Not all hallucinogens can cause addiction in the way that we understand it. And even if a person is abusing a psychedelic drug that can cause addiction, it may take time for the individual to become fully addicted to that drug. However, you still ought to seek treatment even if you are not addicted to the substance you’ve been abusing.

Hallucinogens Cause Dangerous Side Effects

The side effects caused by hallucinogens can be extremely hazardous, and seeking treatment is often necessary even if you have only experimented with these drugs. For example, hallucinogens can cause two long-term conditions (hallucinogen persisting perception disorder and persistent psychosis) that can create dangerous, psychological side effects and will require professional treatment.

“Psychotherapy may… help patients cope with fear or confusion associated with visual disturbances or other consequences of long-term [hallucinogen] use,” and it is necessary that those who do experience these side effects seek treatment right away (National Institute on Drug Abuse).

Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder can be developed even after short term drug abuse.

Both conditions can occur even as the result of short-term drug abuse, so even those who do not abuse hallucinogens regularly are not necessarily safe from them.

Even the short-term side effects caused by psychedelic drug abuse can be serious and may require treatment. “Very high doses” of PCP “may result in an overdose and lead to coma, convulsions, or death (Center for Substance Abuse Research). Nausea, vomiting, and seizures are common side effects of hallucinogen abuse as well.

Individuals who abuse any hallucinogen can also experience behavioral symptoms that can lead to serious accidents, acts of self-mutilation, and homicide. Seeking treatment for these issues is necessary and should be immediate, especially if an individual becomes a danger to themselves or others.

Treatment Can Prevent Addiction

Though rehab and other treatment options can help an individual recover from addiction, it is always better to treat the issue of drug abuse before addiction actually sets in. Once a person becomes addicted to a drug, it is much harder for them to quit abusing it and, in addition, the individual’s feelings toward the drug and their use of it will be much different than if they are not yet addicted.

These feelings need to be reversed in treatment when the individual is already addicted, but prevention treatment can create a much safer situation for the individual––and a much easier recovery.

Types of Treatment for Hallucinogens Abuse and Addiction

Seek Treatment Now

It is safer and much more beneficial for someone who has been abusing hallucinogens to seek treatment right away. Though you may not feel the use of these drugs has caused severe effects in your life yet, even a one-time use of a drug like LSD or PCP can lead to serious issues that may not resurface until much later in your life. Therefore, seeking treatment now is a much more beneficial action, even if you are not yet addicted to the drugs you’ve been using.

What’s more, it is very difficult to know for sure how severe your abuse of hallucinogens has become. These drugs can create severe, psychological side effects that minimize a person’s ability to verify their own mental state, so seeking treatment now is the safest option.

Call 800-411-9312 (Who Answers?) to find a treatment center or to learn more about hallucinogens. Call today; we can help.