I dont know if I’m sick enough to need rehab yet. I feel I have this under control so far. I still have my job, family is ok. But I’ve lied to friends a couple of times about relapsing and have hidden use from family. They think I’m sober 2 days not a few hours. I want to stop but don’t know how. I’ve tried sobering up on my own but withdrawal sucks. Maybe I need to come clean but it’s not that bad. I’m only using inhalants, mostly glue honestly. I want to get clean, but I don’t know how. Do I need real treatment or can I do it on my own? I’m only 16 and have been using for about a month now. It helps my PTSD but at what cost. I’m so torn I need some advice
Love, have you spoken to a counselor or your parents about this? I really feel like you need to talk about this openly and honestly so they can help enlist a professional to begin your healing now. Especially if you don’t know how you can stop. It gets worse and more aggressive as you get older if you dont heal what’s at the root of this problem. It’s progressive. There’s also a lot of damage being done by putting those toxic substances in your body and it could be irreversible on the path you are on…Play the tape out on the road you’re walking. What do you see?
A whole different life filled with so much peace and love within you is just waiting for you to discover it! The fact you are questioning things tells you that you know within yourself that things aren’t ok. That’s huge! That’s your inner voice speaking, it will never steer you wrong so try to listen to that. Beautiful things will come if you do. Hugs!
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My family doesn’t know much about my trauma and we aren’t on the best of terms. My mom is toxic and dad isnt really emotionally there for me. I’m not sure if I can tell them about this, but I want to get better
Yeah I’ve tried quitting on my own but I get an awful fever and can’t sleep without taking something. It’s pretty bad that I’m physically dependent on it already but I’m not sure if I’m bad enough
Trust me, it’s bad enough.
You deep down know it is too. It won’t get better from here if you dont get help to get your body and mind off it and healing. Please talk to someone, a counselor is really the best person to help you if your relationship is strained with your family and they dont know all the trauma details. I really hope you can find the help you need because I can promise you addictions aren’t where it’s at or what you are here for. 
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It’s scary to get the words out that you need help, but you will feel weight lifted from your shoulders if you do. Is there a good friend you could talk with, maybe an aunt or Uncle? School counselor?
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If you are 16, hiding a huffing addiction, yes you are sick enough for rehab. Abusing any substance at your age can cause irreparable harm to your still-developing brain.
Please, be honest with your family, and get the help you need.
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No matter how badly you think the conversation with your parents might go, it won’t be as bad as staying stuck in the addiction. Tell them you want help and support in stopping. They want you free from the addiction too, otherwise they wouldn’t care how long ago you last used.
Often these kinds of conversations end up building trust and healthier relationships with family because they know you were honest with them at a time when it was incredibly tough for you to do so, not just when you felt like being honest.
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Totally agree with MandiH.
Why wait until you are “sick enough”? Many people with addictions dont recognise being ‘sick enough’ and spend years and years feeling regret and worse. I wonder why you don’t think you are sick enough? You sound like you are truely struggling.
You sound like you have had such a tough time. So unfair. If your life experiences have hurt so much you must need healing. Just like a physical wound, many emotional wounds will not heal on their own.
I am new to this app but have found masses of support just by reading others stories and experiences. All say it gets way better once you stop. Most get some help from somewhere.
I live in the UK and there are free counselling and support helplines for young people. Is this an option??
Take the best care of yourself.
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A thought about the “sick enough” phrase that I wanted to share. What really is “sick enough”? Do any of us wish we had waited to get help until we’ve done permanent bodily damage that can’t be fixed? Until we lose everything over it? Until it kills us? I guess I am wondering what you are waiting for? If you know you have an addiction and emotional trauma to be dealt with, you are light years ahead of us who had no idea why we did what we did. Please get some help love.
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If you are struggling to talk to your parents, try identifying another safe adult - a teacher, a school counselor, a friend’s parent, your doctor, etc. It is really important that you find a way to get some help and support asap. 
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Im sorry if this comes across as patronising; I don’t mean it to. Imagine we’re sitting on a park bench… 16 years old is no age to get trapped into an addiction. @MandiH is dead on the mark; theres a far better peaceful life ahead of you if you choose to go down that path.
I’m fairly sure most of us here would love to speak the words of wisdom to our 16 year old selves that youre already speaking to yourself.
My advice would be to go to your doctor and discuss whatever is happening with you. They will be the best advisorys and thats what theyre there for. Are you sick enough? Theres no such thing as “sick enough”; either you’e sick or you’re not. So my answer is yes. My step dad said to me a few years ago “I dont think you’re at ‘that point’ yet but if you continue the way you are, one day you will be” - and he was right.
DO NOT let this addiction get a hold of you now. Get treatment, catch it early and find the inner peace you need to live a happy and healthy adult life. If that was uncomfortable I apologise but trust me, it’s more comfortable than a park bench.
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I second this. If not your parents, you can find other safe adults to tell. You don’t have to be alone.
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Hey there,
I’m arriving late to this thread, but I want to echo what @MandiH and others have said on here. If you are using inhalents and are having physical and/or psychological withdrawal, you are going to need help stopping - and quickly. Even if you aren’t using often, inhalents can mess you up in a big way really fast. Neurological damage and respiratory distress are not uncommon from sniffing glue.
Man, you do not want to die from using glue. It is definitely serious enough to get help. Sniffing isn’t going to make the crap in your life go away - it’s just going to drag you down to a worse place.
Do you go to a public school? Do you know your school counselor? He or she can get you in touch with treatment programs They can help talk with your parents. There is a lot of help available to you. You are at such a tough age - and it sounds like you have dealt with a ton of rough things already. You know what that tells me? You have the strength to get off this stuff. You are incredibly courageous to recognize that you have developed a problem and to ask for help. You have the strength to deal with hard times without numbing your mind. You just don’t have to do it alone.
Can you talk to a counselor at your school tomorrow? Let us know how it goes?
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If you can not stop on your own, then yes, you need help. I couldnt stop on my own and need help to this day! How bad is bad enough? You dont have to be as bad as another to need help. Addiction only gets worse, never better. I promise, it just gets worse and worse. If you cant stop now, just think of your future if you dont get help now. Seek help now! An addictions counselor, maybe even family counseling, theres detoxs, rehabs. There are resources out there, you just need to use them. You’re so young and can do so much with your life! I’m almost 30 and I wish I would have got my addiction under wraps when I was 16. Man, my wife could have been way different! So my suggestion would be to seek help while you want it.
@Dejavu I read somewere that you did inhalants when your younger. Any tips that aren’t made yet?
Thanks @Buts
@Jay6, we are a special kind, you and I. A little misunderstood. Maybe a few scars we’d like to forget about. But we are passionate, beautiful beings with so much potential. We just need to learn to direct the focus our passion on something positive and healthy.
I know what you’re going through, because I went through it; the why might be different, but the how is then same. I huffed inhalants for over a year when I was 15/16.
First thing is you need to commit to quitting. The damage it does is by far worse than the pain it’s covering up. It’s hard to quit, but you can do it.
There’s 2 options, supervised detox or cold turkey.
Going cold turkey with inhalants, most times, causes no problems other than minor withdrawal symptoms. You will be uncomfortable for 3 to 4 days but it will be quick and you will feel much better. If you choose this, get rid of all glue and other inhalants, throw it all away. Be prepared for a few days of withdrawals. They might feel intense, but they are bearable. They won’t last long.
If you would rather have a supervised detox, you’re going to have to ask for help. This sounds scary and even embarrassing, but the alternative is either severe brain damage or death. This method is recommended because you will get all the help you need, not just with your addiction but with help healing those scars.
Please feel free to PM me if you want to talk about it.
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