Hallucinogenic Drugs

Hallucinogens are a certain category of drugs that have been around for quite a while. They are popular due to the fact that they result in the loss of touch with the real world for the person using the drugs. When a person takes hallucinogenic drugs, the produced effects are precisely as the name suggests—you will experience hallucinations. No one person will experience this in the same way, though.

What are some examples of hallucinogenic drugs? Some of the most common include:

• PCP
• LCP
• Mushrooms
• Ketamine
• Salvia

When it comes to taking hallucinogens, there are numerous risks that are involved. The user can cause harm to themselves or others, and the short- and long-term threats are very serious. Despite this, there are individuals who use these drugs on a continuous basis, often as a way to deal with things in their lives. If you are one of these individuals or you know an individual who is, a hallucinogen addiction treatment center is the best possible way to get the help you need and leave your addiction behind you.

Understanding the Impact of Hallucinogens

Hallucinogenic drugs have been taken for hundreds of years, and some take them as a way to deal with the stress in their lives, to detach from the world, or simply for the fun of the hallucinations. Historically, though, these drugs were used for religious rituals. Unlike many other drugs, this particular category of drugs can often be located in nature or man-made. They can also be taken in several different ways, including:

• Ingesting them as a liquid
• Swallowing them in the form of a pill or tablet
• Drying them
• Snorting them
• Inhaling them as vapor or smoke
• Snorting them
• Brewing them into a tea
• Absorbing them through the mouth’s lining

The way these drugs work is by temporarily disrupting the brain and spinal cord’s communication. Some drugs have the ability to alter the brain’s serotonin levels, while others can alter the glutamate levels in the brain. The end result is various responses that range from reducing your ability to feel pain to changes in sensory perception.

Abuse of Hallucinogens

Most individuals will begin to use hallucinogens due to the fact that they are curious regarding the effects that the drugs produce. Some will give into the social pressures and end up trying them just to experience the high. Drug users tend to refer to these highs as “trips”. In some cases, these trips can be good, but in other cases, they are not. While some hallucinogenic drugs tend to be more addictive than the others, they all have negative consequences before the addiction sets in. Some of the short-term effects of these drugs include:

• Dry mouth
• Increased body temperature
• Sleep disturbances
• Increased emotional responses
• Increased heart rate
• Intense sensory experiences
• Changes in perception of time

Some hallucinogenic drug users tend to depict their trips as letting them “hear colors” or “see sounds”. The idea of this particular kind of high is often fascinating to those individuals who are interested about the hallucinogenic experience. Abuse of hallucinogenics can easily lead to the road of addiction if the hallucinogenics are used continuously over a certain period of time.

Symptoms of Hallucinogen Addiction - Are You Addicted?

Using hallucinogenic drugs for an extended period of time can ultimately result in a person being addicted to them. The reason this happens is because the body will build up a tolerance to the drug that is being used, and in order for you to attain the same high that you have been getting, you need to use more of the drug at more frequent intervals. As you do this, you brain starts to expect the drugs and the chemical changes that occur as a result in order to feel “normal”. In many cases, individuals who get addicted to the drugs do so without actually meaning to. You can tell that your abuse of the drug has led to an addiction if you experience the following:

• Symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Weight loss coupled with reduction of appetite
• Memory loss
• Speech problems

You may eventually also begin to have suicidal thoughts and ideations.

Hallucinogen Withdrawal - Should You Stop on Your Own?

If you are addicted to hallucinogenic drugs, you will eventually realize that you are harming your body and hopefully want to do something about it. These drugs are very dangerous—for you and everyone around you. However, you should never stop taking these drugs cold turkey or on your own. Doing this could result in very dangerous side effects and withdrawal symptoms. You may experience stiffness in your muscles, a severely elevated heart rate, increased blood pressure, body temperature fluctuations, and even seizures.

For some individuals, psychological withdrawal symptoms that often occur when you abruptly stop taking hallucinogens are worse than the physical symptoms you can experience. Psychologically, you could experience the following:

• Problems with your speech
• Feelings of anger or rage
• Intense mood swings
• Frequent panic attacks
• Low impulse control
• Psychotic breaks from reality

If you end up stopping hallucinogenic drugs on your own, these withdrawal side effects and symptoms can often become so intense that you feel as if you have no other choice than to begin using the drugs again. This is often what causes individuals to remain in the addiction cycle; however, heading into a drug detox program can assist with the hallucinogen withdrawals, providing you with a better overall chance of a successful addiction recovery.

What Should You Do When You Notice a Loved One with Hallucinogen Addiction Behaviors?

It is possible that you have a family member or friend that you are seriously worried about regarding their use of hallucinogen drugs. Maybe they have told you that they are in complete control of their drug use and that they’re only using the hallucinogens for fun. You can easily identify whether this is a true statement or not by watching for certain addiction behaviors. For example, you may become aware of your loved one spending a lot of money on drugs, or you may notice that they are having legal issues or becoming extremely withdrawn. These are all types of behaviors that indicate an addiction that requires specialized treatment.

Get Help From Hallucinogen Addiction Today!

Here at Shadow Mountain Recovery, we understand how difficult it is to battle a drug addiction, which is exactly why we are committed to your recovery. We have a variety of programs and tools available to assist you in recovering from your addiction and set you on a path of lifelong sobriety. For more information, reach out to use today.