What are Natural Hallucinogens?

Psilocybin is a chemical found in certain types of mushrooms that when consumed cause and hallucinogenic effect. This chemical belongs to the same family as LSD due to the similar effects.

These hallucinogens are used by people in various ways, depending on what form they come in. The mushrooms are either boiled or dried, and then smoked or eaten. Some people will even swallow or smoke the mushrooms.

The effects caused on a short term basis include:

• Hallucinations

• Distorted sense in place and time

• Poor co-ordination

• Increase in the temperature of the body that causes the person to either sweat or experience chills

• The user will experience loss of control in concentration and thinking processes

The effects caused on a long term basis may cause the user to experience prolonged depression, anxiety and impaired memory. Another long term effect is something known as a flashback that can occur even years after taking the drug.

Natural hallucinogens usually cause a person to have a psychological dependence to the drug, rather than a physical dependence. A regular user of the drug can start to experience feelings of craving or need when they stop taking it.

The danger of using these mushrooms is that some contain a highly toxic poison, this can cause the person to become violently ill due to the poisoning effect and can even lead to hospitalizing or even death.

The poison in the mushroom is known as Datura and is very similar in appearance to the ones used for their hallucinogenic effects. It is therefore easy to confuse the two and the outcome could be fatal to the user.

Even though mushrooms are a natural drug .It is advisable for any person that abuses a drug to seek the help of a treatment center, to aid them in leading a normal life again.

How Teens Get Alcohol Is Very Simple

There are a number of ways that teens get alcohol. It is actually not that hard for them and there are plenty of options for them to try. Just remember how you got it back in your day. Well the same options are available to them as they were available to you. Kid's these days are just as inclined to party. You need to remember that your teenager can get a hold of anything that you used to be able to get a hold of. They are just as crafty as the teens back in your day.

The number one way of teens getting alcohol is by steeling yours. This is why it is always important to keep your liquor cabinet locked and hide the beer in the back of the fridge. They will steel small amounts of alcohol at a time thinking that you wont notice. Make sure to count your beers!

Another way that teams get alcohol is through fake Identification cards. These are more common them a lot of parents realize and are fairly cheap. There is actually a wide market for these and they are easy to find. But the government is cracking down on it! Now there is a bar code to swipe on these cards to make sure that it is real.

Kids will also get other kids to buy alcohol for them. Older kids that are still defiant will do this and there is not much you can do about it. Make sure to talk to your kids about why this is wrong. They will understand...

Alcohol is very damaging to young body. You need to prevent our youth from getting it! Make sure that you take every measure to prevent its consumption! It might even save your child's life!

Habits and Common Practices of an Alcoholic

 

Confessions of the Lifestyles of an Alcoholic
From a Confessed Alcoholic

My name is Jaimie and I am an alcoholic in recovery. The reason I am writing this, is that many out there still do not understand what it is like to be an alcoholic, as the word "alcoholic" has come to present a specific and stereotypical image lumping all that suffer from this disease together. Alcoholism and its effects are wide and varied. I can only speak from my own experiences, but hope this will shed some light on a misunderstood subject.

Bars

A common misconception is that alcoholics will go into a bar in the morning, drink all day, and leave late at night. This is not necessarily true, especially if that alcoholic is not a millionaire. A true alcoholic needs to retain certain levels of alcohol in their system to be able to feel normal and balanced. an 8 dollar drink with two shots of liquor in it is not an effective way to keep the "needed" or craved for amounts of alcohol.

Binge Drinking

This is often thought of as a pounding thirty beers in a few hours, but a binge usually lasts days not hours. When an alcoholic binges, it is usually on a steadily high amount of alcohol over 3-4 days. These 3-4 days is usually spent at home simply sitting and drinking. Sleep is hard to  come by during these binges unless you pass out, even then you will only be out for a couple of hours and will wake up wide awake and craving the continuance of the binge.

Quitting

Alcoholics may try numerous times to quit drinking, especially after a long binge that has left you weak, sick, and desperate. This sick feeling sticks around for about two days, and usually alcoholics can go for 2 days without drinking and sticking to their sobriety pledge. However, the 3rd or 4th day, you are starting to feel better. Much better, your thinking is starting to get much clearer, but far too clear. This is when panic sets in, and you are not sure what to do with yourself... In my case, I would get this feeling and think that I needed to dumb-down my racing mind and extra energy, so would have a drink to take the edge off a little. It works... I would already begin to feel calm again, and think that the  one drink worked. Within an hour, you are craving another rink, and another, an soon you are right back where you started.

Becoming Sober

My alcoholism was more of a mental addiction than a physical addiction. I did not have the pain, hallucinations, or possibly-lethal withdrawals that physical dependent alcoholics get, so I felt comfortable with attending an intensive outpatient program. This was done through substance abuse counseling programs that I could attend around my work schedule, and still live at home while getting sober. This option is not for everyone, but worked for me. I can't say exactly how or when I noticed I no-longer had a problem with alcohol, it just sort of happened unexpectedly, and has changed my life for the better.

Northridge Counseling offeres intensive outpatient programs and substance abuse counseling for addictions to alcohol and to drugs. Our wonderful counselers and staff will try and help you transform your life for the better, just as Jaimie was able to. Contact us today:

Thinking About Quitting Smoking? Try These Tips!

If you are thinking about quitting smoking, then you do not need to be told why you should do it. You already know that being tobacco free means saving money and protecting the health of yourself and those that share the air with you. What you don't know is how to quit smoking, but that's where this article comes in, so read on.

Sometimes when you're trying to quit smoking, scare tactics can help. Scan a few pictures of cancer patients, individuals who have aged significantly due to cigarettes, or damaged lungs. Keep these in view at all times and they just might scare you into staying away from those dangerous cigarettes.

When aiming to kick the smoking habit for good, you should always believe that you can do it. Think about all the incredible things you have accomplished in your life so far. This will help you realize you have the strength to overcome this addiction. Having faith in yourself is not only important for quitting smoking, but it's also important for overall success in your life.

If you want to stop smoking forever, stop thinking about forever. Instead of focusing on quitting forever, just focus on quitting for today. A shorter timeline can make your journey more manageable, both physically and mentally. Once you start becoming comfortable with your commitment to stop smoking, you can start to make longer term goals.

Don't Go Cold Turkey
Do not quit cold turkey. It can be tempting to throw out your cigarettes and say, "I quit!" But cold turkey is not the way you want to go. Studies show that over ninety percent of people who try to quit smoking with no medication or therapy end up relapsing. The reason for this is because nicotine is addictive and your brain craves it. Without it, nicotine withdrawal symptoms set in.

If you want to quit smoking, you need to identify factors that will motivate you to stop. Preventing lung cancer, tooth decay, gum disease and emphysema, or protecting your family are strong motivators. Showing respect for your body and for the gift of life is also a powerful motivating force. Whatever reason you choose, it needs to be enough to prevent you from lighting up again in the future.

Looking at a picture of smoker's lungs may be all you need to quit smoking. When a person smokes, their lungs turn black after a while and they could end up with lung cancer. As harsh as it may seem, viewing the picture may set off a signal in your brain to quit.

Don't give up if you slip up. Anytime someone tries to give something up that they have been doing for years, there will likely be a struggle. When that struggle exists, slip ups often happen. If you do slip up, get right back on track and try again. The worst thing you can do is turn a slip up into an excuse to keep smoking, so don't do it.

When you started reading this article, you had the desire to quit smoking and knew the reasons why you should. Now, you also know some tips on how to go about it. Apply the ideas presented here, either individually or in combinations, for a chance at becoming an exsmoker yourself.