1. Welcome to Thailand Vapers, an English language forum for members in Thailand and the rest of Asia to talk about vaping.
    Commonly referred to as e-cigarettes, vaping is really about the use of personal vaporizers (mods) and atomizers (tanks, clearos, RBAs, RDAs, RTAs) filled with e-liquid.
    Are you looking to get started or an old hand at vaping? Everyone is welcome here so sign up today and talk vaping with us!

My last newbie update post - stopping smoking

Discussion in 'The Thailand Vaping Newbies' started by Scuba Vaper, Jan 21, 2016.

  1. Scuba Vaper

    Scuba Vaper Thread Starter Open Water Scuva Instructor

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2015
    Messages:
    751
    Likes Received:
    870
    Location:
    Wherever the Onion takes me today
    Can't get away with posting in newbie forum for much longer, it'll be a month since I joined here on 23-jan ...

    Stopping smoking is the number one reason to start vaping. So it's more a newbie topic than almost anything else.

    I've been a smoker on and off for good portion of my life. Occasionally managed to break free with things like hypnosis, nicotine tube thingys or willpower plus Alan Carr. However, I always fell off the wagon, usually after a few beers, and a few months off the cigarettes would lead to years on 'em again.

    Smoking is addictive, can't explain the exact mechanics, but seems to be a combination of things, not just nicotine itself. My overall conclusion is that it's working in a strong way on one's emotions, which originate in the brain, so not a physical dependency, more a mental dependency. Since body and mind are inseparable, well, can appear that there's a physical dependency.

    Vaping is working for me very well, I have at this time cut down to virtually zero cigarettes, and certainly not get the horrible cravings that I had with other methods of stopping smoking. I think vaping is more "smoking'esk" than anything else available, and I think this is why it's working. I get nicotine from the e-liquid, and I get sensations similar to smoking in the act of vaping itself.

    That's not to say, I haven't had any withdrawal symptoms from cigarettes, which I'm sure the full list is published elsewhere on the Internet. Particularly, for me, I experienced some increased stress levels, naggy-ness and general irritability, extremely vivid dreams, varying appetite, and some difficulty getting to sleep, amongst other things.

    One issue is that it's challenging to pinpoint the cause of issues experienced when transitioning from smoking to vaping ... Is it cigarette withdrawal symptom or am I reacting to e-liquids ? In the case of emotional issues like stress, there may be other things going on in one's life, at the same time that would throw one emotionally off balance.

    BUT OVERALL, I'm utterly convinced that vaping is a million times more healthy than smoking, and that any odd effects of vaping or smoking cessation, will eventually pass.

    My advice to newbie Vapers who're looking to stop smoking, is the same as what was said to me, plus my own experiences :

    1. Persist with the vape, change your equipment and liquids until you find what's working for you.

    2. Higher strength nicotine means less withdrawal symptoms from cigarettes. But within that find what's right for you. Current I vape around 18mg, 36mg is too strong for me, 12mg and lower I have to chain vape to keep up.

    3. Put any anti-vaping input you receive into perspective. Yes, there's small possibility that there could be issues with vaping, but compared to smoking cigarettes, these risks are minute. If you are a hypochondriac, then maybe vaping isn't for you. If you're a normal human being, then surely you realise that lung cancer or having gangrenous parts of your legs removed, until you die anyway, well isn't really a preferable finish to life, and that just perhaps vaping might save you.

    4. Go easy on yourself, allow the process of stopping smoking to take time and no one's above making mistakes. If you do find yourself smoking again, then stop again as soon as you can. Close friends may be able to help with emotional stressors, and lighten the load. This forum helpful also for questions, and the guys here do their best to be supportive, but do realise they're not counsellors, therapists or priests, so some things best dealt with via your friends and family or with a professionally trained person, if you don't have a support system.

    5. Nice e-liquids will help. If you actually enjoy vaping, you're more likely to persist at it until you don't need to smoke anymore. I vape cheap Chinese liquids for economy, but starting to experiment with premium liquids, which generally have better taste and are more satisfying.

    6. Don't be an utter cheapskate. The cheapest of the cheap vape gear will break, will burn your liquids and may be unsafe. Do be efficient, and don't waste money, but do realise that a little money spent on vape gear and liquids, with no medical expenses is a lot cheaper than multi millions of baht to care for you if you get lung cancer or gangrene from your clogged circulation. In fact an expat may have to kiss his Thailand life and wife/girlfriend behind in favour of going home for free medical treatment, like we have in UK. 'uck that, basically, I like my life how it is ...

    The bottom line here is that you should take tabacco addiction seriously. You should also take your vaping in order to stop smoking just as seriously, and realise that through planning and preparation, you might easily live 20 or 30 years longer than you would as a tabacco smoker, once you've kicked it through vaping.

    Posted above what I learnt about stopping smoking via vaping, and happy for anyone else to add to or chip in, it's not meant to be exhaustive writing, if you want that then buy my book if I ever write one.

    Lastly, thanks once again to all the people in my family and friends who've helped and encouraged me, plus all the guys on here, who are awesome community, with a real helping others attitude.
     
    Baz, etlava, ThomasMac16 and 5 others like this.
  2. Loki
    No Mood

    Loki Trickster. Vaper. Bringer of Ragnarök

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Messages:
    258
    Likes Received:
    471
    Location:
    Asgard
    Congrats Scuba!! :sunny:
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2016
  3. farangmick
    Worried

    farangmick Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2015
    Messages:
    1,161
    Likes Received:
    2,212
    Location:
    Phetchabun
    :cheers:Well done Scuba.
     
    Loki likes this.
  4. Dimebag

    Dimebag New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2016
    Messages:
    10
    Likes Received:
    1
    Hello new poster here
     

Share This Page