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LSD (lysergic acid) is a psychoactive substance belonging to hallucinogens. Although in theory there are no deaths after taking LSD, this does not mean that it is safe to use it. As evidence that the use of this hallucinogen is dangerous, it can be stated that LSD can trigger mental disorders or that symptoms of LSD use may appear even quite a long time after the first intake of this psychoactive substance.

What is LSD?

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide)is a hallucinogenic substance. Other terms for this hallucinogen include acid, ejsid, trip, or leaflet. The history of the discovery of this psychoactive substance is quite interesting because what the LSD discoverer learned about … by accident.

LSD was synthesized in 1938 by the chemist Albert Hofmann. Initially, it was assumed that the agent could serve as a stimulant, e.g. the circulatory system. During his work, one day Hofmann began to experience hallucinations - then he concluded that some of the substances he had in his laboratory had to bring to this state.

Ultimately, the chemist experimented with himself and did indeed find that it was LSD that had a hallucinogenic effect. Despite the above observation, over the years attempts have been made to use LSD as a medicine in various fields of medicine, including in psychiatry.

An attempt was made to cure alcoholism with the help of a derivative of lysergic acid. The literature also mentions that LSD may have an analgesic effect (even similar to opiates).

However, due to the risk associated with the use of LSD, the substance has not found wide use in the medical world.

LSD - symptoms of taking

After taking LSD, somatic and psychopathological symptoms appear. The first of these appear most quickly after taking the hallucinogen and may be:

  • significant increase in body temperature,
  • pupil dilation,
  • dizziness,
  • increase in blood pressure,
  • hyperglycemia (increase in blood glucose),
  • muscle tremors,
  • increase in saliva production,
  • weakness,
  • tachycardia,
  • increasedsweating,
  • szczękościsk,
  • feeling sick.

At various times after the onset of somatic symptoms, psychopathological symptoms also appear in a person after taking LSD. Among them, hallucinations (hallucinations) are usually most pronounced. They can affect various senses, but the most common symptoms are visual and auditory hallucinations after taking LSD.

Apart from hallucinations, there may also be illusions in the form of perceiving sharp and varied images or seeing distorted objects (they may seem, for example, extremely shiny).

Taking LSD can also lead to:

  • delusions,
  • concentration, attention and memory disorders,
  • synesthesia (a phenomenon where experiences from different senses are confused, e.g. a person may think that he hears pictures or that he can see music),
  • increased susceptibility to suggestions from other people,
  • daze,
  • feelings of alienation from one's own body,
  • sharpen sensations from some senses (e.g. hearing may be sharpened),
  • strong mood swings (from euphoria to very strong depression).

LSD - appearance and administration route

In the case of LSD, it turns out that an ordinary cardboard box or a postage stamp can be used for unusual purposes - this hallucinogen is most often available in the form of cardboard boxes soaked in it. This possibility exists because the effect of LSD occurs after taking extremely small, only micrograms, doses of LSD (a microgram is 0.000001 grams).

In the case of papers impregnated with LSD, they are intended to be sucked or placed under the tongue. Other available forms of this psychoactive substance are crystals for dissolving in water, tablets or capsules. In the past, the most popular form of LSD-containing drugs were … sugar cubes soaked in this hallucinogen.

As mentioned, the most popular way to take LSD is by taking it orally. However, there are people who use hallucinogens in a rather unusual and dangerous way, e.g. by putting an LSD leaf under their eyelids.

LSD - action

How LSD works is indicated by the very group of psychoactive substances it belongs to - it belongs to the group of hallucinogens. Hallucinations and other symptoms of LSD use appear because the agent is an agonist of 5HT-2A serotonin receptors.

Initially, the substance reduces the amount of this neurotransmitter in the structures of the nervous system, but later there is a sudden increase in the concentration of serotonin inbrain. The final effect of this phenomenon is a significant activation of the cells of the nervous system.

The onset of LSD effects appears in different people at different times - it is generally accepted that the effects of hallucinogen ingestion appear between thirty to ninety minutes. The same applies to the duration of symptoms of taking LSD - in some people they last for 3 hours, in others for up to 12 hours.

LSD - side effects of taking

One of the biggest problems with LSD use is that it comes with the risk of "inducing" mental disorders. Scientists managed to advocate the observation that in people predisposed to mental disorders (e.g. due to a family history of psychiatric problems), LSD may, in a way, trigger such problems in them.

Some people may experience extreme anxiety or even panic attacks after taking LSD.

Generally speaking, the condition after taking a hallucinogen is sometimes referred to astrip(translated from the English language as a journey). Occasionally LSD users experiencebad trips , episodes where they experience unpleasant, sometimes even frightening, hallucinations and delusions after taking a hallucinogen, as well as the aforementioned panic and anxiety attacks.

There is one more concept associated with LSD, which isflashback . The mechanism by which this phenomenon occurs is not clear to this day, and it is where LSD-like symptoms appear in the patient … without taking a hallucinogen. Flashbacks occur at different times after taking a dose of LSD - they can occur within a few weeks and even months after the last intake of lysergic acid.

LSD - addiction and risk of death after taking LSD

The hallucinogen does not lead to physical dependence. However, in people taking LSD, another type of addiction may appear, i.e. psychological dependence, which consists in the emergence of a very strong desire to take another psychoactive substance.

Death after taking LSD is rather unlikely - however, it is not the consumption of this substance that can lead to death, but the behaviors that appear after its use (which include problems with maintaining balance or disturbances in assessing distance or one's own after LSD). options).

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Category:

Psychology