Community Guidelines

The Withdrawal Timelines forum is a peer-support space for people quitting or tapering anything, from caffeine and sugar to nicotine, cannabis, alcohol, opioids, benzodiazepines and prescription medications. These guidelines keep it safe and useful. By posting, you agree to follow them.

1. This is peer support, not medical care

Members share personal experience. Nothing posted here is medical advice, and no one here is your doctor. Stopping some substances suddenly, especially alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, opioids and some antidepressants and other prescriptions, can be dangerous or life-threatening. Plan any taper with a qualified clinician. See Dangerous Withdrawals: When You Need Medical Help and our Medical Disclaimer.

2. No sourcing, selling or trading

• Don’t ask where to buy, sell, trade or give away drugs, prescriptions, kratom or other substances.
• No vendor names, links, contact details, “DM me” offers, or tips for getting prescriptions you weren’t prescribed.
• No advertising, affiliate links or promoting products, clinics or services.

3. No dosing instructions presented as medical advice

• You may describe what your own prescriber told you or what your own taper looked like, clearly framed as your personal experience.
• Don’t tell other people what dose to take, how fast to cut, or how to substitute or combine substances.
• Don’t post instructions for getting high, avoiding drug tests or misusing medications.

4. Be kind. No shaming.

• Everyone’s path is different: cold turkey, tapering, medication-assisted treatment, moderation or abstinence. Respect other people’s choices.
• Relapse and slips are part of many recoveries. Respond with support, not judgment.
• No harassment, slurs, personal attacks or stigmatizing language.

5. Protect your privacy and other people’s

• Your posts are public and may be indexed by search engines. Pick a username that isn’t your real name.
• Don’t share your full name, address, phone number, workplace or anyone else’s personal details.
• Don’t post screenshots of private messages or identifiable photos of other people.

6. If you or someone else is in crisis

The forum is not monitored around the clock and can’t respond to emergencies. If you are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, US). For treatment referrals and information, call SAMHSA’s free, confidential National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357, open 24/7. For seizures, hallucinations, chest pain, confusion, or if someone is unresponsive, call 911 now. More options are on our Get Help Now page.

7. Moderation

• You need a free account to post. A new member’s first post is held for review before it appears, and posts with several links may also be held.
• Moderators may edit, hide or remove posts and suspend accounts that break these guidelines. Seriously harmful content (sourcing, selling, encouraging self-harm) is removed without warning.
• To report a post or ask a question about moderation, use the Contact page or post in Site Feedback.