Parents can do lots of things to keep their kids off of alcohol and illicit drugs, but inhalants are an entirely different story. Many intoxicating inhalants are everyday items found around the home—for example, hairspray, gasoline, cleaning fluids, and paint thinner—and it’s practically impossible to keep kids away from these things. The good news is that if you suspect your teen is abusing, you do have options, including inhalants addiction rehab.
Of course, it may be too soon to consider inhalants addiction rehab if you’re not even sure whether or not your teen is abusing chemicals. As you’re well aware, teens can act in strange ways, and sometimes their odd behavior has nothing to do with drug abuse. Just to be sure, here are a few signs of inhalant abuse to watch for:
strange, chemical-like odors on your child’s clothing or breath;
stains on hands, face, or clothes;
slurred speech or poor coordination;
empty containers found in your child’s room or in other hiding spots;
irritability, mood swings, or inattentiveness.
Kids can be highly secretive and defensive, which makes it hard to talk to them about a suspected inhalants abuse issue. But if you think that something is going on, sit your child down for an informal invention. Ask him or her to be honest with you, be supportive, and try to get the truth without placing blame.
If you do find that your child has been abusing inhalants, your first instinct may be to get angry. This is completely understandable, but keep in mind that your child is probably doing this out of a sense of personal hurt or deep dissatisfaction. Punishment is of course justified, but you might also want to consider entering your teen into a formal inhalants addiction rehab program where he or she can receive counseling and professional treatment.
