TEENS:
Today is National Stress Awareness Day, and it provides a time to reflect and identify triggers in our own and in others’ daily lives. Remember that not all stress is bad.
It’s important to develop coping skills for anxiety and to identify and let go of the things you cannot change.
Also remember that exercise helps us a great deal as it helps individuals to let go of built-up anxiety.
Finally, realize and remember that eating a balanced diet fuels our bodies so that we’re able to better cope with stress.
I WANT TO QUIT VAPING
DR. WALLACE: I’m 16 and have been vaping for four months, and now I feel as though I’m trapped by it! I’d like to quit, but the urges to keep on vaping have been way too strong for me to resist.
One of my friends got really sick from vaping; he finally was able to quit because he couldn’t vape without throwing up right afterward. I want to quit but I haven’t been able to do so on my own, and I unfortunately don’t throw up after I vape, so I have not been able to follow in his footsteps toward giving it up. I’ve heard from other kids at school that you can inhale vitamin B12 to quit vaping. Would this be safe to do? — Hooked On Vaping, via email
HOOKED ON VAPING: Vaping is extremely dangerous as harmful chemicals and metal particles are inhaled into your lungs. Don’t follow unsubstantiated rumors from school. Instead, attack your problem head on — and do this immediately. Here’s a list of helpful ways to quit vaping:
No. 1. Identify alternative coping skills.
No. 2. Tell loved ones about your plight and enlist their support.
No. 3. Get rid of all your vaping products and paraphernalia.
No. 4. Buy gum, hard candies, toothpicks and other things you can use to help fight the urge to vape.
No. 5. Talk to a therapist or review online resources for group support.
No. 6. Practice quitting by doing a “test run” a day or two at a time.
Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected] To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
