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Q: What are hallucinogens?
A: Hallucinogens, or psychedelics, are drugs that affect a person's perception, sensations, thinking, self-awareness and emotions. Hallucinogens include such drugs as LSD, mescaline, psilocybin and DMT. Some hallucinogens come from natural sources, such as mescaline from the peyote cactus. Others, such as LSD, are synthetic or manufactured. Sometimes considered a hallucinogen because it has some of the same effects, PCP does not fit easily into any drug category because it can also relieve pain or act as a stimulant.
Q: What is LSD?
A: LSD is manufactured from lysergic acid, which is found in ergot, a fungus that grows on rye and other grains. Discovered in 1938, LSD is one of the most potent mood-changing chemicals known. Odorless, colorless and tasteless, LSD is sold on the street in tablets, capsules or in liquid form. Though usually taken by mouth, it is sometimes injected or added to absorbent paper, such as blotter paper and divided into small decorated squares, each square a single dose.
Q: What are some other psychedelic drugs?
A: Mescaline comes from the peyote cactus, and although it is not as strong as LSD, its effects are similar. Mescaline is usually smoked or swallowed in the form of capsules or tablets. Psilocybin comes from certain mushrooms, which may be eaten fresh or dried, and is also sold in tablet or capsule form. DMT is another psychedelic drug that acts like LSD. Its effects are almost immediate and last for 30-60 minutes.
Q: What are the effects of psychedelics like LSD?
A: The effects of psychedelics are unpredictable. Effects depend on the amount taken, the user's personality, mood, expectations and the surroundings within which the drug is used. Usually, the user feels the first effects of the drug 30-90 minutes after taking it. The physical effects include dilated pupils, higher body temperature, increased heart rate and blood pressure, sweating, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, dry mouth and tremors. The user may feel several emotions at once or swing rapidly from one emotion to another. Sensations may seem to "cross over," giving the user the feeling of "hearing" colors and "seeing" sounds. All of these changes can be frightening and can cause panic.
Q: What are "bad trips"?
A: The common scary sensations of a "bad trip" may last for a few minutes or hours and be frightening or terrifying. The user may experience panic, confusion, suspicion, anxiety and feelings of helplessness. Sometimes taking a hallucinogen such as LSD can unmask mental or emotional problems that were previously unknown to the user. Flashbacks, in which the person experiences a drug's effects without having to ingest the drug again, can occur.
Heavy use sometimes brings changes in mental function. Moreover, heavy users may develop signs of organic brain damage, impaired memory or attention span, mental confusion and difficulty with abstract thinking. It is not yet known whether such mental changes are permanent or if they disappear when LSD use is stopped..
Q: What is PCP and its effects?
A: PCP (phencyclidine) is most often called "angel dust." It was first developed as an anesthetic in the 1950s, but was taken off the market because it caused hallucinations. PCP is available in various forms.
Effects include increased heart rate and blood pressure, flushing, sweating, dizziness and numbness. When large doses are taken, effects include 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.
Although PCP is illegal, it is often sold as mescaline, THC or other drugs. Sometimes it may not even be PCP, but a lethal by-product of the drug. Users can never be sure what they are buying since it is manufactured illegally.
Q: Why is PCP dangerous?
A: PCP can produce violent and bizarre behavior, leading to death from drowning, burns, falls and automobile accidents. Regular PCP use affects memory, perception, concentration and judgment. Users may show signs of paranoia, fearfulness and anxiety. A temporary mental disturbance of the user's thought processes (a PCP psychosis) may last for days or weeks. Long-term PCP users report memory and speech difficulties as well as hearing voices or sound that does not exist.
Q: How do PCP users feel?
A: Users find it difficult to describe and predict the effects of the drug. For some users, PCP in small amounts acts as a stimulant, speeding up bodily functions. For many users, PCP changes how users see their own bodies and things around them. Senses of touch and pain are dulled and body movements are slowed. Time seems to slow down.
If you have questions regarding addictions, call 800/522-3784,
or write to
Rick Zehr at Proctor Hospital, 5409 N. Knoxville Ave., Peoria, IL 61614.
Or E-Mail: zehr@addictionrecov.org
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