The Connection Between Inhalant Abuse and Mental Health Challenges

Many people are unaware of the dangers of inhalant abuse and its potential long-term effects on mental health. While the rate of people inhaling toxic vapors to get “high” is decreasing, the dangers are not. The issue of inhalant abuse and mental health is even more tragic since younger people tend to be the most common users of inhalants. 

If you or your child is suffering from an addiction to inhalants, understanding the connection between these substances and mental health challenges is vital.

What Are Inhalants?

Inhalants are vapor chemicals that elicit a feeling of pleasure when they’re inhaled. These chemicals can be found in a large number of household cleaners and other products. The brain quickly absorbs the fumes, and the sensations are almost immediate. 

Inhalants are typically used three ways:

• Aerosols are sprayed directly into the mouth or nose
• Fumes are sniffed from a container or vapor dispenser
• The toxin is sprayed on a rag that’s then placed over the nose and mouth

The effects of abusing inhalants only last a few minutes. This brief “high” leads to repeated use over a short period. The products people use as inhalants include household solvents like paint thinners, aerosol sprays like hair spray, and gases like nitrous oxide (laughing gas).

Laughing gas is one of the most frequently abused inhalants because it is easy to find. Nitrous oxide is used in whipped cream dispensers and culinary propellant canisters. Street names to be aware of include whippets, poppers, huff, and chroming.

Adolescents and teenagers tend to use inhalants more than other age groups. The peak age for abusing inhalants is around 15 years old, but children as young as five have experimented with this type of drug.   

Immediate Dangers of Inhalant Use

Regardless of variances, inhalants can have serious negative effects on your health, even the first time you use them.

Like most substances, inhalants affect everyone differently. Your body may even metabolize a toxic vapor differently from one day to another. Factors that influence how an inhalant affects a person include:

• The type of inhalant
• Tolerance, or how much of that specific inhalant you’ve used before
• General health, weight, and body size
• How much of the inhalant you’re using
• Whether you’re combining the inhalant with alcohol or other substances
• The amount of fresh air available while inhaling

Regardless of variances, inhalants can have serious negative effects on your health, even the first time you use them. Hallucinations, confusion, and headaches are common. “Sudden sniffing death” may also occur. This type of overdose death is most common with butane, propane, and other aerosols. 

Death by asphyxiation is a risk as well. People can choke on their vomit, and high concentrations of inhaled chemicals can displace the oxygen in the lungs, essentially causing death by suffocation. 

Inhalant Abuse and Mental Health: Short-Term Effects

The initial feelings of euphoria related to inhalant use may feel pleasurable, but those feelings can quickly escalate into a nightmare. Hallucinations and delusions are common. People may imagine an endless number of frightening scenarios that could lead them to dangerous behaviors, including putting their own lives or the lives of others at risk. 

Mood swings are common and are difficult to control. Inhalant use can also cause high levels of anxiety that may lead to panic attacks. 

Inhalant Abuse and Mental Health: Long-Term Effects

The long-term mental health effects of inhalant use can drastically alter a person’s life. Continued use can cause severe cognitive impairment, including a medical condition known as neurocognitive disorder. Neurocognitive disorder is a type of memory loss that can make it difficult to perform daily functions. 

Inhalant use can also increase the risk of developing ongoing anxiety disorders and depression. Inhalant-induced anxiety disorder and inhalant-induced depression are serious mental health concerns, but they aren’t the worst conditions inhalant use can cause. 

Inhalant use disorder can also lead to a complete psychotic breakdown that mimics the symptoms of schizophrenia. Suicidal ideation and self-harm are risks of long-term inhalant use as well. 

How does all this damage happen? Neurotoxic chemicals destroy connections within the brain, physically altering the organ’s structure, sometimes permanently. These structural changes affect the way neurotransmitters travel throughout the brain as well as the information they can deliver. 

If you think of your brain as a mail delivery system, inhalants can cause the entire mail room’s organization system to shut down. Messages get delivered to the wrong address or never get sent in the first place. 

Treatment Options for Inhalant Use Disorder

In California, treatment for inhalant use disorder is similar to treatments used for other substance use disorders. A combination of therapies, including cognitive therapy, 12-step programs, and medication, can help people break the cycle of addiction and prioritize wellness. 

Individuals who are also struggling with depression or other mental health concerns can benefit from opting for dual-diagnosis treatment in Los Angeles. Treatment for co-occurring disorders provides the support and resources an individual needs to manage mental health conditions while breaking a dependence on inhalants. 

Contact SoberMind Recovery for Inhalant Abuse Treatment

SoberMind Recovery offers both inpatient and outpatient programs for people struggling with addiction issues, including a specialized program for inhalant use disorder. We understand the need for marginalized groups to feel safe in recovery. That’s one reason why we offer an LGBTQ sober living program. 

Our dual-diagnosis treatment program ensures our clients get the help they need to manage mental health concerns successfully. If you or someone you know is using inhalants, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Contact SoberMind Recovery today for caring, compassionate addiction treatment.