Is Acid the Same as LSD?
If you go to a dance club or rave you will probably hear the terms acid and LSD used fairly frequently. These are becoming extremely popular in places where you might find flashing lights, loud music, and people looking to have a good time. You sometimes hear the terms acid and LSD used interchangeably, but are they the same thing?
What is Acid?
Acid is simply a street name for another drug. Lysergic acid diethylamide, or LSD, is a popular hallucinogen that has been around for a long time, and the “acid” in its name is where the street name came from.
It is most often used by teens and young adults in order to enhance their experience at concerts, dance clubs, or parties. While many people consider this drug to be safe, it has numerous negative effects that can result in death or the need for medical treatment.
What Does LSD Do?
According to the Eastern Illinois University Health Education Resource Center, LSD affects the brain, particularly those areas responsible for perception and mood. It also has a number of short and long term side effects.
Short term effects
- Visual and auditory hallucinations
- Synesthesia of senses (hearing colors, smelling sounds)
- Fear
- Changes in mood or personality
- Disorientation and confusion
- Increases in heart rate and blood pressure
- Anxiety
- Depression
Long term effects
- Development of schizophrenia
- Severe depression
- Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder, which causes flashbacks to using LSD even after stopping it
- Psychosis
All of these side effects make using acid extremely dangerous and highlight the need for getting treatment to help you stop abusing it immediately.For help finding treatment for LSD abuse, call 800-411-9312 (Who Answers?) .
The Dangers of LSD Tolerance
LSD is not considered to be an addictive drug, as users do not show signs of obsessive drug seeking behavior. However, that does not mean that it is not dangerous. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, people that use acid can develop a tolerance very quickly. So, you must take larger doses of the drug in order to have the same experience.
This is dangerous, because LSD is a very unpredictable drug that is frequently cut with any number of potentially harmful chemicals and just because you have a pleasant reaction one time, that doesn’t mean that you will have the same reaction every time.Instead, you should seek professional treatment to avoid any possible negative outcomes such as psychosis or death.
Getting Treatment for LSD Abuse
LSD, along with other hallucinogens, has grown in popularity in recent years due to the emergence of the party drug culture and the rave counter-culture. This popularity has created a need for treatment programs that can address these particular substances of abuse.While there are no medications for the treatment of LSD abuse, there are behavioral treatments and counseling options that have been shown to help those that are suffering from LSD abuse.
If you are one of these people, it is important that you seek treatment before you develop worse problems. Our staff has the knowledge and resources to help you find the treatment center that is right for you. Call us at 800-411-9312 (Who Answers?) today, and begin your road to recovery.
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