A Relationship with Nicotine (Part 1 of many)

Of all the “recreational substances” I’ve experienced in my life, Nicotine is the one that has lasted the longest.  Partly due to the fact that smoking is a notoriously difficult habit to kick, but mostly due to my tendency to ‘self-diagnose’ and ‘self-medicate’.  It was an on-again/off-again kind of thing when I was a teenager.  We even called it quits for a few years there.  When I turned 16, however, and suffered intense anxiety behind the wheel of a car, I came to the conclusion that my life could benefit from adding nicotine to the mix.  It’s been 21 years since I made that decision and with the advent of electronic cigarettes I regret it less and less.

There’s a little talk around the cyber campfire that nicotine on it’s own is actually less addictive than what we’re exposed to from smoking cigarettes.  My own experience seems to confirm this.  I’ve recently noticed that I’m able to abstain from vaping for longer periods without experiencing intense cravings.  I’m able to do this without supplementing my nicotine consumption with “the Gum” or any other NRT product.  Unlike past instances where I’ve been forced to limit my smoking, as a vaper I don’t experience the sudden, intense onset of depression or anxiety.

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating – Sometimes I Forget To Vape!  This never happened with a pack of cigarettes.  Sometimes I would forget to buy a pack by the end of the day, but that just meant I’d have to go out of my way to pick one up later; maybe suffer a brand I wasn’t fond of.  And then there’s that whole scenario where there’s only 5 cigarettes left in a pack and you know it’ll be awhile until you’ll be able to buy another pack.  It’s as if the anxiety of knowing you’re going to run out and be without makes you consume more.

All of this to say that my relationship with nicotine has changed over the past 6 months.  I feel less like a drug addict and more like a nicotine consumer.  I’m choosing to explore different flavors and devices. And, now more than ever, I choose when and where I vape.

Thanks for Reading & Happy Vaping

-Alex