Hallucinogens and related dis... Health Article

Causes and symptoms

A cause of hallucinogen use is that hallucinogens are attractive to recreational drug users for a number of reasons, including:

• They are minimally addictive and there are no physical withdrawal symptoms upon stopping use.
• They produce few serious or debilitating physical side effects.
• They do not usually produce a delusional state, excessive stupor, or excessive stimulation.
• They do not cause memory loss with occasional use.
• They are easily and cheaply available.
• They produce a high that gives the illusion of increasing creativity, empathy, or self-awareness.
• Deaths from overdoses are rare.

On the other hand, strong hallucinogens such as LSD can cause frightening and anxiety-evoking emotional experiences, known as bad trips. Flashbacks, where the sensations experienced while under the influence of a drug recur uncontrollably without drug use, can occur for months after a single drug use. During hallucinogen intoxication, reality may be so altered that a person may endanger himself by believing he is capable of feats such as flying off buildings. Hallucinogens also may induce or cause a worsening of latent psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and psychosis. Hallucinogens can also cause paranoia, long-term memory loss, personality changes (especially if there is a latent psychiatric disorder), and psychological drug dependence.

Psychological symptoms

Hallucinogens work primarily on the perception of reality. They usually do not create true hallucinations, which are imagined visions or sounds (voices heard in the head, for example) in the absence of any corresponding reality. Instead, classic hallucinogens alter the perception of something that is physically present. A face may appear to "melt" or colors may become brighter, move, and change shape. Sounds may be "seen," rather than heard.

More than with other drugs, the mental state of the hallucinogen user and the environment in which the drug is taken influence the experience a user has. LSD, especially, is known for symptoms that range from mellowness and psychedelic visions (good trips) to anxiety and panic attacks (bad trips). Previous good experiences with a drug do not guarantee continued good experiences. People with a history of psychiatric disorders are more likely to experience harmful reactions, as are those who are given the drug without their knowledge.

The main psychological symptoms of hallucinogens are listed below. Normally, mescaline and psilocybin produce uniformly milder symptoms than LSD. During a single drug experience, the user can experience a range of symptoms. Mood can shift from happy to sad or pleasant to frightening and back again several times. Some symptoms occur primarily with MDMA, as indicated. Psychological symptoms of hallucinogen intoxication include:

• distortion of sight, sound, and touch
• confusion of the senses—sounds are "seen" or vision is "heard"
• disorientation in time and space
• delusionsof physical invulnerability (especially with LSD)
• paranoia
• unreliable judgment and increased risk taking
• anxiety attacks
• flashbacks after the drug has been cleared from the body
• blissful calm or mellowness
• reduced inhibitions
• increased empathy (MDMA)
• elation or euphoria
• impaired concentration and motivation
• long-term memory loss
• personality changes, especially if there is a latent psychiatric disorder
• psychological drug dependence

Physical symptoms

Although the primary effects of hallucinogens are on perceptions, some physical effects do occur. Physical symptoms include:

• increased blood pressure
• increased heart rate
• nausea and vomiting (especially with psilocybin and mescaline)
• blurred vision which can last after the drug has worn off
• poor coordination
• enlarged pupils
• sweating
• diarrhea (plant hallucinogens)
• restlessness
• muscle cramping (especially clenched jaws with MDMA)
• dehydration (MDMA)
• serious increase in body temperature leading to seizures(MDMA)

Demographics

Hallucinogen use, excluding MDMA, peaked in the United States late 1960s as part of the hippie movement. Hallucinogen use then gradually declined until the early 1990s, when it again picked up. Usage appears to have peaked around 1998, and may now be remaining steady or declining. Hallucinogens are drugs normally used by adolescents and young adults in social settings such as dance parties or raves. Even heavy users do not use these drugs more than two or three times a week. Casual or occasional use is common and many people outgrow their use.

Unlike LSD use, MDMA use has increased enormously since the 1980s. Between 1995 and 1999 its use by 18- to 25-year-olds increased 47%. In a survey of 400 hospitals, MDMA-related emergency room visits increased 58% between 1999 and 2000. One-third of these visits involved people under the age of 25. In 2000, the last year for which statistics are available, the National Institute of Drug Abuse found that about 11% of twelfth-grade students had used LSD and about 7% reported using other hallucinogens. People who use hallucinogens are also likely to abuse alcohol and marijuana.