Vaping nicotine is often used as a coping strategy to relieve or manage stress. However, research shows that the nicotine in vapes is linked to more stress and can also worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety. Read on to learn how vaping nicotine can put you in an unwanted stress loop and find tips to get out of it once and for all.

• Initial relief is temporary. Some may think they feel better after inhaling nicotine from a vape because of the release of pleasure-inducing chemicals which cause positive mood shifts. However, these immediate effects go away quickly so users soon feel like they need to use that vape again.
• Triggers are easily developed. When individuals vape in response to stressful situations or feelings of anxiety, their bodies can begin to tie the behavior with feelings of relief which can create a trigger. In turn, any time someone feels stress, their brain may say: “Hey! You should vape, it’ll make us feel better.”
• Withdrawal sets in. After the “vape high” wears off, nicotine withdrawal symptoms can set in (think: cravings, sweating, nausea, difficulty concentrating, irritability, anxiety and more). As a result, feelings of stress can be seriously hard to manage and can lead users to head right back to their vape to address the withdrawal symptoms.

It can be really hard to get unstuck from the stress loop of vaping. Individuals may feel so out of control from stress that they feel the need to vape to feel ‘normal.’ The best way to not only feel normal but thrive is to quit vaping for good with the following resources:

• Make a quit plan. Quitting is no easy task, but there are resources to support you every step of the way. Use the interactive YouCanQuit2 Quit Plan which walks you step-by-step through how to prepare to quit and then provides encouragement and tips to accomplish your goals throughout your journey.
• Find support for your quit. Look through the Support Locator tool to find a free tobacco cessation program that can help you kick the vaping habit for good.
• Try a texting program. Free text messaging programs like This is Quitting may be especially helpful if and when you’re having a craving to vape or if you need on-demand encouragement.
• Talk to your provider about medication. Medications to help you manage cravings and symptoms of nicotine withdrawal can increase your success for quitting and staying quit. Check in with your provider about your options before your quit.

Navigating busy lives can make managing stress feel like a giant task. While vaping may seem like easy relief, it’s doing much more harm than good. Need more convincing? Check out The Harms of Vaping video to get answers on everything you need to know about vaping.