What are Hallucinogens?
Hallucinogens, or psychedelics, are drugs that affect a person’s perceptions, sensations, thinking, self-awareness, and emotions by disrupting normal functioning of the serotonin system. Hallucinogens include such drugs as LSD, mescaline, psilocybin (mushrooms/ shrooms), MDMA (ecstasy), and DMT. Some hallucinogens come from natural sources, such as mescaline from the peyote cactus. Others, such as LSD and PCP are synthetic or manufactured. LSD is manufactured from lysergic acid, a compound derived from rye fungus, and is odorless, colorless, and tasteless. In initial form, LSD is crystalline, but can be crushed into powder to produce tablets called “microdots”, thin squares of gelatin called “ window panes”, and more commonly dissolved into liquid form to be absorbed onto paper cut into small decorated squares called “blotter acid”. Mescaline is usually smoked or swallowed in the form of capsules or tablets. Depending on the type of hallucinogen, effects can begin almost immediately and last somewhere between 30 minutes and 12 hours.
Hallucinogens cause their effects by disrupting the interaction of nerve cells and the neurotransmitter serotonin. Distributed throughout the brain and spinal cord, the serotonin system is involved in the control of behavioral, perceptual, and regulatory systems, including mood, hunger, body temperature, sexual behavior, muscle control, and sensory perception.
LSD (an abbreviation for “Lysergic Acid Diethylamide”) is the drug most commonly identified with the term “hallucinogen” and the most widely used in this class of drugs. It is considered the typical hallucinogen, and the characteristics of its action and effects described in this Research Report apply to the other hallucinogens, including mescaline, psilocybin, and ibogaine.
What are Dissociative Drugs?
Drugs such as PCP (phencyclidine) and ketamine, which were initially developed as general anesthetics for surgery, distort perceptions of sight and sound and produce feelings of detachment – dissociation – from the environment and self. But these mind-altering effects are not hallucinations. PCP and ketamine are therefore more properly known as “dissociative anesthetics.” Dextromethorphan, a widely available cough suppressant, when taken in high doses can produce effects similar to those of PCP and ketamine.
The dissociative drugs act by altering distribution of the neurotransmitter glutamate throughout the brain. Glutamate is involved in perception of pain, responses to the environment, and memory. PCP is considered the typical dissociative drug, and the description of PCP’s actions and effects in this Research Report largely applies to ketamine and dextromethorphan as well.
What are the warning signs?
The effects of psychedelics are unpredictable. It depends on the amount taken, the user’s personality, mood, expectations, and the surroundings in which the drug is used. The physical effects soon after use may include: dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth, paranoia, and tremors. Sensations and feelings change, too. The user may feel several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. The person’s sense of time and self may also change. Sensations may seem to “cross over”, giving the user the feeling of “hearing” color and “seeing” sounds. All of these changes can be frightening and cause panic. Hallucinations distort or transform shapes and movements, and users may perceive themselves and others as moving very slowly or changing shapes.
What are the effects?
Research has shown some changes in the mental functions of heavy users of LSD, but they are not present in all cases. Heavy users sometimes develop signs of organic brain damage, such as impaired memory and attention span, mental confusion, and difficulty with abstract thinking. It is not known whether such mental changes are permanent. Large doses may cause drowsiness, convulsions, and coma. Taking large amounts of PCP can also cause death from repeated convulsions, heart and lung failure, or ruptured blood vessels in the brain. PCP can produce violent or bizarre behavior in people who are not normally that way. This behavior can lead to death from drowning, burns, falls, and automobile accidents. During time of fear, paranoia, or anxiety, users may become more aggressive while others may withdraw and have difficulty communicating.
Having bad psychological reactions to LSD and similar drugs is common. Users refer to the hallucinogenic experiences as “trips” and the bad psychological reactions as “bad trips”. The scary sensations may last a few minutes or several hours and be mildly frightening or terrifying. The user may experience panic, confusion, suspiciousness, anxiety, helplessness, and loss of control. Two long-term effects are psychosis and hallucinogen persisting perception disorder (HPPD). Some users experience distorted reality and difficulty with communication and rational thinking after the trip has ended. HPPD, more commonly known as “flashbacks”, is where a person experiences a drug’s effects without having to take the drug again. It most commonly consists of visual disturbances, which can be persistent and in some persons remained years after use has stopped.
Signs of Hallucinogen Addiction
Hallucinogens are substances that alter how an individual perceives reality, which may or may not include hallucinations (in other words, the term “hallucinogen” does not necessarily mean that hallucinations will result). These subjective changes in perception result from changes in sensory experience: how a person sees, feels, hears, smells, tastes, and/or perceives time or other aspects of reality. Both psychedelic and dissociative drugs are considered to be hallucinogens. In the past, some of these substances were originally incorporated into spiritual practices or ritualistic traditions.
Categories of hallucinogens include Phenethylamine (e.g., MDMA and peyote), Psilocybin Analogs (commonly mushrooms but also available as tablets in some cases), Ibogaine (from an African shrub), Salvia Divinorum (originally from Mexico), Ayahuasca (derived from a plant native to South America). There are a number of hallucinogenic drugs that are illegally used for recreational purposes in the United States, some of the most common include PCP (phencyclidine), Ecstasy (MDMA), LSD (d-lysergic acid diethylamide), Peyote (part of a cactus that contains mescaline), and Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N, N-dimethyltryptamine). For example, in 2008, as many as 4% of high school seniors had tried LSD in their lifetimes. Some signs of hallucinogen abuse and addiction follow. Keep in mind that these symptoms could vary in presence and intensity depending on the substance that is being abused.
- Mood swings – A person who uses hallucinogenic substances with regularity may rapidly fluctuate between emotional highs and lows.
- Disinhibition – Hallucinogen use may make a person feel sexually uninhibited (which can lead to engaging in high-risk sexual behaviors) or invincible (which may lead them to believe they have extraordinary powers or can safely participate in illegal, sometimes criminal behaviors).
- Synesthesia – Perhaps best described as “sensory crossover,” an example of synesthesia would be hearing a bell ringing when looking at a specific object.
- Fear, anxiety, or panic – New sensory experiences may or may not be frightening depending on whether the user perceives them as positive or negative (e.g., somehow threatening). Especially if they feel attacked and out of control, a person who has used a hallucinogenic drug may speak as if they are afraid of voices, people or things that are not actually present, or other hallucinations that they are experiencing. In extreme but real instances, some users have committed suicide after taking hallucinogenic drugs.
- Flashbacks – As long as a year after use, a person may have flashbacks about what they saw, heard, felt, etc. while using one of these drugs. In some cases, the individual may feel substantial distress about these flashbacks that can make it difficult for them to function at work or in social settings. This may be diagnosed as hallucinogen-induced persisting perceptual disorder (HPPD).
- Agitation – Particularly if the person is experiencing a “bad trip,” they may appear restless, irritable, and agitated.
Not all hallucinogens are physically addictive, but—as mentioned above—their use can have many serious short- and long-term consequences. Should the person develop HPPD or hallucinogen-induced psychosis, they may be treated with a few different medications. If there is someone in your life who is exhibiting signs of chronic hallucinogen use, consider getting them help soon to reduce the likelihood of negative consequences.
How can someone get help?
The first step is to determine if there is a problem. A Certified Addictions Counselor can effectively perform an assessment to determine what level of care is most appropriate. For a free confidential assessment, call the Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery at (800) 522-3784. An assessment can be completed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are always welcome.
Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse, American Psychiatric Association, National Institutes of Health; Drug-addiction.com; Addiction Treatment.org
