I'm an addict too, and I'm in recovery (hooray!) I totally understand how you're feeling; the need to replace one addiction with another. My addiction history looks like this:
Cigarettes
Then cigarettes and alcohol
Cigarettes, alcohol and cannabis
Cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis and food
I started to get panic attacks and 'depersonalisation' when I smoked weed, so moved to:
Cigarettes, alcohol, food and Codeine
At this stage, I was in my early 30's, 18.5 stone, smoking 20 a day, drinking around 30 units and taking 90 Nurofen Plus tablets (1152mg Codeine total) and consuming around 4000 calories daily.
Most of my drinking was done in secret, but once my family became aware of the real amount I was consuming, I started my recovery, which went like this:
Cigarettes, alcohol, food and Codeine
Cigarettes, food and Codeine
Then I became really poorly (it had to happen eventually with all the crap I was putting into my body) with a huge stomach ulcer (from all the Ibuprofen in the Nurofen Plus) and was unable to eat anywhere near as much as I used to, as my stomach had shrunk so much during the period while I was ill. I can no longer take any NSAIDs (like Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naxproxen etc.) due to the stomach ulcer (I tried once, such is the strength of addiction) and the pain was horrific, like my stomach lining was being rubbed with a cheese grater, so Nurofen Plus was a 'no go' for me, any other OTC Codeine comes with Paracetamol and even I'm not stupid enough (and even my addiction isn't strong enough) to get me to take enough of a Codeine/Paracetamol mix to get a 'high', and obviously I'd spoken to my GP about my addictions and we'd agreed to have a big note on my Medical Records saying I am not to be prescribed Opiates (I once had a GP who used to merrily scribble out a prescription once a week or so for a 30 days' worth of Oramorph, which I'd chew up over 2-3 days, bizarre). So:
Cigarettes and Diet Coke
I was still smoking. One day I felt a little nauseous but when I vomited, up came nearly 2 pints of blood and clots and I fainted. I'd just been for a cigarette, and smoking is one of the worst things you can do with a stomach ulcer, so the cigarettes had to go. Then:
Diet Coke and Nicotine gum
And 5 years on, that's where I still am, and is where I'm planning to stay.
As you can see, cigarettes were the 'longest serving' of my addictions, Nicotine is notoriously one of the hardest drugs to quit - as much so as Opiates, I'd say - especially given that it's an addiction you can use in front of others (for the most part); it's not illegal and you don't have to go around various different Pharmacies to buy them. If you can avoid Nicotine, then do, but if you are set on needing 'something', then I'd say go for the gum. It is expensive, but you need only have 3-5 pieces a day and it'll give you the little buzz you're looking for - particularly as you're not used to Nicotine. Starting to vape now is a bad idea!
As I don't drink coffee, the Diet Coke I drink gives me a little hit and everyone knows it's my drink and so they don't drink any of the bottle I keep in the kitchen, so that helps trick my brain a little; knowing it's my special treat. That along with the Nicotine gum give my body and brain just enough of a little 'thrill' to keep my addiction quiet. Are there some little things like these that work for you?
Another little 'trick' which works on my brain is a really offensive and sweary Metallica song, which I very occasionally put on loudly (when no one else is around, obviously!) and shout and dance madly to it - it's a real endorphin rush for me, but I usually save that one for when I have a pretty intense craving.
Try vaping if you really feel you must, by why add something else you're only going to want to give up eventually? I know you say you have the kids in the evening, but you could do an exercise DVD, or something like Wii Fit.
You've done amazingly well to stay off cocaine, and I admire your determination to stop the Codeine - tapering is definitely the way to go, I had to do cold turkey and it was hell. You don't mention if you get it prescribed or OTC, but either way, you're likely to be saving money by giving up - another little incentive.
When you're in recovery, it can sometimes feel like all the 'fun' things have been taken away from you, but in reality your brain has been incorrectly programmed by the drugs, so you need to ‘reset and reprogramme’ it. So, you need to find ways of getting more enjoyment out of little things, then teaching your brain that these ARE the big things, then eventually, they really will be! I know it sounds twee and cliché, but it's true and it does work. My natural ‘happy’ these days is far happier than my unnatural state of happiness back in my using and drinking days and I never thought I’d be able to say that! (in fact when I stopped drinking, I remember thinking ‘Well that’s it, nothing will ever be fun again’!) Good luck OP, feel free to PM me if you need any support and let us have an update in a few days - you're doing ever so well, keep it up - you CAN do it!