# Vaping causing Depersonalization / Derealization



## Mike_NY (Dec 10, 2015)

Just wondering if anyone has read the below article before. I am 100% convinced now my DP/DR was triggered by vaping. Vaping a nicotine level higher than I should have. I had been vaping 12MG vape juice for years since the vaping scene started. to get me off cigarettes, non stop with no ill effects then out of convenience when I ran out of juice, I would buy those Logic disposable e-cigs which are on sale at practically every corner store in New York and New Jersey. They come in either 18MG or 24MG which was considerably higher for me, and a lot of times the stores would only stock the 24MG. I would be so craving nicotine so bad, I would buy them anyway just for the cravings, which was fine if I was drinking, but they started to give me a bit of a light head when I was sober.

Anyway, on 2 occasions a few days before I lapsed into DP, I had felt really light headed in almost a DP state for around 10 mins after vaping these 24MG e-cigs, not every time, just these 2 times, which I attributed to the high nic (of course) but that Saturday morning, I was drinking a lot of coffee and vaping hard on these e-cigs then I got that same feeling as the previous days, only this time it didn't go away and I endured 2 months of hell on earth and still to this day suffer from a milder version of DP from what it was then. It had to have been a combination of high amounts of caffeine and nicotine in quick succession and my body probably went into a panic and my brain switched to DP mode.

So I never made the connection, and continued to vape. Then the Logic brand created a rechargeable version of their ecig, which took refill cartridges and was way way cheaper than the $10 per disposable I was buying each time. So I bought it after the store clerk sold me. So I was vaping this, and of course, most places only stock the 24MG refills, which I had now become addicted to and have been vaping this damn high nicotine shit up until last week when I threw it away. Now people vape 36MG and upwards, but i'm just not built for concentrations that high.

I don't normally smoke cigarettes, because vaping made me quit around 4 years ago but I bought some and figured they can't be as bad as that high nicotine stuff I was vaping. I had one today outside work and it caused a panic attack. Probably due to the fact i've been in a pretty fragile state since the start of this week.

Quitting nicotine HAS to be my way out of DR/DP. If I can cut that shit out for good, I feel it will start to fade away to where it came from. It's so hard, because i've been addicted to nicotine for the best part of 16 years. I figure drinking is a depressant, so when I vape high levels of nic, it stops my body reacting badly to it. I am going to go back down to the 12MG and see if it makes a difference before putting myself through the hell of quitting because nicotine withdrawal can cause major symptoms and panic attacks.

I saw this article recently, and it hit home so much that I had to share it. When this happened to me last year I would go to the vape forums and everyone called me crazy, saying vaping can't cause this and that, now I know how full of shit they were if I can go into a panic attack from a mere cigarette. I wish I had have seen this article a year ago and made the connection then, instead of filling my body full this shit through my whole DP phase, because it gave me some relief. Little did I know, it was actually causing it.

It's possible that I might be the only person on here who has triggered DP this way, but i'm sure I wont be the last.

http://www.anxietybustersblog.com/?p=613

Depersonalization Induced by E-Cigarettes and Vaping

by DR. R.E. FREEDMAN

There are many triggers linked to feelings of depersonalization and derealization but lately a high rate of reactivity to E-Cigarettes and Vaping is reaching noticeable levels.

Symptoms of E-Cigarette and Vaping Use include:

- Feelings of Unreality and Detachment

- Severe Anxiety leading to Panic Attacks

- Severe Chest Pains when Breathing (which stop when use is discontinued)

- Lightheadedness, often extreme

- Racing Heart, Palpitations

- Insomnia

- Sweating and Irritability

- Excitability

- Inability to Concentrate

Recovery from Symptoms

1- Discontinue Use of These Electronic Cigarettes and Vaping

The symptoms often abate when usage is discontinued with the exception of those who become sensitized to these reactions, creating further symptoms until they learn to interrupt the process of fearful worry.

It's essential that the individual recognizes the trigger and makes a choice concerning their health. Through proper approach one is able to interrupt the habit of fearful worry and allow a sensitized body to calm down, and a tired mind to refresh.

Application of the correct process is crucial for the fatigued mind to rejuvenate and a full return to clarity. One learns to interrupt this habit of fearful behavior and step out of one's own way. The process is simple to use but requires strict adherence by the individual.

2- Begin the Process of Self Nurturing

Proper diet must be applied that creates a less reactive mind and body through naturally increased Serotonin levels in the brain and Stable Blood Sugar levels in the body.

Daily activity and exercise outdoors also boosts Serotonin levels in brain.

3- Retrain the Brain to quiet the mind naturally rather than exacerbate the behavior of fearful thinking.

Learn how to train the mind to think correctly through a specific process which eliminates the habit of fearful thinking. This is not difficult but requires a different mindset that brings forth relief from these symptoms.

4- Know Your Reactivity Levels

It's also necessary to realize that some individuals are highly reactive to outside stimuli, such as these Electronic Cigarettes. They contain substances that the reactive individual will find difficult to process and intrusive in their system.

Nicotine is a stimulant that the reactive person is going to process with difficulty.

5- Find Other Ways to Relax Rather Than the Use of E-Cigarettes and Vaping

Choose true methods of relaxation such as:

Proper Breathing, which makes a huge difference in our physical and mental health.

Meditation (short 5 minute meditation is often a great release of tension)

Yoga

Walking

Swimming

Reading

Breathing Correctly

Bottom line, you are in charge of how you feel and you have choices. When the mind and body are signaling you to stop using substances that result in negative reactions, LISTEN. Heed these signals and choose to nurture rather than hinder your body.

Feelings of anxiety and depersonalization are essentially red flags that you are doing something to interfere with proper functioning of both mind and body. It is your choice, always your choice, to create a lifestyle that fuels good health. Make that choice and notice an immediate improvement in both mind and body.

Depersonalization Induced by E-Cigarettes and Vaping
By Dr. R. E. Freedman
Depersonalization Treatment Center http://www.depersonalizationtreatmentcenter.com


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## Alan (Jan 26, 2015)

I find it very unlikely vaping would cause this.

I vape on a daily basis and haven't had any significant ill effects, bar the odd coughing fit from overly enthusiastic inhalation. The onset of my DPDR was long before vaping existed.

I suppose it's plausible you could incite a panic attack through getting "nic sick" through juice that's too strong and invoke DPDR that way, but I find it hard to believe it would be the primary contributing factor.

With regard to Dr R. E. Freedman, she sounds like a charlatan to me -- I couldn't take any medical professional seriously that talks about adrenal fatigue as a serious phenomenon.

Additionally, lets be honest here, I could claim to be a Doctor and you couldn't conclusively prove I wasn't telling the truth.


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## Surfer Rosa (Nov 27, 2015)

I'm short on time to read your whole post, but I would imagine that nicotine addiction can lead to depersonalization. At some point, maybe it surpassess discomfort, irritability and alterness before becoming something more extreme such a sense of derealization. That would not surprise me.


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## Guest (Feb 26, 2016)

I vaped solidly for a year after 3 years of smoking and my anxiety was very bad.

I stopped vaping and it' slowly going down again.

I think it's the frequency and strength that makes me anxious.


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## Surfer Rosa (Nov 27, 2015)

Futurebandit said:


> I vaped solidly for a year after 3 years of smoking and my anxiety was very bad.
> 
> I stopped vaping and it' slowly going down again.
> 
> I think it's the frequency and strength that makes me anxious.


Look up statistics on smoking and mental health in the US and UK, my dude.


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## Mike_NY (Dec 10, 2015)

Futurebandit said:


> I vaped solidly for a year after 3 years of smoking and my anxiety was very bad.
> 
> I stopped vaping and it' slowly going down again.
> 
> I think it's the frequency and strength that makes me anxious.


What strength were you vaping? I have ordered 12MG which is what I was vaping daily prior to this with no ill effects. I have resorted to smoking cigarettes in the meantime.


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## Guest (Feb 28, 2016)

Mike_NY said:


> What strength were you vaping? I have ordered 12MG which is what I was vaping daily prior to this with no ill effects. I have resorted to smoking cigarettes in the meantime.


I was vaping 18mg but I was vaping for most of the day.

I can't control myself with the vaporizer, whereas with a cigarette, It's easy.


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## Mike_NY (Dec 10, 2015)

Screw vaping


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