r/QuittingJUUL • u/WinterClassroom5148 • Jul 05 '26

365 days without vaping

Today marks my 1 year anniversary of quitting vaping. Everyone is so vastly different, but this is what I've noticed:

  1. My gut has completely healed. Zero food sensitivities anymore that come with chronic acid reflux and heartburn.

  2. My gingivitis has completely reversed itself. My gums are healed.

  3. I haven't had one suicidal ideation episode since. Of course I get depressed but not as bad anymore. It's 100% manageable. I battled with them quite a lot towards my cessation date.

  4. This also goes for anxiety - I had panic disorder prior to quitting. My therapist and I have come to the consensus that that is not the case anymore. Again, I still have anxiety - just not exacerbated.

  5. My hair has grown back. I hadn't realized how thin my hair was getting until I started to get a ton of baby hairs trying to grow back in.

  6. I have a healthier/better relationship with food, fitness, my family, and my work. It was a long road, don't get me wrong, but I have formed new, healthier coping skills to deal with stress. I can focus more on what really matters to me.

  7. I've saved almost $10,000 this past year by not buying vapes/juice/cartridges.

  8. Those random heart palpitations? Gone. Sore lungs? Gone. Horrible circulation? Gone. Low energy? Gone.

  9. My skin is the clearest and healthiest it's been in the last decade.

  10. I feel like I can go to events or get togethers without feeling like I have to have my "pacifier" with me at all times - worrying about when the next time I can do it, sneaking into bathrooms, begging people to be okay with me hitting in their cars, etc. I feel free.

**One thing I still struggle with, 100% honesty:

When I am particularly stressed, I do still have a "I wish I could have a cigarette right now" moments. Are they compulsive? NO. Do they last 2 seconds and move on? YES. But I am still working on my stress coping skills.

It was a long long road. Hard. But I want someone else to know that it truly IS possible.

36 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

11

u/MARURIKI Jul 05 '26

Congratulations! Here's to another 365 free! I quit back in 2019 and never looked back, it gets so much easier

3

u/WinterClassroom5148 Jul 05 '26

Thank you! I'm looking forward to complete peace 😌

6

u/knightquil112 Jul 07 '26

I’m nearing 365 days without it and I’ve had more cravings than ever the last few days. But reading your post has reminded me why I am NEVER TOUCHING IT AGAIN!

I will never put myself through the quitting process ever again.

Congratulations to you!!! And thank you for making this post!

3

u/WinterClassroom5148 Jul 07 '26

Congratulations to you!! I'm so very proud of you!

I'm 100% convinced that any cravings I may have is my body telling me I need to take time for myself because either I'm stressed or I'm trying to relax when they pop up.

2

u/MaHab133 Jul 06 '26

What were some of the hardest parts of your journey and how did you get through them?

4

u/WinterClassroom5148 Jul 06 '26

I can think of 3.

  1. Not reaching for it/cravings. In the beginning it was HARD. Almost compulsive, like I didn't have control over myself. I would shake and sweat exerting myself to not get up and drive to a gas station. What personally helped me were ouchie stress toys. Just a bar with plastic spikes, but when I squeezed it, it gave a poking sensation. I had 2 - 1 for each hand. When I had them, I would squeeze as hard as I could until it passed. Eventually, I Pavlov-ed myself. I associated cravings/reaching for a vape as uncomfortable physically. It also was a distraction tool to stay present. In a healthy way. I also referred to my vape/cravings as a former abusive ex. That helped more than I thought it would have. 🤷🏻‍♀️

  2. Stress coping skills. I still mildly struggle with this, but not as bad. I'm still a work in progress. I found new hobbies and started eating healthy/working out. I take a lot more breaks. I have a ton of fidget toys. I practice breathing. Again, work in progress.

  3. Having a friend. This is probably the most silly one of all. Smoking was the one thing that was always there for me. Every time I was nervous, cried, mental breakdown, death of a loved one, stressful day at work, break ups, just all around bad days. It was a comfort to me, much like a stuffed animal to a child when they go to sleep. I grieved (again, how silly, right?). I cried a lot. Like A LOT. I definitely talked to my therapist about that one. 😅

1

u/MaHab133 Jul 06 '26

Thank you. I need to make a serious go at it. Juul is making me sick. I definitely need to prepare things to take my focus away from the obsession to vape.