Category: Sober living

The amount of heroin you consume and the frequency at which you consume it have a serious impact on how long it is detectable. This does not mean a certain ingestion method will prevent heroin from showing up on a certain test. At Real Recovery, we know that the consequences of taking heroin can be…

John C. Umhau, MD, MPH, CPE is board-certified in addiction medicine and preventative medicine. For over 20 years Dr. Umhau was a senior clinical investigator at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Diabetes was recently named “a defining disease of the 21st century” by the medical journal The…

L-theanine’s not the only thing that will put you into a better state of mind—check out the five mental health-boosting supplements that a doctor thinks you should take. Or you could always strap on some wearable tech to help manage your stress levels. These effects of yoga and meditation can help stabilize moods and reduce stress and…

Some seem to be calming while others seem to be anti-depressants or adaptogens (more stimulating for me). Though magnesium might be hard there (it’s needed for stimulating neurotransmitter creation, but often has calming effects). Arctic root is a valuable remedy for anxiety because it naturally increases activity of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, the “feel good”…

Your symptoms may not seem out of the ordinary until after the fact. Some people may never realize they were drugged because their symptoms could be otherwise explained. Whether you decide to undergo an exam or not, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about emergency contraception, STI testing and post-exposure prophylaxis. Once you…

Either take them home safely, or make sure they get to a hospital. Dizziness, confusion, or disorientation Directly after being roofied, you might get confused about where you are or who you’re with. Being roofied can also make you feel dizzy, which can make it hard to walk straight. Difficulty breathing Date rape drugs can…

Since alcohol itself has blood thinning properties, combining it with blood thinners can enhance this effect, leading to increased alcohol-related excessive bleeding episodes. Platelet Function ModulationOne of the main ways alcohol can seemingly act as a blood thinner is by modulating platelet activity. Studies have shown that a small or moderate amount of alcohol (for example,…

For some individuals, the fleeting platelet function changes from moderate drinking might slightly reduce a few cardiovascular risks. Yet, for many more, the broader hazards of heavy or chronic alcohol use overshadow any potential benefit. The interplay of dose, frequency, genetics, concurrent medications, and overall health means that each person’s physiological response will differ. In general, alcohol…

Mouth swab drug testing, also known as a saliva test, has become a mainstay in the arsenal of workplace drug screenings. Unlike other types of drug tests, this one can be done quickly and without much fuss, making it a preferred choice for many employers aiming to uphold a drug-free workplace. Pre-employment checks or random…

Just know you can’t leave and come back later; you must remain under supervision until you can give a sufficient sample or the time runs out. Begin urinating into the toilet, then mid-stream move the cup into the flow. This mid-catch method isn’t always explicitly instructed, but it can help a cleaner sample by avoiding…