Withdrawal can be dangerous. If you drink alcohol heavily or every day, or use drugs such as benzodiazepines, stopping suddenly can cause withdrawal that needs medical care. Talk to a doctor before you stop.
If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. In the US or Canada you can call or text 988. Helplines by country.
What Vow is
Vow helps adults work on quitting habits with tools: a plan built from their own answers, reminders tied to their reason for quitting, a guided breathing and urge-surfing session for cravings, calming audio, and tracking of streaks and savings. Those tools are designed to support a quit alongside professional care where that care is needed, not in place of it.
Health information
The health information in the app and on heyvow.com — including our answers about quitting, recovery milestones and the science page — is general and educational. Each claim links to its source, such as the World Health Organization, a national health service or peer-reviewed research. It is not personal medical advice, may not reflect the latest research on the day you read it, and may not apply to your circumstances.
Coaching lines
The short coaching lines in the Craving Shield may be written automatically by an AI model. They are encouragement for the moment, not clinical guidance.
When to talk to a professional
- before stopping alcohol or drugs if you use them heavily or daily;
- before stopping, starting or changing any medicine, including stop-smoking medicines;
- if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and want to quit nicotine, alcohol or other substances;
- if you have a mental health condition, or your mood worsens while you quit;
- if you have thoughts of harming yourself — contact a crisis line or emergency services now.
No professional relationship
Using Vow or reading this site does not create a doctor–patient or any other professional relationship. Never disregard professional advice or delay seeking it because of something you read in Vow.
Contact
Found something inaccurate? Tell us at support@heyvow.com.