LSD Addiction

LSD stands for lysergic acid diethylamide and it is an hallucinogenic substance that will alter your perceptions of reality if you take it. Often simply known as acid, it can have dangerous effects on the mind of anyone who uses it because of its unpredictable nature. Swiss scientist Albert Hoffman developed LSD in the late nineteen thirties when experimenting with the medical uses of a type of fungus that tends to develop on rye. It began to become widespread in a number of countries experiencing so called 'counter culture' movements; governments swiftly moved to illegalise the drug.

LSD is usually taken in the form of small squares of blotting paper which have been soaked in the liquid acid. Effects on each individual user can vary greatly, from mild perceptual alterations to terrifying hallucinations which last for many hours. LSD alters the chemical balance in the brain and your ability to tell the real from the hallucination. While no-one has died directly from taking LSD, people have perished while under the influence of it because they have put themselves situations without being able to assess the risk they are putting themselves in.

Even taking LSD once can leave you experiencing flashbacks to the hallucinations you experienced. These can occur at any time and, aside from being terrifying, they can affect your ability to hold down a job and maintain normal social relations. These episodes can be especially unexpected because many users have reported that, in the initial aftermath of taking LSD, they actually experience a greater sense of well-being. In the United Kingdom LSD is a Class A substance which means that anyone caught in possession of it can be subjected to the harshest of penalties.

LSD is not an addictive substance but it can wreak havoc with people who develop a habit of taking it. Losing a grip on reality is a palpable is risk and many users simply withdraw from social relations, finding hard to hold down regular employment and maintain relationships.

Help is available in the form of counselling and cognitive behavioural therapy. Don't hesitate to contact your GP or local drugs advisory service if you have a problem with LSD and what it is doing to your life.