Inhalants are often abused, especially by younger people, as many believe there are few dangers involved with this practice. Because inhaling a legal substance seems less serious than taking, injecting, or smoking an illicit substance, some think that its effects are not addicting or dangerous.
However, abusing inhalants is substance misuse just like drinking alcohol or smoking nicotine. Inhalant misuse can become an addiction, and it can have other serious side effects. Fortunately, certain treatment practices can help you prevent or overcome this habit.
Educate Yourself
To avoid the use of inhalants, you need to first understand what they are and how they impact the functioning of your body. Inhalants are categorized into four main types:
#1 Solvents
Solvent inhalants include paint thinner, nail polish remover, gasoline, and glue.
#2 Aerosol Sprays
Aerosol inhalants include spray paint, deodorant spray, and vegetable oil spray.
#3 Gases
Gas inhalants include lighters, whipped cream canisters, and laughing gas.
#4 Nitrites
Nitrite inhalants include prescription medication for chest pains.
From this list, you can see that most of these substances are common household items. If you have found yourself drawn to the misuse of these items, we encourage you to keep them out of your household or put them in a safe place that is not easily accessible. If you cannot keep them out of your house entirely, you might ask a friend, roommate, or family member to hide them somewhere you will not likely look.
Effects of Inhalants
The immediate effects of inhalants only last for a few minutes. Because these pleasurable feelings are short-lived, people abusing inhalants often use them multiple times in a row to continue the effects.
The short-term effects of inhalants include:
- Pleasure
- Impaired judgment
- Slurred speech
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Lethargy
- Nausea
- Withdrawal symptoms
Continued use of inhalants can cause various long-term effects, both physical and psychological. Potential long-term effects of inhalants include:
- Delirium
- Confusion
- Liver damage
- Kidney damage
- Bone marrow damage
- Hearing loss
- Increased risk of HIV/AIDS
- Heart failure
Dangers of Inhalant Use
Inhalant use can have immediate risks. Similar to overdosing on substances, using inhalants can put you in significant danger and cause physical harm or even death. Suffocation is a major concern, as the use of inhalants obstructs the airway. If not done in a well-ventilated area, inhalant use poses an even greater risk for suffocation.
It is important to be aware of the potential side effects, both short- and long-term. While many of the short-term effects only last a few minutes, the continued use of inhalants can worsen the effects over time and lead to long-term health issues. Through its effects on dopamine, the use of inhalants may also become an addiction or begin the process of experimentation with other substances.
Inhalant use can be a contributing factor in the early use of drugs. As older children and teenagers often engage in the use of inhalants to experience the pleasurable feelings of substances, they may feel more desire to continue these habits into adulthood.
Overcoming Inhalant Use
While addiction to inhalants is rare, it is still possible. For some individuals, the use of inhalants becomes compulsive. While most inhalant addictions begin at a young age, they can occur at any time. It is important to be self-aware of these concerns and educate those in your household about the potential dangers involved with this behavior.
Create a Safe Environment
It is important to keep any household products that can be used as inhalants out of reach for yourself if you are concerned with the temptations of use. Likewise, it is important to keep them away from children. Teenagers and older kids will often choose to use inhalants because they seem to provide the fun aspects of drug use while being easily accessible and seemingly less dangerous. The use of inhalants at a young age can reinforce the use of substances and encourage further substance use in the future.
The greatest way to discourage inhalant use is to understand what substances can be used as inhalants and the potential dangers that are involved with use. Informing others of these dangers and making a point to use these household items only for their intended purposes can prevent these dangers from occurring.
Avoid Experimentation
One major action that leads to the use of inhalants is curiosity about the effects. The dosage recommendations and techniques to use inhalants often lack description, leading individuals to experiment to discover these effects for themselves. This level of experimentation can lead people into further unsafe situations. Avoiding experimenting with any unfamiliar substance can help you avoid developing the negative health consequences of inhalant use.
Individuals who tend to have an addictive personality often fall into the peer pressure of substance experimentation. Trying inhalants without understanding the potential effects can lead to various unsafe situations. Be mindful of your actions in social situations and inform those around you of the potential risks involved with experimental substance use.
Inhalant use is often overlooked, as it typically is not as dangerous as the use of other substances. While inhalants may be less commonly abused, it is important to understand the potential effects of inhalants and what products are used as inhalants to keep them stored safely. It is important to store inhalants safely not only to protect yourself but also to protect any children or teenagers in your household. If you are struggling with symptoms of addiction and feel compelled to continue the use of inhalants, reach out to Dream Recovery for help immediately. There are many practices you can implement into your recovery or daily lifestyle to avoid the use of inhalants becoming an issue. To learn more about inhalant use and the best practices to overcome this use, reach out to Dream Recovery for help at (949) 732-1960.
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