Almost 8 months vape free

I (27f) vaped all day, every day for almost 12 years. I truly thought I’d never stop, I always wanted to quit so badly but I just didn’t have the willpower. I have an ADHD diagnosis and I also experience learned helplessness, just to give an idea of my mental state. The last year got pretty bad as I was waking up with a stinging, pounding headache every day. I just felt like shit throughout the day from the second I woke up but I again just didn’t have the willpower.

The thing that did it for me…my vape ran out right before I walked into the airport to go on vacation. I knew I could buy one once I got to my destination but I also had the thought that this was my only chance to get a long enough break to where I felt motived to stop. So that’s what I did, I just refused to go buy another one once I got to my destination. Yes, I thought about it obsessively but I had already been away from the vape a day, then another day, and so on. I kept distracting myself as much as I could. I definitely felt horrible and had a cloudy mind but not much worse than that stinging, pounding headache I woke up with every day. The withdrawals (physical and mental) started to go away by day 8 and improved every day from that point. Now I’m approaching 8 months and vaping basically never crosses my mind. In fact, I almost gag when I think about doing it.

I know that not everyone can go on vacation to quit but I think something that can definitely be done is to do something that makes it inconvenient to buy a new vape. Then by the time you go buy a new one, you’re already a couple of hours into not having it…so just continue without it. I also think it helps not to plan to quit, just let it happen and decide in the moment. Distract yourself with something or do something you don’t normally do for a couple of hours. In my experience, it’s the initial decision to not go for a new vape, and from there you can do it (even if you obsessively think about it for a couple of days or weeks).

If I can do it, I know you can do it as well. Good luck on your journey everyone, you got this!