Navigating Nicotine Addiction

Today, I am 2 years vape free! I still periodically get cravings, have relapsed with tobacco along the way, and still use nicotine patches as I need to. I’m breathing better, feeling stronger, & I’m able to run faster and longer distances again 🥹 

I felt embarrassed and ashamed of vaping pretty much the whole time I did it. Despite the intense shame, I wasn’t able to kick the habit until I was able to approach it with compassion and curiosity – without any judgement. While I was ashamed, I trust a part of me had developed this behavior with good intentions for me. Maybe to fit in, maybe to cope with stress, maybe to help give me energy, or to help me focus. Maybe it was a genetic predisposition.. or maybe on a larger scale, it was a manifestation of a systemic issue. 

The companies that market these products were highly creative and successful in making me (and so many others) want their product.. and with most vapes containing higher nicotine content than cigarettes, of course they’re designed to make people chemically dependent. (Yay capitalism! 😂🥴😭)  It can go from this “thing I do sometimes” to “this thing that I need to function” pretty quickly.

Everything changed when I started approaching my addiction with compassion and curiosity. I even have compassion for the shame I felt; maybe part of me believed shame could be an effective tool for behavioral modification.

I’m happy to chat with folks who are interested in exploring options for decreasing nicotine consumption. 💐you’re not alone 💐