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The results are consistent with “other research indicating that there is a significant risk of developing symptoms of nicotine dependence in adolescents who use electronic cigarettes,” said Adam Leventhal, director of the Institute of Human Sciences. drug addiction from the University of Southern California, which was not involved. in the study.
The research “also highlights the urgent need for treatments that can help young people trying to quit smoking,” said Jennifer Dahne, co-author of the research, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and human sciences. behavior of the Medical University of South Carolina.
The new research is “the clearest sign that once (kids) get hooked, they realize what’s happening to them,” said Matthew Myers, chair of the Tobacco Free Kids Campaign, who did not participated in the study.
“The lack of regulation has meant that the e-cigarette industry has marketed highly flavored products that appeal to children (and) provide nicotine which quickly leads to intense addiction.”
Addiction refers to a person’s loss of control over substance use and is associated with changes in your brain’s ‘reward center’, said Dr Sharon Levy, Director of the Addiction and Substance Abuse Program. Adolescent from Boston Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics. at Harvard Medical School. Levy was not involved in the research.
The developing brain of an adolescent or adolescent is more sensitive to these changes than the mature adult brain. “When these changes happen,” Levy explained, “the rational decision-making part of the brain loses to the more instinctive parts and people find themselves using nicotine even when they really want to quit.”
Know why you quit
Think about what really matters to you and how vaping harms those things. Does vaping affect your feelings, your money, or your relationships with people who are important to you?
Answering these questions can help you see how vaping affects your life, perhaps in ways you haven’t realized. Keep a list of the reasons why you want to quit on your phone and read it when you feel the urge to vape.
Commit to an end date
Don’t choose something stressful the night before, like an exam. On your phone, set an alert for the day.
Create your quit plan
Know what to expect
Knowing about the potential challenges ahead can help you stick to your plan.
“Nicotine is a stimulant and a lot of teens who use it as the sensation or ‘buzz’ they get from it,” Levy said. “But over time, most people find the buzzing harder and harder (to achieve) as you develop tolerance and your body begins to adjust to the nicotine.”
Withdrawals can make quitting uncomfortable and especially for the first week or two. If you experience any symptoms and cravings, talk to your doctor about medications that may help. “Hang in there because the withdrawal symptoms go on over time and the cravings get less intense over time,” Levy said in an email.
Maybe you are vaping with friends and vaping is part of how your group spends time together. Since hanging out with them while you quit smoking can be difficult, you may want to see other people for a while. Some people find they are ultimately able to hang out with vaping friends without being urged to follow suit, Levy said.
- Lung lesions
- Dizziness, vomiting or convulsions
- Difficulty concentrating and learning
- Symptoms of depression
- Increased risk of smoking, marijuana and other drugs
- Impaired or abnormal brain development
“Being addicted to tobacco products means teens don’t have full control over their use,” said research co-author Tracy Smith, assistant professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University. South Carolina Medical Center. “If they are able to stop, they regain that control.”
Identify triggers, seek social support and have some self-compassion
Triggers – certain people, situations, or feelings – can cause you to act in a way that could harm your health.
The study also found that 57% of teens who currently vaped nicotine had symptoms of depression in the past year and 61% had symptoms of anxiety, Dahne said.
If you are vaping to relieve problems, psychological treatment and healthy activities such as walking or listening to music can help you deal with stress and turn away from vaping. You may also find alternative behavior, such as chewing gum or calling a friend.
Doing this alone can be difficult, Levy added, so enlist the help of your doctor, family, and friends. Be specific about what you need – maybe they can distract you so you don’t vape. Others can help hold you accountable as you try to change, Levy said.
And don’t be too hard on yourself if you mess up, which can happen a few times. “Recognize that relapse is normal when trying to change behavior, including stopping vaping,” Dahne said. “It’s important to learn from what worked and what didn’t from previous quit attempts and try to quit again.
Imagine your car without vaping
If vaping is something you do on a regular basis, imagining your life without it can be difficult. The you who feel weird at first will eventually become your new normal.
Thinking of yourself as someone who doesn’t vape can separate you from vaping and give you the confidence to move forward. Write a list of all the good things about yourself that don’t involve vaping – vaping doesn’t define who you are.
Imagine the future you who you want. How does that person compare to who you are now? How does vaping get in the way? All of these steps can help you close this gap.
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