Can you believe there was once a time when cigarette advertisements were everywhere? You couldn’t drive down the highway or open a magazine without seeing an advertisement for Pall Mall or Lucky Strike cigarettes. Popular television and radio shows were brought to you by Winston and Phillip Morris. Even doctors were portrayed on television recommending which brand to smoke.
Those sound like crazy times, don’t they? Yet the truth of the matter is that we are still living in those times. The only difference is that vaping ads have replaced traditional cigarette ads. But one thing hasn’t changed – these nicotine products are still being marketed primarily to younger people.
Vaping is relatively new to the world of substance dependency and treatment. Because vaping is so new, many of us are confused about the products and their risks. We aim to alleviate that confusion. Here we will explain what vape dependency is, why it can be so dangerous, and how Clearview Girls Academy can help.
What Is Vaping?
A more colloquial term for a “vape” is an E-cigarette. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains that “E-cigarettes are known by many different names. They are sometimes called ‘e-cigs,’ ‘e-hookahs,’ ‘mods,’ ‘vape pens,’ ‘vapes,’ ‘tank systems,’ and ‘electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS).’”
Vaping is a way of ingesting nicotine by heating a liquid into an aerosol and inhaling it into your lungs. Inhaling a nicotine-containing aerosol into the lungs sounds dangerous, right? This is why it is so troubling that vaping is continually referenced as a safe alternative to smoking.
The truth is that we have long known the dependency nature and harmful effects of nicotine. This is especially true among teenagers, no matter how the chemical is delivered.
Is Vaping Really Dangerous?
Is vaping truly dangerous for your adolescent? The short answer is: Yes. We’d also like to provide more expansion on that answer.
Consider what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has to say on its website about vaping: “Are you aware that the nicotine in tobacco products such as e-cigarettes can rewire the teen brain to crave more of the substance and create a nicotine dependency?” Rewiring their brain! That should give anyone pause next time they diminish the dangers of vaping.
Many people may cast off vaping as just a minor habit. Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we know better, and we do not take vaping lightly. We have helped a number of our students recover from vape dependency, and we know that is no minor matter. If you feel your child may be suffering from issues related to vaping, we want you to know that we have the tools and resources to help. Vaping is something that is affecting adolescents in increasing numbers, so please know that your concerns are warranted. You are not alone. For more information please call Clearview Girls Academy at (888) 796-5484.
The FDA continues by explaining how “the types of brain changes that can occur may have long-lasting effects on attention, learning, and memory. Also, nicotine dependence can lead to regular use of tobacco products, resulting in long-term exposure to toxic chemicals.”
This information can seem scary, as no one wants their children to experience a reduced ability to learn and remember, nor would they want their child exposed to toxic chemicals. This is why we feel it is vitally important to treat vaping seriously and to treat it as soon as the issue is detected. We have seen how vaping has affected some of our students, and the effects can be alarming. Fortunately, we have also seen our programs help those struggling with vape dependency to recover.
How Can My Daughter Overcome Her Vape Dependency?
Dependency to vaping can be treated in many of the same ways as other substance use disorders (SUDs). We offer many options for recovery here at Clearview Girls Academy.
At our facility, we offer more therapy hours per week than most other recovery centers. These therapies range from the rather technical, such as neurofeedback therapy and biofeedback, to the more low-tech, such as art therapy and equine therapy. We also offer regular counseling sessions, both on a group and individualized basis. We employ a holistic, whole-person approach to addressing the underlying needs and issues contributing to vaping use.
The Healing Power of Nature
Our location itself contributes to our girls’ healing, as we are surrounded by amazing beauty here at our ranch in Montana. We strongly believe that the toxic effects of vaping can be neutralized by the healing power of nature. Aside from being serene and comforting, this open space allows us to offer many physical activities your daughter may not otherwise have access to.
Exposure to Athletic Activities
At our facility, we will offer your daughter the opportunity to be involved in many different athletic activities. These activities may include but are not limited to aerobics, river rafting, rock climbing, and horseback riding. During some of the colder months, our students can even snowboard or ski on nearby Schweitzer Mountain.
What better way to rid toxins from your daughter’s body than to get some much-needed exercise and fresh mountain air? We feel that a combination of therapy, nature, a healthy diet and exercise, and spiritual growth can heal the brain and take your daughter well beyond her vape dependency.
Discovering Strengths and Values
The American author Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” We consider each person to be “God’s masterpiece,” and we trust that each girl can become the person she wants to be. As she is exposed to our compassionate, relational approach, she will begin to claim her unique strengths and values. As she embraces her true identity and begins to live authentically, she will be strong enough to return to a healthy, whole, substance-free life.
Many people may cast off vaping as just a minor habit. Here at Clearview Girls Academy, we know better, and we do not take vaping lightly. We have helped a number of our students recover from vape dependency, and we know that is no minor matter. If you feel your child may be suffering from issues related to vaping, we want you to know that we have the tools and resources to help. Vaping is something that is affecting adolescents in increasing numbers, so please know that your concerns are warranted. You are not alone. For more information please call Clearview Girls Academy at (888) 796-5484.
