Chapter 6. LSD and Other Hallucinogens.

Chapter 6 - Objectives After completing this chapter, you should know the following: The classification of hallucinogenic drugs. The history of LSD. Facts and fiction about LSD effects. Prominent hallucinogens other than LSD. The special dangers of phencyclidine (PCP), ketamine, and MDMA (ecstasy).

Hallucinogens Hallucinogenic characteristics include: Heightened awareness of sensory input Unusual sensory experiences Lessened capacity to distinguish self from the environment Hallucinogens are drug substances that change thinking and perception. Other names :Acid, Trips, Blotters, Microdot, Tabs, Purple Rain, California Sunrise, Blue Star.

LSD…What is It? LSD - d-lysergic acid diethylamide schedule 1 drug - no legitimate therapeutic use. derived from the parasitic fungus which grows on rye. usually sold as a square of blotting paper about a quarter of the size of a postage stamp. produced as a crystal, dissolved in alcohol each 'brand' of acid has a different design on the paper.

Affects of LSD. One hour - trip the effects start. Disorientated. Giggly, confused or anxious. Trip progresses. Feelings are enhanced colors & sounds more vivid. Everything appears to flow. Perceptual distortions or hallucinations.

Affects of LSD. It can affect perception to environment. The nature of the trip will change. Time becomes meaningless. Total confusion;Tripper might taste colors or see sounds.

Affects of LSD Total confusion;Tripper might taste colors or see sounds. At peak, common to experience a sense of depersonalization. (They don't feel like an 'I' anymore).

If someone doesn't like what they are experiencing and tries to get away from what is happening they are likely to move into a state of extreme fear,anxious, panicky or paranoid. Tripping is essentially a trip into your own mind. Trips last for hours. Affects of LSD

* Psychotic (fear, panic, paranoia) Cognitive (varying thought processes) Aesthetic (intense sight, sound, smell) Psychodynamic (repressed feelings experiences are emerged) Mystical (meaningful and cosmic insight)

What Does LSD Do to Your Body?. LSD - disrupt the way that seratonin is used by the brain. The physical changes due to LSD use include a slight rise in temperature and heart rate and dilated pupils. May appear to be completely normal, occasionally confused or unexpectedly giggly.

What Does LSD Do to Your Body?. Unknown long-term physical effects. Chromosomal damage have not been proven. Some people have suffered from long-term mental health problems after using LSD. It is not known whether LSD caused their mental illness or uncovered a problem that was already there.

LSD-risks of Using. Become less aware of risks from the environment - busy roads can become impossible to navigate safely. Activities that involve co-ordination like swimming, driving or cycling will be much more dangerous than usual.

LSD-risks of Using. Often trippers re-experience early memories, even pre-birth memories. ‘. Bad' trips can be triggered by a painful or difficult feeling that the user tries to avoid by resisting the effects of the drug.

Effects-chronic/heavy Use. Research has shown. Changes in the mental functions. Sometimes develop signs of organic brain damage, such as impaired memory and attention span, mental confusion, and difficulty with abstract thinking.

Effects-chronic/heavy Use. These signs may be strong or they may be subtle. It is not yet known whether such mental changes are permanent or if they disappear when LSD use is stopped.

PCP PCP aka “angel dust.” Developed as an anesthetic in the 1950s. However, it was taken off the market for human use because it sometimes caused hallucinations.

PCP Available various forms. It can be a pure, white crystal-like powder, or a tablet or capsule. It can be swallowed, smoked, sniffed, or injected. PCP is sometimes sprinkled on marijuana or parsley and smoked.

Physical Effects of PCP. Effects include increased heart rate and blood pressure, flushing, sweating, dizziness, and numbness. Large doses’ effects include drowsiness, convulsions, and coma.

PCP Regular PCP use affects memory, perception, concentration, and judgment, signs of paranoia, fearfulness, and anxiety.

Why Is PCP Dangerous? PCP can produce violent or bizarre behavior in normal people. This behavior can lead to death from drowning, burns, falls (sometimes from high places), and automobile accidents.

PCP Taking large amounts of PCP can also cause death from repeated convulsions, heart and lung failure, or ruptured blood vessels in the brain.

Why Is PCP Dangerous? Some users may become aggressive while others may withdraw and have difficulty communicating. A temporary mental disturbance, or a disturbance of the user's thought processes (a PCP psychosis) may last for days or weeks.

PCP Long-term PCP users report memory and speech difficulties, as well as hearing voices or sounds which do not exist.

PCP’s Effects on Users. 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 body functions.

PCP’s Effects on Users. For many users, PCP changes how users see their own bodies and things around them. Speech, muscle coordination, and vision are affected; Senses of touch and pain are dulled; And body movements are slowed. Time seems to "space out."

Categories of Hallucinogens. LSD - lysergic acid diethylamide – (ergot fungus) Peyote/mescaline (peyote cactus) Psilocybin (psilocybe mushroom) DMT (south American shrub/Dimethyltryptamine) PCP (phencyclidine) surgical anesthetic

MDMA. MDMA, or 'ecstasy' is a 'psychedelic amphetamine' - gained popularity over the past 20 years. Has ability to produce strong feelings of comfort, empathy, and connection to others. Comes in tablet capsules or powder form.

MDMA. It is most frequently used orally and rarely snorted. MDMA - closely tied to the underground rave (and dance club) scene throughout the world. Widely used by therapists as an adjunct to psychotherapy.

Use These…experience THIS!!!

Other Versions of Psychedelics. Morning glory seed (similar to LSD) Nutmeg (confused state/euphoria) MDA (“mellow drug of America” from plant oils) MDMA (methylenedioxyamphetmine) aka “ecstasy.”

Psychedelics - Other Chemical Variations of Amphetamines. Ketamine (a.K.A special K) used as an animal anesthesia that produces hallucinations GHB (a.K.A. Liquid X) odorless and tasteless results in memory loss; Has replaced Rohypnol as the date rape drug 2C-B (a.K.A., Nexus) synthetic mixture resembling MDMA resulting in visual hallucinations

Physiological Effects of Psychedelics. Pupil dilation Increase in body temperature and blood pressure Heart rate increase Increased muscular reflexes

Psychological Hazards. Bad trips result in terror, panic, confusion Disorientation of time and space “Flashbacks”- replay of a bad trip after elimination of the drug from the body