Hallucinogens: Escape from Reality
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, hallucinogens have been used since earliest recorded history in religious and spiritual ceremonies. They were believed to allow a connection to the spirit world and prepare warriors for battle by ancient civilizations. However, beginning in the mid-1900s hallucinogens took on a new purpose. Recreational, and habitual use of hallucinogens has grown ever since then, and continues to provide a means of escape for users.
Why do People Use Hallucinogens?
It is true that there are still some cultures that use hallucinogens for spiritual purposes. However, the primary reason people use hallucinogens is the same reason people use other drugs, which is to escape. They are trying to escape any number of things, such as:
- Family problems
- Stress at work
- Financial troubles
- Difficulties at school
- Depression
- Loneliness
- Social pressures
People use hallucinogens as a means of escaping these things and many others.
How do Hallucinogens Help you Escape?
Hallucinogens alter brain chemistry, and alter the user’s perceptions of things around them. Hallucinogens can alter all forms of perception, including:
- Shapes
- Colors
- Smells
- Physical sensations
- Sounds
- Lights and shadows
By altering these perceptions, hallucinogens change reality for the user, allowing them to escape.
Are Hallucinogens Addictive?
While there are a number of scientific studies that have proven that hallucinogens are not physically addictive, there is at least an equal amount of information that proves hallucinogens are psychologically addictive. These means that users suffer from the mental aspects of addiction, including:
- Uncontrollable urges to use hallucinogens
- Feeling like they can’t get through problems without hallucinogens
- Believing more in the false reality of the “trips” than real life
- Thinking that hallucinogens are more important than anything else
- Ignoring responsibilities and necessities in favor of escaping with hallucinogens
All of these signs of psychological addiction are common in hallucinogen users.
Why you Can’t Continue to Escape from Reality
While it’s true that everyone seeks some form of escape from time to time, it is usually in the form of a vacation. Escaping with hallucinogens isn’t really an escape. Your problems may disappear in perceptual haze, but it doesn’t last. In fact, habitual use of hallucinogens creates even more problems. From psychological addiction and health problems, to financial troubles and legal issues, hallucinogens are not the answer to your problems.
If you are using hallucinogens to escape, the best thing you can do is seek help. There are a number resources available to help you not only stop using hallucinogens, but also get your life under control, and develop the necessary skills to handle adversity. If you find yourself addicted to hallucinogens to escape reality please call us at 800-411-9312 (Who Answers?) . We can help you overcome this devastating addiction and its causes. You have many options available to you, don’t spend your life living in a fantasy world. We will find the right treatment for you.
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