I’m a 40-year-old mother of two who has developed a serious addiction to vaping and is unable to quit.
The strange thing is that, except from the occasional social cigarette in my 20s, I’ve never really smoked, but I started vaping to relieve the stress of lockdowns and homeschooling.
I used to only vape when I was extremely anxious, but now I use it almost constantly. I recently attempted quitting cold turkey, but the withdrawal symptoms were so agonising that I soon resumed.
Now that I hide it from my kids and even my husband—who knows I do it and wants me to stop—I feel like a true addict. I’m feeling physically and mentally bad, but if I don’t do it, I feel even worse.
If any of my friends found out, I would be horrified because I am so ashamed of this behaviour. Please provide me some tips on how to end this habit permanently.
I’ve tried nicotine lozenges and gum, but I’m not successful with either of those. I’m too ashamed to visit my doctor. Please assist!
Okay, complete disclosure now. I smoke, so a) don’t hate me, and b) I understand how difficult it is to stop because nicotine is so incredibly addictive.
Although I am aware that not everyone will be motivated by fear, you may Google all the research on vaping.
The problem with vaping is that it’s much simpler to “get away with it” because the scent isn’t as overpowering as it is with cigarette smoke.
Due to the fact that I could vape in front of the TV or even in bed, I discovered that I vaped 100 times more than I did when I smoked when I first started. I always had it in my hand.
When I ran out of vape liquid, I would just light up a cigarette because it did absolutely nothing to help me stop!
Do not be ashamed to address this with your doctor. They won’t call up your relatives and friends and tell them you’re guilty of something; it’s absolutely confidential. Additionally, I believe you should identify the source of your stress and develop more healthy coping mechanisms.
These days, there are so many ingenious apps that can aid in stress relief and behaviour change.
One of my sons started using meditation applications, and it had a profoundly positive impact on his life.
Find something else to do until the craving goes because, according to research, it only lasts two minutes in your brain.
Change your routine as well because vaping has become a regular part of your day.
I’m going to try to stop smoking once more, and I know the most important thing I need to do is develop a new pattern.
If you find yourself struggling with any of the problems outlined in this article, please contact us, and our team will do our best to help.