Treating Inhalant Addiction in Maine
In the United States, roughly 335,000 people 12 and older had an inhalant disorder as of 2021. People who misuse inhalants face horrifying medical consequences because these substances are extremely toxic. Abusing them can result in coma and even death.
Irregular heartbeats, such as torsades de pointe and other forms of tachycardia (overly rapid heartbeats), can be life-threatening. These dangerous heart conditions can occur and cause death with just one breath of inhalant. This is called “sudden sniffing death.” If the person doesn’t die, suffocation is possible along with possibly lethal conditions like kidney failure, liver problems, and certain kinds of brain damage.
Even if the person who misuses inhalants survives, the effects can be devastating. As shown in the previously cited source from the Cleveland Clinic, problems like memory issues, hallucinations, aphasia, tremors, and issues with any or all of the five senses are all common. It’s fortunate that inhalant use disorder is not as prevalent as it could be, but the effects of it are so long lasting and far reaching that it’s important for people to know not only how terrible it can be but also how to treat it as safely and effectively as possible.
Types of Inhalants That Are Commonly Misused
The biggest problem with inhalants is that they’re nearly all legal and have legitimate uses. It wouldn’t be possible, or even feasible, for the police to crack down on buying window cleaner, barbecue lighter fluid, or similar substances. People with inhalant use disorder will be creative when it comes to using inhalants.
One category of inhalants is that of volatile organic substances (VOCs). These include materials like benzene, toluene, and acetone. There are also substances that combine several solvents of the previous type; these combination substances include gasoline, toluene, and paint thinner and glue.
Another type of inhalants that are misused is aerosols, such as hair spray, deodorant, and cooking sprays. The person doesn’t inhale the actual material that’s sold for its intended use. Rather, the person will inhale the propellant. Sometimes, people with inhalant use disorder will also use canned compressed air, which is dangerous even in when used as intended. It can cause frostbite if not used correctly, and it has been known to damage users’ eyes severely.
The last group of inhalants comprises gases and nitrite compounds. The most commonly inhaled gases are nitrous oxide, chloroform, and ether. People with inhalant use disorder also use butane or propane in their raw state. When it comes to nitrites, which are colloquially known as poppers, amyl nitrite is the most common, but butyl nitrite and cyclohexyl nitrite also see use.
It cannot be stressed enough that all these substances are dangerous not only when it comes to sudden sniffing death but also regarding long-term detrimental effects in the body.
Inhalant Use Disorder Treatment Options
Unfortunately, treatment for inhalant use disorder is little understood and generally overlooked, which is puzzling because the treatment after detoxification is very similar to that of other substance use disorders.
Aside from emergency treatments for acute inhalant toxicity, the options include pharmacological, behavioral, and neuropsychological ones, the last of which is relevant in cases where the person seeking treatment has experienced six weeks or more of cognitive impairment as a result of the misuse of inhalants.
It must be noted that the pharmacological treatments are risky in and of themselves because they involve medications like benzodiazepines and barbiturates, both of which rely on the cross-tolerance between inhalants and alcohol for their function. In some cases, baclofen, a skeletal muscle relaxant, is also useful to reduce both cravings and the symptoms of inhalant withdrawal. These range from mild symptoms, such as headaches, lethargy, and nausea, to serious symptoms like hallucinations and the development of an anxiety disorder or depressive disorder. Such comorbid symptoms require the same kind of support and treatment as any other dual diagnosis. Medical professionals caring for someone experiencing inhalant withdrawal need to perform checks every three hours to ensure any serious effects receive the right treatment.
Behavioral treatment options include various kinds of therapy. The most common form is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), in which the client learns to think about their negative thought patterns. The idea is for the therapist and client to decipher the client’s thought processes together and then to create goals over the course of roughly a dozen sessions. The therapist will teach the client strategies and coping skills to help that person achieve each goal. One of the chief methods is to teach the client how to detach from these thought processes, examine them from different angles, and analyze ways to improve both the behavior itself and the way that the client thinks about the behavior.
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is similar to cognitive behavioral therapy, but it’s a long-term strategy rather than a course of treatment limited to a dozen sessions or so. The main tenet of DBT is that clients are allowed to consider their behaviors and experiences as valid, but they must also acknowledge that, even if those experiences and behaviors are valid, they must enact change to become better at dealing with their inhalant use disorder. The program lasts for roughly 24 weeks, and most people who participate in dialectical behavioral therapy repeat the program. In this form of therapy, the therapist is more of a facilitator and observer than an active participant. This is another way in which DBT differs from CBT.
Motivational enhancement therapy is designed to get clients excited about changing their behaviors so that they can achieve success. The therapist becomes a cheerleader as well as an analyst of the client’s issues. The usual practice is for the client to complete a battery of tests and assessments that takes about seven or eight hours. From the information in the completed tests and assessments, the therapist will devise an encouraging strategy to help motivate the client to change. This is another short-term method of treatment.
As far as holistic practices go, at least in the short term, yoga as a treatment method has been shown to be at least as effective when treating inhalant use disorder as other successful approaches. Research is ongoing regarding yoga and other holistic treatment methods and their long-term efficacy.
Understanding the Inhalant Detoxification Process
If the client doesn’t need medications for withdrawal, then the process involves supportive care and monitoring for serious side effects of withdrawal. Most often, clients will be adolescents, so the supportive care must be age appropriate as well as comprehensive. Those attending these clients need to see to it that the clients get enough sleep, eat well, and drink at least three quarts of water a day.
In cases when supportive care is not enough, such as when the person is experiencing hallucinations or heart-related ailments that could prove lethal, appropriate medications should be added to the process. As already stated, benzodiazepines and barbiturates are often effective at controlling inhalant withdrawal. Because clients can become dependent on these medications, too, medical professionals must exercise extreme care when administering them. It is unfortunate that there is no set detoxification procedure for inhalants like those for opioids and stimulants such as cocaine and meth.
Sometimes, clients begin to use inhalants after a trauma of some kind as a self-treatment option, an escape from the feelings associated with the trauma, or both. In these cases, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective treatment option. It doesn’t treat the inhalant use disorder, but it helps the client turn the traumatic memories into normal memories, thus relieving and releasing the stress associated with the trauma. The idea is to use EMDR to remove the impetus to use inhalants or other harmful substances, which should, in turn, create the opportunity for an easier handling of withdrawal for the client.
Inhalant Rehab Centers and Facilities
There are two basic methods of treatment: outpatient and inpatient. In many cases, outpatient treatment is preferred. In these instances, the client won’t need pharmacological support and will have responded well to the supportive treatments. When it comes to inpatient treatment, when the client needs extra monitoring, particularly if life-threatening conditions are present, keeping the client where around-the-clock monitoring can take place is wise.
Most reputable centers, such as Liberty Bay Recovery Center, provide a multipronged approach because not one style of treatment, or even combination of treatments, will work for every client. Additionally, these reputable recovery centers generally customize the treatment for each client based on that person’s medical history.
The Importance of Professional Treatment
Treating inhalant use disorder is certainly not a “do-it-at-home” proposition, especially if you have accompanying health conditions. Doctors, nurses, and therapists are all trained to handle these kind of issues, and it’s imperative that you allow them to do the work they know how to do. There is zero shame in allowing them to take care of you. You don’t have to be Superman or Wonder Woman; you just have to want to get better.
Aftercare Is Crucial
There is always a chance of returning to use after completing a treatment program. At Liberty Bay, we provide our clients with options for ongoing care. Helping you heal from inhalant use disorder is a team effort, and ongoing support is the best way to support your recovery.
Liberty Bay Recovery Center is dedicated to helping people overcome their substance use, and this includes inhalant use disorder. We offer a comprehensive treatment program and will customize your treatment to fit each aspect of your case. When you’re ready to begin the process, give us a call or visit us at the treatment center.