Parents and teachers try their best to cover the dangers of addiction to mainstream drugs like alcohol, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, speed, and more. However, we do not think to worry about all the other little types that thrill-seeking teens will experiment on while looking for supposedly harmless ways of having fun.
Most times, an inhalant addiction will start in the teenhood, and because nobody mentioned that computer duster sniffs are potentially fatal. This age group will pick up the habit of inhaling different products until they find one that is stronger every other time to replace the next one.
The happy, promising, and talented young person could become a depressed and confused individual who now has to get drug and alcohol rehab resources because we, as educators, did not do an excellent job of highlighting all the imminent dangers.
Everything You Need To Know About Inhalant Addiction
What Are Inhalants?
These are the type of drugs that people consume by inhaling and can be anything from gases, sprays, solvents, and nitrites. They are more common in young teens, pre-teens, and children because they are more accessible and seemingly less harmful. However, they can be just as bad as other kinds of drugs, mainly because no one knows the effect of the combination of the chemical ingredients. Examples of inhalant products in the real-life include:
- Glue
- Spray paint
- Paint thinner
- Lighter fluid
- Cleaning fluid
- Deodorant
- Gasoline
- Nail polish remover
- Hair spray
Inhalant abuse is dangerous because these items are available in every household. The user will progressively increase the amount they sniff until they get to a level too high for the body to handle, leading to consequences like lung cancer, death, and other kinds of organ failure.
Why Inhalants Are Addictive
Inhalants are consequential on the brain because they rewire the neurons to act like they need these chemicals to function. The repeated abuse of inhalants will completely change the brain and result in permanent changes in the brain and body. Some psychological and physical effects that from using these include:
Brain degeneration leads to Parkinson’s disease because one causes a permanent death of brain cells
- Diminished motor skills
- Dizziness
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Coma
- Headaches
- Muscle weakness
- Organ damage such to the liver, kidney, brain, and heart
- Limited coordination
- Damage to the bone marrow
How Does One Notice An Addiction?
The long-term signs of addiction will cause inherent damage to the health issues outlined above, but you will begin to notice the addiction by the development of the following symptoms:
- Depression
- Irritability
- Drastic weight loss
- General body weakness
- Poor coordination
The signs of an early addiction are subtle because the effects of inhalants tend to build up slowly over time. You want to watch out for signs that your body is not functioning at its optimal state because you are too tired and irritable to go through the day with your average level of vigor.
Our detox and treatment centers have intense detox and treatment methods that will first diagnose the condition, assess the damage, stabilize the body and then introduce detox formulas and drugs for a safer recovery and healing. Contact us today to book a consultation about our inhalant addiction treatment center in Harrisburg for yourself or someone needing substance abuse therapy.