In the short-term, vaping nicotine may feel good by stimulating production of the “feel good” chemical in the brain called dopamine which can create feelings of pleasure and relaxation. Vaping nicotine also creates social opportunities to connect with other people and provides a distraction from stressful situations.
Stress and anxiety can trigger vape cravings, and make it harder for you to quit for good. You may be tempted to reach for your vape when you have these feelings, but vaping is not an effective way to cope. There are healthy and effective ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
As you vape, the flow of information will slow down and you'll receive a calm sensation. Perhaps, this is one reason why many people choose vaping over smoking. When you inhale the smoke, your body will release chemicals that affect your brain to slow down.
Though nicotine has not been found to directly cause mental health conditions, peer-reviewed studies reveal troubling links between vaping, nicotine, and worsening symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as higher odds of having a depression diagnosis.
Benefits of vaping
Vaping can help some people quit smoking. Vaping is usually cheaper than smoking. Vaping is not harmless, but it is much less harmful than smoking. Vaping is less harmful to those around you than smoking, as there's no current evidence that second-hand vapour is dangerous to others.
An anxiety pen is basically a vape with CBD in it. CBD is a chemical substance that is also known as a cannabinoid. This substance has numerous health benefits, which include stress management, inflammation & pain management and anxiety management.
Most smokers say they want to stop, but some continue because smoking seems to relieve stress and anxiety. It's a common belief that smoking helps you relax. But smoking actually increases anxiety and tension. Smokers are also more likely than non-smokers to develop depression over time.
Nicotine is a stimulant, which may have properties similar to stimulant medications (e.g., Ritalin) used to treat ADHD. Nicotine may increase attention and reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity and, thus, may regulate behavior in individuals with ADHD.
Studies on nicotine and anxiety show that any relief provided by vaping is temporary. And vaping can make anxiety worse. Nicotine negatively affects mood and brain function. While marijuana in low doses has been shown to decrease anxiety, high doses can cause anxiety and paranoia.
But in reality, vaping nicotine can add to your stress and can also amplify feelings of depression and anxiety. In fact, according to Truth Initiative survey data, 93% of vapers reported that vaping negatively affected their lives(opens in a new tab) because it made them feel more stressed, depressed, or anxious.
Vaping exposes users to fewer toxins and at lower levels than smoking cigarettes. Switching to vaping significantly reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease, and diseases of the heart and circulation like heart attack and stroke.
Additional long-term side-effects of using a nicotine-free vape include lung damage, rapid onset of persistent coughing, difficulties in normal breathing, and diarrhea.
Breathing in the harmful chemicals from vaping products can cause irreversible (cannot be cured) lung damage, lung disease and, in some cases, death. Some chemicals in vaping products can also cause cardiovascular disease and biological changes that are associated with cancer development.
Second, vaping calms your mind, gives relief from stress & anxiety, and manages sudden mood-swings. You no longer feel the craving for a cigarette once you switch to vaping. It impedes your nicotine inhaling habit & habituates you into giving up smoking tobacco-based cigarettes.
Mental Side-Effects of Vaping
For example, nicotine, the addictive substance found in vape products, can cause short-term feelings of pleasure and relaxation, but can also cause feelings of anxiety. Long-term, nicotine can lead to changes in energy levels, mood, and behavior, and can even cause depression.
An association between PTSD and smoking may reflect the use of nicotine to attempt to alleviate PTSD symptoms (McFall, MacKay, & Donovan, 1992). Nicotine could be used to decrease physiological arousal, or conversely to stimulate someone experiencing uncomfortable feelings of numbness or detachment.
When nicotine is inhaled, the buzz you feel is the release of epinephrine which stimulates the body and causes your blood pressure and heart rate to increase, and makes you breathe harder. Nicotine also activates a specific part of your brain that makes you feel happy by stimulating the release of the hormone dopamine.
Brain Risks
These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanent lowering of impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning.
When you go without vaping, the nicotine level in your bloodstream drops, which may cause unpleasant feelings, physical symptoms, and strong urges to vape. This is nicotine addiction.
Some new vapers may experience slight drowsiness when starting to vape due to taking deep draws and holding in too long. This may prevent the body from getting the oxygen it usually requires and is used to and make you feel a little sleepy at first when vaping.
1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.
Approximately 70% of the THC-only vapers and 60% of the nicotine-only vapers and dual vapers reported experiencing anxiety symptoms — such as worries, flashbacks, panic attacks and situational anxieties— within the past week, compared to about 40% of participants who had never vaped.