EPTI want to begin by saying I have absolutely NO affiliation with any product I mention below. But I have had such an substantial breakthrough that I have become a preacher for this quitting alternative.
My History: I began smoking when I was 16 years old (currently 34). And around 19-20 is when I became an official "Pack-A-Day" smoker. I've attempted to quit numerous times, with the longest run being nearly a year. During each attempt I tried different methods. Initially, I thought I could beat it with sheer willpower and oral substitutes (suckers/hard candy), but when that didn't work I resorted to patches, and when that didn't work I tried LIVESTRONG reduction techniques... and when that didn't work... I questioned whether or not I would ever be able to truly quit smoking. In between I considered or attempted every possible Nicotine Delivery System aside from Chantrix.
2 weeks ago I made an amazing breakthrough, and even more interesting is that it was the only time I had not "planned" on quitting.
My wife decided that it was time to try the eCig. She'd been doing some reading, spoke to some fellow "users", and finally pulled the trigger. When she came to me to declare her purchases, I sort of shrugged it off with a "Sure honey buy that for me!" - When in reality I was just thinking about how I would get to "smoke" at my computer.
Now previously, anytime I was going to quit, it was a BIG ordeal. The planning, the mental preparation, even the physical preparation were all major factors that I spent an alarming amount of energy on. And each time a failed attempt to quit happened, it became increasingly difficult to "prepare" myself for that dreaded day. My last attempt came over 1 year ago, when after 2 months I finally broke down, began to "sneak" cigarettes, and within another week was already back to my normal "Pack-A-Day".
My eCig arrived on a Wednesday. Initially there was this general excitement. Not necessarily a, "OMG I'M GOING TO QUIT" excitement but more like a, "OMG I GOT SOME NEW TECHNOLOGY AND IT'S COOOOOL" excitement. So after getting everything ready, learning about the usage, maintenance, etc.; my journey had begun.
On day one I noticed very little difference. I was still smoking Analog cigs, and puffing off my Digital cig to get used to it.
On day two I began to get used to the eCig and was definitely able to cut out a few breaks here and there. Sometimes I would go through the motion of a break, go outside, and instead of lighting up, I would use my eCig. I instantly noticed the hardest part was that first Cig in the morning, or that epic Cig after dinner. I thought to myself that the eCig would never be able to replace these moments.
On day three, Friday, I purchased my normal "2 Packs for the Weekend" (my wife smoked as well so this typically got us through Sunday). The reduction continued however, and I found myself definitely smoking less Analog cigarettes. Saturday rolls by, the packs dwindle down in smokes, and then Sunday hits.
AND HERE MY FRIENDS IS WHERE MY LIFE CHANGED...
Here's the best way I can describe it. For nearly 18 years, I was a slave. When I saw a pack of smokes degrade down to the final 2-3 cigarettes, all I could think about was making sure that I had a plan for securing a new pack. This seemed normal to me. A mental act which had me chained to something which was ultimately killing me. But that didn't matter, I saw 3 smokes, and I was not "satisfied" until I had a NEXT PACK to smoke when I was done with those three.
Sunday morning I woke up to have my "AM" cigarette and I noticed that there was only 3 smokes left in my pack. I looked at the pack, looked at my eCig, realized what a gorgeous day it was outside, looked back at my pack, and then said to myself, "I'm good."
"I'm good..." - I dunno how it's happened, I dunno what mental switch triggered for me, but those were my last 3 cigarettes. I didn't need to PLAN for them to be my final 3, I didn't have a huge ceremony to discard of them or shun them from my life. It just happened. And I believe it happened because I found a temporary alternative... the eCig.
I'm now two weeks off Analog smokes, already on "Light" eCig cartridges (which is much less Nicotine), and while two weeks may not seem like a huge amount of time... what's important to me is not the amount of days I have not smoked, but rather the amount of time I have spent thinking about real cigarettes, which is basically Zero. I've not had a single craving, I've not thought about sneaking a smoke, my smell has already recovered and now smoke (and my friends who still smoke) smell like complete garbage to me. For the first time in my life I have not had to fight the urges which made it so difficult for me to finally break the bad habit.
I don't plan to be on the eCig forever, but if doing so would keep me from never having another cigarette in my life... I would.
I urge anyone who has ever attempted to quit, tried various alternatives, or has extreme cravings when attempting to rid themselves of Analog cigs, to GIVE THESE A CHANCE. I don't care what brand you use, if you go full flavored or down to nothing, all I care about is that people give these a chance. I feel like this $60 device will actually be the thing that will ultimately save my life.
This is coming from someone who has an incredibly addictive personality. But I have full confidence that I have already beat this. It's over... and I have triumphed thanks to the help of some technology that I had previously written off as silly and not effective. I was very wrong.
Please share your stories of the eCig. I'm happy to answer any questions about my process.
My wife is completely shocked that I was able to rid myself of cigarettes in the way that I did (and in such a short amount of time), but the person who was surprised the most is ME. This is one of the proudest moments of my life and I hope that others can find some motivation to attempt this method if they too have failed in the past.
To my son, and wife... I did this for you.
That sin-tax works like a baus!]
