Project Description
Brittany, BC, Canada
“I was always planning on wanting to be a mother and growing my family. And I vape, or I used to vape. And so I wanted to come to Fresh Start to quit vaping all together before I even tried to bring any new life into this world. I knew that this is what I needed to do for my family, for my friends, for everyone who loves me but most importantly for me and for someone that I’ve probably never met yet.”
Length of Smoking: 12 yrs.
Amount Smoked Per Day: 1-2 catridges
Quit Date: Day 1 upon arrival
Improvements with: Bloating/ Indigestion, Breathing/ Lung Issues, Constipation, Cough, Diarrhea, Digestive Health, Emotional Trauma, Grief, IBS, Inflammation, Mental Clarity, Muscle and Joint Issues, Post-Smoking Lung Healing, Quit Smoking, Sinus Issues, Spirituality/ Connecting to the Soul, Vaping.
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Vape Cravings: Oh, I never tried to quit. I couldn't. I was so addicted to that vape that I couldn't put it down. I was always very stressed and very not in tune with my body. So, I just used the vape as something to distract myself or out of boredom or if something unpleasant would arise or a conflict with someone else, I would always just return to the vape and reach for it in my pocket. | I have zero cravings now. I feel all of the protocols at Fresh Start have been extremely successful for me to quit vaping. I feel more present, because before, when, if you have an addiction you're always thinking about your addiction, and it consumes you. And you can't heal when you're addicted to something. I see things so much more differently. I'm just so much more present in my body and in my breath. I keep telling myself that my lungs are my new vape and my breath is a gift. |
| Emotional Trauma: I found that my vape was masking a lot of the trauma and body pain that were all hidden and, by hiding underneath that addiction I lost myself in the process as well. | Once I got through the first days of quitting, the emotional stuff started. I could actually look and realize, oh my gosh, this is why I was vaping. This is what was underneath the surface. |
| Relationships Affected by the Habit. There were stories and memories and things coming up that I realized that I had never dealt with. There were conflicts that I never dealt with. There were there were so many things that I had said to people that I never meant. I had lots of angry emotions. I had lots of outbursts at people that, definitely didn't deserve those. And I wanted to just be the best version of myself, and in my vows to my husband, I included that I will always continue to be working on myself and being the best version of myself. | On the emotional side, I think, I really connected more within myself, and I see life a lot clearer now. It’s been a lot of happy tears and a lot of sad tears and I know that everybody is going to be so proud of me for completing this program. I spoke to some family members that were triggers for me normally. And I would probably want to go vape. And this time, this week, none of that happened for me. I just took it. I took it as it is and I kind of went with it, you know. |
| Generational Trauma and Grief. I come from a long line of addicts, unfortunately. But you know everyone's path is different. I want to be the one to break the intergenerational trauma that everyone seems to be facing these days. I dealt with grief throughout this week as well. Found out about a relative that passed away. | I connected with myself in a more spiritual way as well. I speak to the relatives that I've lost to drugs and alcohol. I know they're proud of me for doing the work. Because they couldn't do the work. I tell them stories and I can feel them with me. I had a nice little moment in the salt cocoon where I was talking to my uncle, and he's so proud of me and he passed away this week. |
| Chronic Cough: I had a chronic cough for probably like 10 years. I've always had a chronic cough. And then it worsened throughout the summer months. And then before I called fresh start the wheezing was getting really bad and my husband was waking me up in the middle of the night saying, you're not breathing properly. And And then there were times I was coughing so bad that, I'd have to sleep in a separate room not to wake him up. On my 2nd day, on Monday, I was been hyperventilating. | I'm not coughing anymore and I can take deep breaths again. We did some work last night at a point where I used to always feel pain in my lower lungs and it's completely disappeared. No coughing, no wheezing, nothing. I can breathe pretty good… They gave me four breathing exercises to do and I plan on keep doing them. Just to build up those muscles again. So, I can maybe run a half marathon or something this year that I would love to do that too. I used to do triathlons, but my goal is to do a half marathon now that I can breathe again. I can hold longer breath. And it's just been amazing. |
| Gut Health: I used to suffer from either severe, constipation to the other end as well and it was never never regular. I never felt like my food was being absorbed properly. I could feel the inflammation in my gut. | I definitely have way more regular movements now. I go to the bathroom every day now. Before it wasn't like that. Colonics and Isotonic drinks definitely helped. My gut health just feels amazing, and I do not have bloating. |
| Brain Fog: I couldn't think straight. The doctors wanted to just give me Adderall, that'll help you focus better, but that's not the solution. I knew that there was something wrong with my food that I was eating. | I have no more brain fog. |
| Digital Addiction: Before I would reach for the vape first thing in the morning or grab my phone and check social media. | Since being at Fresh Start, I don't do that anymore. And now I get up and I breathe. I think about my intention for the day. I think about my ancestors, I think about how proud I am of myself, and then I carry on throughout my day. |
| Severe Fatigue: I definitely I used to feel sluggish and, in the mornings, I'd lay there for a little bit before I would get up and get into a morning routine and go get that cup of coffee. | I definitely have more energy in the morning. I definitely have a lot more energy in the morning now. But since being at Fresh Start, I wake up and I don't really feel like that anymore. I feel fresh. |
| Hip Pain and Body Inflammation: When I first arrived, I noticed that my hip bones and my sit bones were very tight. I was holding a lot of stress in my hips. | That's definitely dissipated. And my scoliosis in my back hasn't flared up. I haven't had a single problem with my joints or inflammation. Like, nothing. I don't have any aches and pains. |
| I used to suffer from severe back pain. And I was in a back brace a few months ago from coughing so hard from vaping. Every morning when I woke up, I felt back pain. | No back pain. My scoliosis did not flare up. I feel like in a completely new body. |
| Concerned with being underweight and losing more weight. | I lost like three pounds while being here, which is good. I appreciate the team being mindful of that, because I didn't want to lose any weight when I came here. But three pounds is nothing and I'm just going to be rebuilding back up now that I have the energy to continue on with my life in a healthier way. |
| Fear: Since I was the only one here for nicotine detoxing this time, the first day I felt very alone and I was very afraid. | There's nothing to be afraid of at Fresh Start because you have so much support everywhere from talk therapy, to acupuncture, to massage, they keep you busy you're moving. You're also resting a lot too and that's important when your body is trying to heal itself. There's lots of rest. |
Experience Highlights:
- Cooking classes, fitness classes, walks.
- Salt inhaler, salt cocoon and other quit smoking protocols.
- I think that there is a lot of power here within the words and the work, whether it’s the body work, the massages, the saunas, the workshops, the nutrition it all comes together.
- All the supplements and being more consistent with taking them is something that I want to take away from the program.
- Support
- A lot of rest
The information above is based on the following resources:
- Unedited Video Testimonial Materials
- Before and After Self-Assessment
- Program Participation and Progress Sheet
- Emotional Wellness Test
Disclaimer : Results of participants differ and the Fresh Start cannot guarantee that you will experience your improvements in the same way as in this testimonial. The Fresh Start is not an allopathic medical facility and does not claim to either diagnose or treat any disease. The Fresh Start does not guarantee a recovery from any specific disease or a health symptom.
