Inhalant Addiction Rehab in Kennesaw

Individualized Treatment for Inhalant Abuse in Georgia

Addiction to inhalants is rarer than other types of drug addictions, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous and harmful to your health and well-being. Any drug addiction can still impact your brain and behavior, damage your relationships, involve unpleasant withdrawal symptoms, and lead to you losing control over your life. If you or someone you love is addicted to easy-to-find products like paint thinners, spray paints, or more, call North Georgia Recovery Center. Our Kennesaw inhalant addiction rehab treatment is specialized for you and our facility provides a supportive environment to help you recover. We’re happy to walk you through the process and give you options, even if you’re unable to stay in a facility overnight.

You deserve individualized treatment from a rehab facility with options. Contact us online or by phone at (678) 940-7873 to learn more about how we treat inhalant addiction.

What Are Inhalants?

Among all the possible drugs to abuse, inhalants are the easiest to acquire because they’re commonly household products you can find in the grocery store, at the office, or in your own home. This is why young children and adolescents are most likely to abuse inhalants and use them as a gateway into other types of drug addictions. Inhalants can be consumed in various ways to produce a high or psychoactive effects, such as through “huffing” vapors through the nose or mouth, snorting directly from the container, spraying a can up the nose, or inhaling fumes from a plastic or paper bag. These vapors quickly reach your brain and other organs to produce an almost instant high.

There are more than 1,000 products and three main classes of inhalants that are commonly abused, including:

• Aerosols: Aerosols are often sprays that include hairsprays, fabric protector sprays, spray deodorants, vegetable oil spray, and spray paints.
• Gases: These inhalants often include medical anesthetics that are used before procedures or surgeries like chloroform and nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. Individuals can also find these present in household or commercial products like whipped cram dispensers, which are frequently referred to as “whippets.”
• Volatile solvents: Solvents refer to the class of inhalants that are in liquid form, but vaporize at room temperature. Some examples include glues, felt tip markers, lighter fluid, paint thinners and removers, gasoline, nail polish removers, and rubber cement.
• Nitrites: These inhalants act directly on the central nervous system and are sometimes referred to as snappers or poppers. Some examples include room deodorizers and leather cleaner.

According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2.4 million people over the age of 12 used inhalants in the past year. If you suspect your loved one is abusing inhalants, look out for telling warning signs like chemical odors on their clothes or breath, paint or stains on their hands, nosebleeds, or slurred speech.

Dangers of Inhalant Abuse

Because the toxic chemicals in inhalants act quickly on your brain, prolonged abuse can lead to dangerous side effects both short and long-term, and the long-term effects can cause permanent complications. Some of the short-term complications include headaches, muscle weakness, slurred speech, and mood swings. Though inhalant addiction is uncommon, a person can still overdose because of the high concentrations of chemicals. Sniffing can potentially lead to seizures and coma, and sometimes result in your heart stopping altogether in what’s referred to as sudden cardiac death.

Long-term complications of inhalant addiction include:

• Memory issues, including learning disabilities and personality changes
• Issues speaking or communicating
• Weakened immune system
• Hearing loss
• Lung damage
• Limb spasms
• Heart rhythm changes

If you’re addicted to inhalants and recognize you have a problem, it’s beneficial to your health that you seek professional assistance as soon as possible. You never know if your next time huffing will result in you losing your life.