sister, but there was no justification I could come up with for explaining to my niece why her Uncle Penguin was dying or dead because of choices he made. We'd all like to think highly of ourselves and say we'd do anything for the people who love us, but not everyone has to prove it.

 

This is your chance to put your money where your mouth is, proverbially speaking. Your son picked up your vape and started down the road you now find yourself on. Surely you don't want what you're going through for him. Ask yourself if you're going to face misery and keep smoking--likely imparting that legacy to your son as he wants to be like you--or if you're going to face misery and quit, so that you might have a healthier life, and he might see your victory and learn from it? I'm reminded of a quote by C.S. Lewis:

 

 

Your son is going to meet his share of cruel enemies in this world, including in the form of habits and mindsets. Consider how you can be brave and knightly for him. I know that might sound foolish and trite, but what you do will set an example for him. I highly advocate people quit smoking for themselves, but if considering your son's future will help you toward that path, you could begin at worse places.

 

Put down the vape. Embrace the discomfort as the payment for your lessons learned as you grow in your victory. It's going to be hard. You will likely stumble and fall. Pobody's nerfect. What makes the difference between you and someone who stays in defeat is whether you're willing to get back on the horse no matter how many times you fall off of it. I suggest you stick with us, too, because you'll get the full gamut of tough love and gentle encouragement here in your quit journey. All of us want to see you succeed, and we will do everything in our power to cheer you on, but it's got to be you who makes the choice to live.

^^^ this ^^^
Glad you found us @LPatto.

You have been given some great advice from the members here  .

Swopping one addiction for another is very common , 

Please check out all the great tips on how to start your journey on our Main Discussion 

Board… they are pinned in green , it’s a great place to start . 
Just change Smoking for vaping the principal is the same,

Our minds are our worst enemies , I found thinking about it was actually worse than doing it . 
Stay close and read,read and learn till your eyes bleed 

knowledge is power

[LPatto]

Am going to try again tomorrow no vapes no patches nothing! It’s a weekend and I don’t work weekends my 3 year old is bonkers so I’ll have my hand full until Monday! If I just make one day it’s a start. I have cigarettes here they have been here for about 2 years and the thought of them knocks me sick it’s the stupid vape it’s like a dummy lol. 

[Doreensfree]

Good for you … just go for it …

why not take our daily Nope thread 

Take it a minute at a time if you have too 

Try chewing ordinary chewing gum 

it will keep your mouth busy

 

[Reciprocity]

Hi @LPatto!

Yeah, the early days of quitting suck big time, that's for sure but it's just a brief period of having to stay focused and deny your nicotine addiction in exchange for a lifetime of Freedom from having smoking/vaping literally run your daily life each & every day!!

 

Keep busy with something/anything to help take your mind off having just one puff to quiet the compulsion you feel to have a smoke. We are all nicotine junkies but we can all break free from being a slave to that addiction. It really is a matter of wanting to quit MORE than you want to smoke.

 

The prize you are fighting for (Freedom) is worth every minute of withdrawal difficulties and remember ... Somking/vaping NEVER helped anything in your life. Just robbed you of your money, health & freedom to be smoke free, like you once were.

 

Determination is critical!!! Never give in no matter what! You'll see, there will be light at the end of the tunnel. We have all been right where you are now and we have all had to battle those early days too so we know what we're talking about ... it IS possible to quit for good! Why not join the rest of us? You have nothing to lose and so much to gain.

[jillar]

Welcome aboard @LPatto, congratulations on deciding to take your life back. Doing it now means your son will never remember that dad was a smoker  Isn't that good incentive to stay quit?  

I'm going to be honest here, quitting can be hard but walking around attached to an oxygen hose is even harder. Trust me, I live it every day and I don't want another person to have to live like this,..

What helped me get my forever quit was finding a forum of people who knew what I was going through and could help me past the tough times. We are that forum. Please take advantage of all the knowledge and resources we have here and try to come on daily to reaffirm your quit.

It's not going to be easy at first, especially since you've been vaping so there's no way to determine how much nicotine in comparison to cigarettes you've been inhaling. Oh and please don't vape or smoke with a patch on, it's very dangerous!

You mention anxiety, if this is a concern your dr  may be able to prescribe temporary meds to help you through, something to think about. Please check out our vape forum, lots of information there as well

[LPatto]

Hi all just a little update. After I posted my last message I removed my patch and haven’t touched my vape since. It’s now 9.20 am and apart from a mild headache I feel ok. I remembered a few months ago I bought my usual batch of nicotine online but after about 12 hours of vaping away but still feeling like I needed to vape I realised my nicotine was a faulty batch they had 0 Nicotine in them! No one died and I wasn’t anxious or grumpy that’s proof it’s mostly psychological 

[Reciprocity]

Good for you! Keep it up, even if/when you do run into a rough patch where you want to vape - just don't!

The longer you stay clean, the easier it gets 

[DenaliBlues]

Well done, @LPatto. You're on your way now! You are 100% right that withdrawal will NOT kill you. 

 

You may be challenged both physically and emotionally, though. Going through the final withdrawal might make you feel edgy, desperate. Your blood sugars, digestion and sleeping may be disrupted. Addict Mind will try to rationalize that just one puff can't hurt. But don't fall for the false logic. One puff inevitably leads to another and another. 1 is too many and 1,000 is never enough. Stay strong and don't give in. Say it out loud: NOPE. Get rid of all your vaping supplies. 

 

Cravings are not commands. They are just loud obnoxious commercials for something you don't wanna buy any more. Tune them out... stay busy... change the channel. Freedom from the compulsion is so sweet, on the other side. You CAN do this!

 

[QuittingGirl]

You are doing great @LPatto  Keep up the good work!! One day at a time and you will get through the withdrawals.  Every day it will get easier and easier.  Just don't take one puff ever, because if you do, you will be right back where you started and who wants to go through withdrawal more than once! 

[Doreensfree]

Well done … upwards on onwards .

Don’t forget our SOS should you need us 

Many a Quit has been saved this way