In December 2016, I was given 24 bottles of e-juice with a wide range of flavors and potency's ranging from 6mg to 18mg of nicotine per milliliter. My brother was moving to another province so he needed to quit nicotine in order to afford his new living arrangement. Every bottle was full when I received them.
Over the years, many of my (ex)smoker friends had told me that the self control gained after quitting nicotine justified their initial nicotine addictions. Before receiving these bottles, I never knew what nicotine felt like nore did I understand why anybody could get addicted to them in the first place.
I saw an opportunity to truly get to know the demon we all know as "Nicotine".
My Plan - Vape ALL bottles entirely by the end of the month.
........ and then quit.
I started my journey with the 6mg bottles. Because I was still a noob, every time I tried to take a drag, the juice would get into my mouth as though I were drinking it like a straw. The first time that happened, an intense feeling of motion sickness washed over me which cause me to puke involuntarily. Once I figured out the technique for proper clouds, the Initial effect was far from anything enjoyable. The only true effects I got from it was a disgusting sickness comparable to alcohol spins. I was pretty confident I wasn't going to gain any attraction towards the effects I had gotten thus far... so I moved to the 12mg bottles.
At the time, I was 2 months deep into a low calorie diet. Once I started to use the 12mg bottles, I noticed that it was increasing the pace I was losing weight. I started to appreciate the mental stimulation that was initially felt while holding the vapor, but any enjoyment faded faster then I had liked. The 12mg were also the ones with the best flavors, so they were the fastest to consume.
Once I was finished everything 12mg and below, I decided to increase the dosage to 18mg. All the bottles that had this potency were the least appealing flavors of the bunch with the majority of them being mint. This potency seemed to work overly well for a couple days, but then stopped working almost entirely. I started to notice I was vaping as a means of passing time and dealing with general boredom. At this point, not vaping for longer then 30 minutes would give me disturbing strong cravings that would make me act aggressive and I didn't want to eat until I had vaped. I knew at this point that I was hooked, whether I liked it or not.
I managed to finish ALL bottles 1 week before the end of December. During the final week, I was determined to quit the addiction I initially set out to conquer in the first place. The only thing sicker feeling then Nicotine is the lack of nicotine after growing accustomed to it. During the week without nicotine, I had a massive drive to go to the store and buy tobacco, but I fought that craving with all my might. I knew if I actually went through with it, there would be no chance of quitting.
I had a trick under my sleave...... British comedy.
In order to change my cravings, I had to figure out exactly what part of vaping called to me most. I realized nicotine creates a false sense of productivity. If a person sits in a chair doing nothing but sitting, they will feel like they are doing nothing because, well, they are. If a person is sitting in chair and vaping, then vaping becomes the thing your doing. I realized in order to overcome nicotine, I had to fill its void with something more meaningful.
I needed a perspective from people with conditioning foreign to my own lifestyle, so I figured British Comedy was both close and far enough to meet my needs. I could have chosen any foreign style of entertainment, it was simplest to settle for British standards.
"That Mitchell And Webb Look" was the show I decided to binge while going through some of the worst cravings I've experienced in my life. As the cravings went away, so did my interest in the show itself. I started to associated the sickness I was getting from the withdrawal to the show, and every time I saw the main characters faces, I got a subtle motion sickness similar to nicotine. I thoroughly enjoyed the show when I first started, but by the end of the week, just the thought of watching it made me sick beyond reason. Essentially that show sacrificed its entertainment value for my lack of control over a relatively socially acceptable poison.
At the time of writing this, I can say I haven't consumed e-juice since, and just the thought makes me feel like I'm coming down with the flu.
Do I feel stronger mentally from this experience? Probably not, but I did gain empathy towards those who are trapped in nicotines chains. I was only addicted for under a month and I was already struggling to quit, I admire those who are able to quit after years of use. I feel WAAAY healthier after quitting, and the gunk that built up in my lungs was eventually purged. I'm as healthy as I was before starting my experiment. Would I recommend nicotine to anyone? Unlikely. By the time you start to enjoy this substance, your hooked.
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@cryptocreme if you haven't already. If you enjoyed this post, smash that upvote so I can share the wealth. If you leave feedback in the comment section, I will reply and upvote as many as I can!