Vaping has been something of a double-edged sword since its introduction in the early 2000s. On one hand, it has been a useful tool to aid in smoking cessation, but on the other, it has introduced many people to a smoking-like habit (and, for many, a nicotine addiction) who otherwise would not have gotten into it.

Over the last couple of decades, a number of issues with vaping have emerged. We're not here to talk about the health consequences or the plastic waste or other issues surrounding it, though. Instead, we're focusing on one growing problem among teens: the link between vaping and anxiety.

If you've noticed or suspect your teen has been vaping, and you think anxiety might be related, it's worth talking about. Before you do, though, it's also worth learning the facts, so you have a firm foundation for the talk you want to have. So, let's start with those facts, then dig into how you can have that talk with your teen in an effective way.

DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. The information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any mental health condition or replace professional therapeutic care. Every individual's experience with trauma and mental health is unique. Please consult with a qualified mental health professional, therapist, or healthcare provider to determine the most appropriate treatment approach for your specific situation. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or emergency, please contact your local emergency services or crisis hotline immediately.

Get the Facts First: The Cyclical Link Between Vaping and Anxiety

First: is there a link between vaping and anxiety? Signs point to yes. In fact, it actually seems to go both ways. Vaping can be a cause of or contributing factor to anxiety, and anxiety can be one of the triggers for vaping cravings and an impetus to start vaping in the first place.

How Vaping Causes Anxiety

Vaping can be a trigger for anxiety, but it's not necessarily just because of the act of vaping. Rather, it has more to do with what's in the vape, most commonly either nicotine or THC.

• High doses of THC in something like a vape can trigger acute anxiety attacks, panic, and even paranoia symptoms. It's also very easy to have a very high dose in a vape compared to many other THC products.
• Nicotine is a stimulant, which increases heart rate, blood pressure, and symptoms like jitteriness or the feeling of being on edge, all things that can physiologically feed into anxiety.
• Nicotine also raises cortisol levels. Cortisol is the stress hormone, which triggers stress responses. Vaping, especially during times when you're trying to relax, puts your body on alert in ways that feed into anxiety.
• Nicotine is also addictive, which means vaping begins the drug-and-withdrawal cycle. The times when you're not vaping, you experience withdrawal symptoms that include irritability and anxiety.

Overall, vaping with THC or nicotine products is directly linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression, particularly in teens and young adults.

While there are vapes that don't contain these compounds, they tend to be in the minority. Still, it's possible, so if your only evidence that your teen is vaping is the smell or the occasional sight of them doing it, but you don't know what's in their vape, you might want to verify what it contains.

How Anxiety Leads to Vaping

The other half of the cycle is how anxiety can lead to vaping. This is, basically, an expression of substance use disorder via self-medication. An individual with anxiety might hear that vaping can help, maybe from a friend or an online influencer. They try it.

Maybe it helps right away. Maybe it doesn't help right away, but after using it for a while, it seems to help. Either way, anxiety has been a gateway to the use of the substance (nicotine or THC) that starts the feedback loop.

The loop is then reinforced. When you stop vaping, you suffer withdrawal symptoms, which often include heightened anxiety. This psychologically reinforces the idea that vaping was helping (since the anxiety is worse now that you've stopped), so you keep the habit going.

While vaping isn't necessarily as dangerous as smoking or using other tobacco products, there are still a lot of hazards and a lot of questions about how safe it is long-term.

Anxiety is difficult and frustrating to try to handle, so if a substance offers an easy out and is commercially available in ways therapy or medication are not, it's no wonder that people turn to it when they shouldn't, especially younger children like teenagers.

Ideally, you can have a talk with your teenager about vaping and anxiety, and find the right course of action to take together. Let's talk about how to do it.

Determine a Goal for Your Talk with Your Teen

The first thing you want to do is figure out what your goal is going to be with your talk.

Do you want to learn and understand what your teen is going through, and offer ways to help them with their problems?

Do you want to convince them to stop vaping?

Do you want to just inform them of the risks, and help them make their own decisions?

Different parenting styles take different approaches, and a lot will depend on your relationship with your teenager. The teenage years are already difficult, with teenage rebellion making it hard to even hold a good conversation, let alone change a behavior.

If you go into your conversation with the goal of prohibiting vaping, it probably isn't going to work. You might come across as controlling or domineering, you may breed further friction by not understanding what your teen is experiencing, and more.

There's no one right or wrong answer here; you need to pick something that will work with your teen. That might mean starting with a softer conversation than you otherwise want to have, but if the alternative is being shut out completely, it's the best option you have.

How to Have the Vaping Talk

The specifics of how to talk to your teen about vaping can vary depending on when you want to start the talk. If you approach the subject early enough, your teen might not have even considered trying vaping. If you're only bringing it up because you've seen them with a vape, your approach to the conversation will be different.

General Tips for the Vaping Talk

First, some general tips for having this conversation in an effective way.

Start from a point of curiosity. Ask your teen if they have heard of vaping, if anyone they know vapes, and if they've been offered the chance to vape. Ask them if they've tried it and, if so, what they thought.

Answer their questions. Asking your child if they have any questions about vaping is a good starting point for the conversation. It's an entry point for discussing the concerns you have as a parent, the concerns others might have, and the issues that can come up because of it.

Avoid being aggressive or accusatory. You don't want your conversation to be confrontational. As you likely already know, being aggressive in conversation with your teen is just as likely to be met with the same, and "negotiations will break down," as they say. It's not an effective way to get through to them.

Be willing to admit when you don't know the answer. Your child might have a lot of questions about vaping, and if you don't know the answer, it's better to admit as such and find out together. If you say something incorrect, and your teen later learns otherwise, they might question other things you have to say about it, like concerns about safety.

Consider working with someone else if necessary. If your teen has a close mentor, or if they're closer with your spouse, or even a friend's parent you're on good terms with, you may be able to enlist their aid for your talk. The goal is the health and positive outcome for your child; the means don't need to be limited to just your own hands and words.

Stay non-judgmental. We all make mistakes, and if your stance is a hardline one but your child can point to your own habits to make their point, it undercuts your message.

The Talk Itself

Having the actual talk with your teen can be difficult. You need to find a good time where you can talk, where the opportunity comes up, and you aren't forced to corner them or make them feel trapped. Sometimes, that's on the way to school. Sometimes it's over a weekend, a family vacation, or a longer break. Sometimes it's just a casual conversation over dinner. Again, this all depends on your family dynamics; every family is different.

Start by talking about vaping in general, and ask your child if they've tried it. If you know they have, or if you caught them doing it, you can start there instead.

Your first goal is to uncover the reasons why your child is vaping. It might be difficult for them to articulate, so dig using open-ended questions. When did they start? How often do they do it? What makes them want to vape? What kind of vape do they use?

One thing to watch for throughout this conversation is signs of anxiety. Does your teen talk about being worried, about how vaping makes them feel better? Do they tend to be avoidant, withdrawn, or irritable, especially when they don't have access to their vape? These are signs of anxiety in teens, and can lead to understand the impetus behind their vaping.

You'll also want to bring up safety. Ask them if they're aware of the safety issues with vaping. Think about:

• The dangers of nicotine addiction
• The dangers of THC use and local legality
• The comparative lack of regulations on vape devices and compounds
• Historic issues like EVALI (E-cig or Vaping Use-Associated Lung Injury)
• Physical issues like vape batteries exploding

Your goal here is not to scare them with the worst-case scenarios, but rather to be open and honest with your concerns. Decisions made during the teenage years can have long-term repercussions, and things like drug addictions or lung damage can be hazardous over a long timeline.

Ask your teen if they're interested in quitting. If they are, offer to support them in some way, with some motivation your teen will find attractive.

You may want to arm yourself with refutations for the common defenses.

• Just because it's safer than smoking doesn't make it safe.
• A lack of long-term safety data does not mean it's safe, just that we don't know yet.
• Claiming being able to quit doesn't necessarily mean they actually can. Addiction is very difficult to handle.

There are a lot of resources available for vaping education if you need them, including those from your doctor.

What You Can Do Together

If you believe your teen has anxiety and they're using vaping as a strategy to cope, you can work on it together.

First, you can work to uncover the source of stress. Teenage life is full of stressful situations, but they aren't all unavoidable, and you can help arm your teen with coping strategies to deal with at least some of them.

You can also support your teen with therapy. Therapy is still one of the best options for handling anxiety disorders, from pre-adolescence all the way through old age. You can discuss the possibility of therapy with your teen, including the different kinds of therapy, and assure them that you can work together to find a therapist they click with.

Sometimes, anxiety is severe enough that therapy alone won't do the job. Medication is also available as an option, if it comes down to it. Controlled, prescribed medication from a mental health professional is going to be better than self-medicating using vapes, by a lot.

For families in the Detroit area, one option is to talk to us. At BMC-Troy, our therapists use a variety of different proven therapy techniques, matching your child's needs with the treatment options that are most effective for them.

It all starts with a simple consultation. We'll meet with you and your teenager to discuss your concerns and find the right path forward. All you need to do to get the ball rolling is reach out, either by filling out our online form or by calling our office at 248.528.9000. Help is available for your teenager, and we're happy to provide it.