I hope you can help because I'm a little freaked out, the guy who gave it to me drank it extensively and recently committed suicide and I'm convinced the cause in part was the Absinth.

Dear Reader,

The emerald green liqueur known as absinthe rose to incredible popularity in Europe at the end of the 19^th century. Shortly after, it was banned in many countries including the U.S. At that time, "absinthism" (addiction to absinthe) was blamed for causing madness and criminal behavior. Some claimed the liquid had magical powers, and it was associated with the creative genius of artists and poets such as Van Gogh, Picasso, and Oscar Wilde. Although possession and sale is still banned in the U.S., the rise of the internet has made it possible to illegally obtain absinthe from countries like the Czech Republic where it is legal.

Absinthe is a mixture of aniseed, fennel, hyssop, lemon balm, angelica, star anise, dittany, juniper, nutmeg, wormwood oil, and alcohol. A compound in wormwood oil called thujone is thought to cause a number of responses including mood elevation and auditory and visual hallucinations. Different qualities of wormwood oil (which is extracted from wormwood) contain different concentrations of thujone. This may be the "extract" you've heard of. Absinthe can also cause convulsions and gastrointestinal problems. Historically, absinthe was thought to be an aphrodisiac and also a cause of psychiatric illness and suicide, though there is no strong evidence to prove this. It is difficult to separate the effects of thujone from the standard effects of alcohol, since the two are consumed together. However, many of the problems that were historically attributed to absinthe – irresponsible or erratic behavior, withdrawal, dependence, and serious health problems such as brain damage – all could be due to alcohol. Because absinthe is no longer in common use, and hasn't been studied extensively by modern scientists, it's difficult to say exactly what the effects are or what causes them.

A standard shot of absinthe (typically served with water and sugar) usually contains 2 to 4 mg of thujone, which some sources think is not enough to cause significant psychoactive effects. Frequent use may cause thujone to build up in the body, increasing the chance of seizures or hallucinations. As with any drug, each person's body will respond differently. However, it appears unlikely that a single drink of absinthe would have any lasting effects. The excessive consumption of absinthe may be related to the suicide of the person from whom you got the drink, but it is likely that there were other reasons as well. Use of drugs including alcohol is a way that some people try to deal with depression or other problems. Untreated depression is a leading cause of suicide as well.