Different drugs have varying effects on the body when abused. These effects vary further depending on the person taking the drug, often determined by their general health and body size. The impacts of drug abuse are either psychological or physical, making you either feel or act differently. One popularly abused hallucinogen is LSD. However, most people might not be aware of the potential dangers of LSD. This post will look at what LSD is, how it affects the body, and how Oceanfront Recovery can help you.
What Is LSD?
LSD is a drug synthesized by combining ergot, a fungus found on certain grains, and a chemical known as diethylamide. Though it was first intended as a treatment for respiratory depression, its hallucinogenic effects were discovered later, and since then, LSD has been mainly used for recreational purposes.
How Does LSD Affect The Body?
LSD stimulates the production of serotonin, affecting the serotonin receptors that help you interpret reality. While the brain usually filters irrelevant stimuli, over-stimulation alters someone’s perceptions, ultimately causing hallucinations. In some cases, it can cause a blending of senses, with some reporting being able to ‘see’ sounds and ‘hear’ colors.
The effects experienced after taking the drug are unpredictable and largely depend on your personality, stress levels, and the amount taken. Changes in body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure are frequent. Others might also experience tremors, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, sweats, chills, and dry mouth. LSD drug users are unable to differentiate reality from fiction, with everything appearing real. This is accompanied by an inability to make sensible judgments. They might later feel an urge to take more of the drug to re-experience similar sensations.
What Are The Harmful Effects of LSD Use?
There are multiple dangers of LSD use. These dangers can either be short-term or can have long-term and lasting effects on the body. Though the drug mainly affects someone’s psychology and mental health, LSD can also cause harmful physical effects. Some of the dangers of LSD and drug abuse include:
- Distorted thinking
- Intense hallucinations
- ‘Bad trip,’ highlighted by extreme and inescapable paranoia and fear, pain, and panic attacks
- Blurred vision, image distortion, as well as impaired depth perception
- Sudden mood changes that could either be a sense of bliss and euphoria or a sense of confusion, anxiety, and despair
Since LSD is not a physically addictive drug, there are no physical withdrawal symptoms that occur. However, it can have lasting psychological effects long after you stop using it. LSD can cause severe depression, a prolonged psychotic state, and in some cases, induce schizophrenia in individuals already predisposed to it.
Furthermore, because it accumulates in the body, you can quickly build a tolerance to the drug, ultimately requiring an increase in dosage if you are to feel its effects. As such, this raises the chances of developing a drug addiction. LSD can have long-term psychological effects even after only one use. Users have been known to experience flashbacks, a recurrence of the ‘trip,’ and severe disorientation long after their only dose.
Treatment for LSD Addiction
The dangers of LSD mainly lie in how unpredictable the drug is. Different people react differently to the drug’s potency. Your surroundings, thoughts, mindset, and mood are some factors that influence how the drug will affect you. Understanding its dangers is crucial in managing your LSD addiction.
At Oceanfront Recovery, we are dedicated to providing you with the best possible care and a team of care providers committed to your recovery. Both of our outpatient and residential treatment programs cater to your needs, arming you with the tools geared towards recovering from drug addiction and improving your well-being. Contact Oceanfront Recovery at 877.296.7477 and take the first step to recovery from the dangers of LSD use.
