Hallucinogen Abuse
Hallucinogens cause hallucinations by disrupting nerve cells and the neurotransmitter serotonin. Because serotonin affects moods, perception, and other sensory behaviors, users will experience distortions in reality, seeing, hearing, and feeling things that simply do not exist.
The effects of hallucinogens vary greatly and are unreliable, making them an extremely dangerous substance. They affect people differently at different times, creating unpredictable results that can put users at significant risk. Hallucinogens dramatically disturb the normal functioning of the brain and carry the risk of psychosis and long-term mental disorder.
There are many types of hallucinogens on the market, but the most commonly abused are:
- LSD — an odorless, colorless chemical that comes from the ergot fungus (Acid, blotter, cubes)
- Mushrooms (Psilocybin) — Psilocybin is the hallucinogenic chemical found in approximately 190 species of edible mushrooms (Simple Simon, shrooms, musk, boomers)
- Mescaline — occurs naturally in certain types of cactus plants, including the peyote cactus (Cactus buttons, mesc, mescal, mese, musk, topi)
- PCP (Angel Dust) — considered a dissociative drug, developed initially as an anesthetic, but discontinued (Cactus, cactus buttons, cactus joint, mesc, mescal, mese, mezc, moon, musk, topi)
All hallucinogens carry the risk of “flashbacks” during stress. Flashbacks are reemergence of past experiences of hallucinogens, ranging from unwanted feelings and tension, to entire bad experiences coming back to the user. The damage that hallucinogens do to the body is severe and can permanently alter a person’s perception of reality by uncovering latent mental and emotional disorders.
Treatment for
Hallucinogen Addiction
If you or someone you love is suffering from an addiction please call the Pasadena Recovery Center at (866) 663-3030. We’re available to talk with you twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. We promise confidentiality and professionalism. Our comprehensive treatment program will address each client’s issues on an integrated basis, understanding that addiction often has underlying emotional and behavioral issues that need to be resolved.
At Pasadena Recovery Center, our dedicated staff understands the disease of addiction and we’re proud to offer lifesaving treatment at an affordable cost. Our goal is to reintroduce sober individuals into society with the skills necessary to lead meaningful, productive lives, through a compassionate and comprehensive treatment program. There is hope and we’re here to help, so please take the first step towards a better life by contacting us today.