Author: Gary Jackson

LSD: What to Know

LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, and ketamine temporarily shift our conscious experience. The risks of LSD use are dependent on many factors, including the fundamentals of set and setting and one’s current mental health status. Tolerance develops when the body loses sensitivity to a compound’s effects. When tolerance forms, the body requires larger doses to achieve the same intensity of effects.

If they experience depressive symptoms, antidepressant therapy may be needed. Substance dependence is when a user becomes reliant on the active compound due to an adaptive state developed from drug use. Abstaining from the compound can lead to withdrawal symptoms as mild as fatigue, headaches, and moodiness or life-threatening such as depression, rapid heart rate, muscle pain, and vomiting. It can take up to a week of a tolerance break before the brain loses the resistance to the psychedelic effects from acid.

What are the risks?

This means the more you take, the higher the doses you’ll need in order to feel the same level of high. To lower the strength, drug droplets are often mixed with other substances such as absorbent paper like gelatin sheets. People tend to take LSD to get a high, “trippy” feeling that you can’t get from reality. LSD remains one of the go-to ways you can change the way you see the world around you, even though it’s illegal. Keep reading to explore the effects of LSD use, signs of hallucinogen use disorder (HUD), and insights on how to get help if you or someone you love is struggling with LSD use.

  • The risks of LSD use are dependent on many factors, including the fundamentals of set and setting and one’s current mental health status.
  • For most people, the entire experience from trip to comedown lasts around 24 hours.
  • Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
  • Powdered LSD can also be compacted into small balls known as microdots.

An LSD high is referred to as a “trip.” Anyone who’s done it will tell you that it takes your mind on a wild ride, though not always a good one. When assisting people who are high on LSD, it is best to keep them in a safe environment under direct supervision. The hangover from an LSD trip is best described as mental exhaustion. Because LSD remains illegal in many parts of the world outside of a clinical setting, it can be difficult to know exactly what you’re getting when you buy from black market vendors. Acid is commonly used for spiritual exploration, microdosing, and there is ongoing research that shows promise for LSD’s use in therapy. LSD trips can last anywhere from 8–12 hours, peaking at about 3–4 hours after ingestion.

What Does an LSD Trip Look Like?

How your trip goes and how much you took can dictate how you’ll feel when you’re coming down. The drug can cause a host of adverse reactions, and it affects judgment. Acid is common at dance clubs, music festivals and underground parties called raves. According to the 2017 Monitoring the Future survey, about 3 percent of eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders have used LSD in their lifetime. However, the number of teens using the drug has significantly declined since the 1990s. In liquid form, the substance can be transferred onto an absorbent paper called blotter.

  • When assisting people who are high on LSD, it is best to keep them in a safe environment under direct supervision.
  • A fatal overdose from LSD is unlikely, but adverse effects that require medical intervention are possible, especially when someone takes a large amount.
  • But in this form, even the smallest dose can be strong and dangerous.
  • Although acid is not physically addictive, people can become psychologically dependent on the substance.
  • However, the best action is to abstain from LSD, seek help, and undergo supervised treatment until the symptoms disappear.
  • Other treatment options include talk therapy, mindfulness, meditation, and yoga.

The brain tries to maintain a well-balanced system for optimal function — this is called homeostasis. Here, we’ll dive into the psychological effects of LSD and why this topic is more complicated than you might think. LSD (AKA ‘Acid’) is one of the most recognizable psychedelics on Earth. It’s at least partly responsible for inspiring artists during the psychedelic renaissance in the 1960s and the infamous MK Ultra CIA conspiracy.