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Quitting may not be easy, but it’s possible and it’s worth trying again.
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My name is Ellen. I am 36.
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I am originally from the Philippines and I’m now living in Sydney.
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I started smoking back in college when I was 18 and I managed to be able to quit for 4 years in 2013, but unfortunately I relapsed.
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Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and to cope with the stress I turned to vaping.
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Earlier this year, I had a really terrible asthma attack.
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I caught myself coughing uncontrollably in the middle of the night and I had to sit upright to be able to catch my breath.
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That’s when I realised that vaping was harming my health and I needed to quit for good.
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After the frightening episode, I decided to quit cold turkey.
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It was very hard in the beginning, but I have stayed smoke-free and vape-free for 8 months now.
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I still get occasional craving from seeing people smoking or vaping, but then I try to remember why I quit and it’s for the sake of my health.
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After a few weeks of quitting, I started to do yoga and Pilates.
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I noticed a difference in my heart rate, my breathing was normal and I wasn't catching my breath when I was doing the poses in yoga.
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After that during night time, I have better sleep, and I noticed a difference in my breathing.
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After a few weeks of not vaping anymore, the wheezing from the asthma has been gone.
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If you’re trying to quit, my advice is it might take several attempts, but it’s a step closer to quitting for good.
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There are several methods out there that can assist one in quitting.
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One of my friends used the My QuitBuddy app to be able to track his progress.
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You could also call the Quitline, or visit the Quit website (Quit.org.au).
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Quitting may not be easy, but it’s possible, and it’s worth trying again.
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Many people have successfully quit vaping and smoking, and you can too.