I found white powder — Is my loved one doing cocaine?

1) I found a white powder in my friend's car and I think it might be cocaine. I'm not sure if it is or not. I don't know if I should confront him with it or what I should do. I don't want to see my friend get hurt, but if I'm wrong, I don't want to falsely accuse him of something like this. How should I go about handling the situation?

2) I am a first-year business student and have a little sister who is a junior. I think she is doing cocaine because I found some "paraphernalia" in her room last week. What can I do without damaging my relationship with her?


What level of vitamin D is considered normal?

I recently had lab work done that identified a vitamin D deficiency. My level was eight and my doctor says that 30 is considered a normal level. I was then prescribed a vitamin D2 pill to help bring my levels up. I just read something that said vitamin D3 is the preferred type to use as a supplement and that 30 isn’t considered the “normal” level anymore, that the number should be closer to 40 or 50.

A few questions: Is it better to use D3 or D2? What level is considered normal? What are the effects of vitamin D deficiency?


Hair pulling and bulimia

Ever since I was in junior high, I have been pulling out my hair. I can remember not being able to pull my hair into a ponytail because the hair at the nape of my neck wouldn't reach. I still have this awful and shameful habit. I don't see it so much as just a habit, like the way one might bite one's nails, it's more like an obsession. I'll just sit and stare into space and pull clumps of hair out of my head. I remember having seen a program on T.V. which dealt with this habit as a medical problem that is curable with medication. Unlike the men and women represented on this program, I am not stripping myself bald — yet. I tend to consider it a form of self-punishment, perhaps. Just to give you some background information, I have a tendency towards bulimia (cycles of bulimia occur when my depression is at its worst) and am in general not a happy camper. What can you tell me about this?


Tested positive for cocaine, but never touched the stuff

My dad requires me to take weekly drug tests since he found out that I was smoking marijuana. My first test came back positive for marijuana and cocaine. I was not surprised about the marijuana because I had only been clean for five weeks, but I have never done cocaine. Is there anything that could have triggered a positive result? Could opium or mushrooms or any other drug possibly trigger this positive result?


Hookah pipes — More or less harmful than cigarettes?

My friends and I occasionally (once a week or so) like to smoke the "Hookah" or sometimes referred to in Arabic as an "argeelay." The tobacco that it comes with smells really good and comes in all kinds of flavors, such as apple, mango, mixed fruit, etc. Anyway, I consider myself to be pretty healthy in that I have never experimented with drugs, never smoked cigarettes, and rarely drink alcohol. My question is about the health effects of smoking a hookah. The rewards are mostly relaxation after a long day of studying for law school. The hookah provides this through smell, flavor, and sound of the water that filters the tobacco when you puff on it. However, I don't know what the health risks are. How does it compare to cigarettes? People say that it's much safer than cigarettes... and according to the packaging that comes with the tobacco, there are far fewer harmful ingredients... in fact, it's mostly tobacco and molasses. It's a very popular trend these days. It's time we get a good source of information. So what's the verdict?


Stressed out and anxious from schoolwork and everything

I think I just had my breaking point. I don't know how much more stress I can take. I tried to check out stress-reduction workshops, but the next one is next semester. I don't really want to see a psychiatrist. I don't know what to do. Basically, I think a lot of my stress is because it is just so difficult for me to focus or concentrate on anything. My thoughts are running everywhere. I try, I really do. I even moved into a single for it. I feel so incompetent. I don't give a damn about making friends. I'm always feeling lonely. And worst of all, there is always something that makes me so worried, panicked, to the point of just wanting to die to relieve me of it. I have chest pains when I sleep sometimes. Whenever I do anything away from my desk during my designated "study time," I feel so guilty. Since transferring here this semester, I have never felt confident, relaxed, or satisfied about anything. Everything annoys me. I annoy me. This letter probably sounds really unorganized, but I can't organize my thoughts. I went to see a Broadway play and loved it, but just really hated myself for seeing it when there was so much work I had to do. I've decided I don't want to live like this anymore. I'm tired of not being able to breathe and get chest pains when I get stressed. Please help me.