Why Quitting Vaping Feels So Difficult
You might be wondering: if I want to quit, why can’t I just stop?
The truth is, vaping isn’t just a habit - it’s an addiction, and addiction lives deep in the brain.
Once inhaled, nicotine reaches your brain in under 10 seconds.
Nicotine binds to receptors in your brain, giving you a rush of dopamine – called the ‘reward’ chemical - which is released in response to certain situations like winning a game, eating your favourite meal, or having sex. It feels pleasurable, calming, and satisfying.
Nicotine is the third most addictive drug after heroin and cocaine.
Does that make it easier for you to understand why it's so hard to stop?
But over time, your brain starts to adjust. It creates less natural dopamine and starts relying on nicotine instead. And that’s not a good thing.
That’s when you’ll realise:
Before you have even realised, what initially felt like a choice has now become an addiction:
But here’s the good news: Your brain can unlearn this habit. Just like it got used to vaping, it can get used to life without it. And the longer you go without nicotine, the more your brain starts producing dopamine naturally again. Let's begin.