Author: Gary Jackson

By Buddy T Buddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. […]

Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms have tightly spaced gills that turn black with maturity. When the stem or cap is damaged or removed, this type of magic mushroom tends to have a bluish-purplish color. Psilocybe semilanceata mushrooms are considered to be highly potent and are characterized by large brown leather-like caps that often are attached to curved […]

For a discussion of the nonmedical use of drugs, see drug use. Most commonly recognized as marijuana, cannabis acts like a hallucinogen but also produces depressant-like effects. It is a Schedule I drug (i.e., it has a high potential for addiction) but has increasing medicinal uses in the United States. Still, marijuana is often abused by those who do not […]

Another study carried out on people with type 2 diabetes examined the effects of ACV on blood sugar when given with a bedtime snack. Participants who took 2 tbsp of ACV with a cheese snack experienced significantly lower blood sugar levels upon waking. Researchers believe that the acetic acid in the ACV slows down the […]

Asking patients about their alcohol use provides opportunities to discuss potential interactions with medications, to advise changes in their drinking if indicated, and to connect them with further resources as needed. As mentioned earlier in this article, H2RAs (e.g., cimetidine, ranitidine, nizatidine, and famotidine), which reduce gastric acid secretion, are used in the treatment of […]

Commercial advertising is often aimed at teens and young people to perpetuate the idea that synthetic cannabinoids are simply “natural and harmless” herbal mixtures. It can also be helpful to review the clinical criteria involved in diagnosing a substance use disorder. Mental health clinicians rely on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) […]

Dr. Hoffman has successfully treated hundreds of patients battling addiction. Dr. Hoffman is the Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of AddictionHelp.com and ensures the website’s medical content and messaging quality. This combination of effects can cause a rush or high, followed by sedation, and can lead to various complications, such as arrhythmias, seizures, stroke, coma, […]

After leaving rehab, it is crucial to cut ties with all previous substance abusing and addicted friends from the past. Regardless of the support, they claim they’ll give you during your path to sobriety, the fact is their presence will only stall your progress. Even in situations where it’s a good friend or even a […]

For example, if your loved one passes out in the yard and you carefully help them into the house and into bed, only you feel the pain. The focus then becomes what you did (moved them) rather than what they did (drinking so much that they passed out outside). If family members try to “help” […]

These reactions and the overtly sexual nature of dancing in nightclubs and raves can easily lead to unsafe sexual encounters that were not intended before the drug was consumed. We receive advertising fees from purchases through the BetterHelp links below. We may receive advertising fees if you follow links to promoted online therapy websites. The […]