According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, hallucinogens are a class of drugs that cause sensory distortions and other types of hallucinations. Unfortunately, there are many myths floating around about hallucinogens. Some of these myths are dangerous to those who use hallucinogens. The hallucinogens are still powerful drugs and many people who take them need help. Only by knowing the truth about them can you fully understand some of the dangers of hallucinogens.

Myth 1: Hallucinogens are Perfectly Safe

Unfortunately, hallucinogens are not perfectly safe. Hallucinogens are a wide class of drugs, all with different effects and side effects. Some hallucinogens can make you physically ill while others are downright poisonous. There is also the fact that synthetic hallucinogens are sometimes cooked up in filthy labs with unsafe chemicals. Not all hallucinogens are natural or safe for human consumption.

It is true that some of the natural hallucinogens such as peyote have fewer long term side effects than their synthetic versions. Even these hallucinogens can make you violently ill or might be mixed with other toxic chemicals.

Myth 2: There are no Lasting effects from Taking Hallucinogens

Hallucinogens can cause permanent hallucinations, or what is known as HPPD.

There are both positive and negative lasting effects of hallucinogens. Some people describe experiences that leave them with a positive outlook on life and other situations while many others describe experience that are nightmarish and these negative effects are as lasting as the positive effects.

Some people’s outlook is irrevocable changed causing chronic depression and generalized anxiety disorder. There is also a disease called HPPD or Hallucinogen Persistent Perceptive Disorder. This causes permanent hallucinations as well as other sensory issues. The issues with this disease are incurable but often manageable with treatment.

Myth 3: You Cannot be Trapped Inside a Hallucination

This is a very popular myth. There are two issues that negate this myth. The first is an issue called flashbacks. Flashbacks are experiences similar to the original hallucinations but faster and less frequent. People have said that flashbacks turn up months or sometimes years after the original experience.

The other issue that negates this myth is that hallucinogens can trigger latent mental illness such as schizophrenia. This is a rare occurrence but it happens to a small percentage of people.

Myth 4: Hallucinogens are Not Addictive

Although it is true that most hallucinogens are not physically addictive they can be extremely psychologically addictive. You can get addicted to the feeling of the drug as well as the sometimes ritualized process of taking the hallucinogen. These addictions are often more difficult to break than a typical physical addiction. Some of them require months if not years of intensive therapy.

Myth 5: It is Difficult to Find Help for this Addiction

It is not at all difficult to find help for an addiction to hallucinogens. Although the addiction is often a powerful one it is still possible to recovery from it. It just takes some specialized treatment. To find a treatment that works for addiction to hallucinogens, call us at 800-411-9312 (Who Answers?) . We can help you find the treatment that you need.

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