Disable Email Notifications permanently?

Is there a way to permanently disable thread based email notification, without disabling the "alerts" on the page.

I more than welcome the "alerts" popping up on the site, I however do not need an email notification for every single reply, for every single thread, that i have posted in.

I have uncovered the option to edit email notifications on watched threads, but my issue is that when you reply on a new thread, that thread then becomes watched, and then it appears to auto-activate the email settings for that thread.

I'm just referring to thread emails, if someone sends a PM, i'm completely fine with an email.

am i missing something?

thanks in advance.