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Hallucinogens
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Get the Facts!
Hallucinogens affect your brain.
Hallucinogens change the way the brain interprets time, reality, and the
environment around you. They also affect the way you move, react to
situations, think, hear, and see. This may make you think that you’re
hearing voices, seeing images, and feeling things that don’t exist.
Hallucinogens affect your heart. The use of hallucinogens leads
to an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Hallucinogens can put
you in a coma. They can also cause heart and lung failure.
Hallucinogens affect your well-being. The use of hallucinogens
may change the way you feel emotionally. They may cause you to feel
confused, suspicious, and disoriented. Many PCP users are brought to
emergency rooms because of PCP overdose or its disturbing psychological
effects, including delusions and paranoia.
Hallucinogens affect your self-control. The effect of
hallucinogens varies from time to tome and person to person, so there is
no way to know how much self-control you might maintain. They can cause
you to mix up your speech, lose control of your muscles, make
meaningless movements, and act in irrational, aggressive, or violent
ways.
Before You Risk It . .
.
Know the law. Hallucinogens are
illegal to buy, sell, or possess.
Get the facts. Hallucinogenic drugs distort your perception of
reality. Hallucinogens cause your sense of space and time to become
distorted and cause you to see objects that aren’t really there.
Stay informed. The body can quickly forma tolerance to a
hallucinogen, so a person would have to take more and more of the drug
for the same effect. This is very dangerous because taking stronger
doses of any drug may cause severe side effects, including overdose.
Know the risks. Hallucinogens can cause flashbacks. Effects of
the drugs, including hallucinations, can occur weeks, months, and even
years after use.
Know the Signs . . .
How can you tell if a friend is using
hallucinogens? Sometimes it’s tough to tell. Different hallucinogens
have different effects, depending on the dose and the user. If your
friend has one or more of the following common warning signs, he or she
may be using hallucinogens:
• Distorted sense of sight, hearing, and
touch
• Dilated pupils
• Anxiety or paranoia
• Mood swings
• Faintness
• Irrational behavior
What can you do to help someone who is
using hallucinogens? Be a real friend. Encourage your friend to stop
or seek professional help. For information and referrals, call the
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 800-729-6686.
Q & A
Q. Do hallucinogens have long-term
effects?
A. Yes. In addition to flashbacks, long-term effect may include
decreased motivation, prolonged depression, anxiety, increased delusions
and panic, and psychosis.
Q. Can I predict if I will have a “bad trip”?
A. There is no way to predict a “bad trip.” There is no consistency in
hallucinogenic drugs, so each “trip” may differ depending on the drug’s
strength and purity. The psychological effects of the hallucinogen also
depend on the user’s frame of mind.
Q. How can I help someone through a bad trip?
A. Don’t try to handle this situation on your own – call 91 and a
trusted adult immediately. While waiting, address the person by name,
remind them who and where they are, talk to them calmly, make sure
they’re safe, and don’t leave them alone.
The bottom line: If you know someone who uses hallucinogens, urge
him or her to get help. If you’re using them – stop! The longer you
ignore the real facts, the more chances you take with your life.
It is never too late. Talk to your parents, a doctor, a counselor, a
teacher, or another adult you trust.
Do it today!
To learn more about hallucinogens or obtain referrals to programs in
your community, contact one of the following toll-free numbers:
SAMHSA’s National Clearinghouse for Alcohol
and Drug Information
800-729-6686
TDD 800-487-4889
Web site: ncadi.samhsa.gov
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