Addiction to LSD
LSD is initially produced in crystalline form, which can then be used to produce tablets known as “microdots” or thin squares of gelatin called “window panes.” It can also be diluted with water or alcohol and sold in liquid form. The most common form, however, is paper soaked with the drug and punched into small individual squares, known as “blotters.”
Signs & Symptoms of LSD Addiction
- LSD users can also experience flashbacks, or recurrences of certain aspects of the drug experience.
- Dizziness
- Insomnia
- Numbness
- Tremors
- Loss of Appetite
- Dry Mouth
- Intense Mood Swings
- Hallucinations – Seeing, Hearing and Feeling
- Decreased Heart Rate
Effects of LSD Use
Sensations and feelings change much more dramatically than the physical signs in people under the influence of LSD. The user may feel several different emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. If taken in large enough doses, the drug produces delusions and visual hallucinations. The user’s sense of time and self is altered. Experiences may seem to “cross over” different senses, giving the user the feeling of hearing colors and seeing sounds. These changes can be frightening and can cause panic. Some LSD users experience severe, terrifying thoughts and feelings of despair, fear of losing control, or fear of insanity and death while using LSD.
LSD users can also experience flashbacks, or recurrences of certain aspects of the drug experience. Flashbacks occur suddenly, often without warning, and may do so within a few days or more than a year after LSD use. In some individuals, the flashbacks can persist and cause significant distress or impairment in social or occupational functioning, a condition known as hallucinogen-induced persisting perceptual disorder (HPPD).
Teen Challenge American rehabilitation centers are recommended for recovery from LSD addiction, due to the length of time these programs give to addicts to allow them to get past their addiction. It takes a good year of abstinence in a controlled environment for an addict to get past the addiction to LSD. Most other rehab programs are not able to give that much time and attention to the addict or are too costing for most people to afford over an extended period of time.
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