u/Critter-Enthusiast

In just 6 months since starting nicotine, first with cigarettes, and then later switching to vaping, I find that I need more and more than I ever did before and that it has gone from something enjoyable every time to something that only really feels enjoyable first thing in the morning. I vape as soon as I wake up, then I spend the rest of the day vaping continuously, chasing the buzz that goes from lasting 10 minutes to 10 seconds each time as the day wares on. Can nicotine tolerance be reset through abstinence?

I have a history of mental health issues (including a fair bit of hypochondria and OCD) and self medicated for a very long time using marijuana and occasionally other substances. I smoked weed constantly for years and struggled with fatigue and brain fog and ultimately went to a recovery center after several failed attempts to cut out weed.

At the center, I almost immediately started smoking cigarettes which they actually gave to the patients for some reason, telling myself that it was just a temporary crutch until the weed was fully out of my system and my cravings went away. Alas, that's not what happened.

I've been out of the recovery center for six months and have mostly managed to stay off marijuana, only using it about once every 7-14 days but going months at a time without it. But now I vape constantly and fear I have swapped one addiction for an even tougher one. I'll go through a 12k puff vape bar in like a week, and I am still struggling with chronic fatigue and brain fog.

I'm wondering if I need to get clean from everything, to try and do a full reset when it comes to my mental health, and am looking for encouragement or anecdotes from people who have dealt with similar symptoms. Basically I want some sort of confirmation that it may be the nicotine making me so tired and that it's not just my OCD telling me that. I guess because nicotine is a stimulant, it seems kind of paradoxical that it would have an energy draining effect, but maybe some of you have had similar experiences.