(c) Diminishing LSD effects. After a number of hours, the effects of
LSD begin to wear off. Waves of the LSD experience, diminishing in intensity, alternate
with periods when the user feels no effects at all. Finally, all symptoms of LSD use
disappear. Long after the person has used the drug, he may experience tiredness,
tension, and recurrent hallucinations. The user may experience psychological changes
which last for an indefinite period of time. For example, those with neuroses or
character disorders will find their condition worsened after using LSD.
NOTE:
LSD users report that the hallucinogenic flashbacks (recurrence of seeing
and/or hearing things that are not there) were very unpleasant experiences.
(d) Warning--LSD. Some individuals claim to have used LSD without ill
effect; however there is growing medical evidence that LSD can cause very serious and
often damaging reactions in many people. Bizarre behavior in public, panic, fear, and
homicidal and suicidal urges have been reported. Psychotic states have been induced
in both emotionally stable and emotionally unstable individuals who have used LSD.
LSD can produce delayed psychotic reactions in some individuals. As mentioned
previously, hallucinations have happened weeks after the person took the drug.
Additionally, there is evidence that LSD can cause genetic damage. In the opinion of
Dr. James L. Goddard, former Commissioner of Food and Drugs, medically
unsupervised use of LSD is like playing "chemical Russian roulette."
(3) Psilocybin signs and symptoms. This drug is not as potent as LSD, but
the psilocybin user can experience hallucinations similar to those experienced with LSD.
Psilocybin has been used in Indian religious rites as far back as pre-Columbian times.
c. Treatment for Psychedelic Abuse. Psychedelics are not usually used over
long periods of time. Instead, these drugs are generally taken to provide an occasional
"trip," highs of thoughts and feelings that are not (or cannot be) experienced otherwise
except in dreams or at times of religious jubilation. In the event that treatment is
needed, try to talk the user back to reality (the talkdown approach). If necessary,
administer diazepam (Valium) should the person be in severe panic.
4-7.
PHENCYCLIDINE (PCP)
a. Definition/Examples. Drugs in this class have these properties: depressant
(slows functions of the body); stimulant (makes bodily functions go faster);
hallucinogenic (seeing things that aren't there or believing events happened which didn't
happen); and analgesic properties (pain killing). The best known drug of this class is
phencyclidine (PCP). This drug can't properly be classified as a hallucinogen, a
stimulant, or a depressant. Originally, it was sold to veterinarians to be used as
anesthesia on large animals. There are at least 200 street names for PCP including
"angel dust," "THC," "Tic," "dust," and "super weed." PCP is a white crystalline powder
which dissolves in water. It can be smoked, ingested, or injected. Originally, PCP was
developed as a sedative, general anesthetic, and analgesic. It worked very well in
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