Teen Addiction… and Recovery

The saddest part of lip balm addiction is that it ensnares people as young as five years old or even younger. Unlike cigarettes, alcohol, or hard drugs, it is socially acceptable to get your kids balmed. The inherent dangers of such practices are described in this testimony we received this week.

After ten years of a crippling addiction to Blistex, I am finally free.  My name is Sarah and I am fifteen years old.  When I was at the tender age of just five, my poor, uninformed mother noticed that my little lips were badly chapped.

And so the addiction began.

Blistex Lip Medex

I can recall several mornings when we were standing outside my house, and I would suddenly exclaim, “Mommy!  I FORGOT TO PUT ON LIP MEDICINE!”  Little drama queen (and addict) that I was, I would proceed to scream, cry, and wave my little pudgy arms in practical hysteria as my dear mother sprinted into the house, grabbed the little barrel of evil, sprinted back outside to her bawling daughter, and applied it to my dependent lips, all before the bus even arrived to take me to Kindergarten.  Over the years, it saddens me to tell you that my addiction only worsened.  Blistex became my constant companion, always ready and eager to soothe my lips (and my soul).  Sadly, I had no idea of the danger of my obsession until my mother happened to inform a friend of hers of how much I adored Blistex.  He quirked an eyebrow and wondered suspiciously, “When she puts it on, does it tingle?”  My mother, of course, had no idea what he could mean by this strange question, and when she relayed it to me, I, too, was oblivious.  Finally, the turning point in my painful addiction:  I happened to Google “dependence on Blistex,” and a world opened up to me.  I discovered that there were two dangerous ingredients in Blistex, Camphor and Menthol (which cause a tingling sensation), that had led not only to a weakening of my poor lips but also to further dryness, thus increasing my want (and need) for the malevolent Blistex.

I was distraught; I had nowhere to turn.  How could I destroy my addiction when it had all but consumed me?

Finally, the heavens smiled upon me:  I stumbled upon Lip Balm Anonymous.  Without your fantastic web site and liberating 12-step program, I would surely be applying Blistex at this very moment!  I just had to write you and thank you for the wondrous new life you have given me!  “Free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty, I’m free at last!”

Very Sincerely and with Many Thanks,
Sarah